[net.news] mod.map.uucp Generator Shell

ladm@kitc.UUCP (John Burgess - Local tools ADM) (08/26/85)

I am posting to net.sources a shell which generates the data for
my mod.map.uucp entry. (Its call MkMapData.)

Its not the greatest; I figure somebody out there can improve on it!
but it does generate reasonable data.
(whatdya expect for an afternoon's work!)

BASIC ALGORITHM
1. start with uuname;
   convert to 6-char max, all lower case;
   set all costs to WEEKLY	(i.e., high but probably reachable)

2. Then do a 'uustat -mall'; set costs as follows:
	CALL SUCCEEDED == DEMAND
	BAD SYSTEM == DEAD
	.* FAILED == DEAD

3. Then apply "local wisdom" ; i.e., change known local sites
   from DEMAND to DIRECT; add a penalty for ihnp4
   (my assumption being that they are over-loaded, thus that maybe slower);
   etc.

 * can be re-run from step 2 (say once a week/month to update)

CAVEATS
 * I deleted some local-machine excising; you'll have to put your
   own in before installing it.
   (Look for the string 'LOCAL SYSTEMS')
 * There is NO manual page; an introductory comment explains usage.
 * Only known to work with "old" uucp on SV R2.

BUGS
 * all names are converted to 6-character max, lower-case.
   I'm not really sure if this is a bug or not, but that's the form
   our uustat spits out, so I had to convert to it.
 * uustat is too simplistic; calls can succeed because the remote
   can call me, but I still can't call them.  Similarly, calls can
   fail due to temporary hardware problems!
 * probably more.

ENHANCEMENTS
 * To work with HoneyDanBer, BSD, etc.
 * To know more about the internals of uucp
   (e.g., contents of Systems, Dialers, Poll, etc.)
 * fine-tuning of costs -- (e.g. add penalty for systems that are
   "down often". These will now bounce back and forth between DEMAND
   and DEAD.)
 * Add you favorite, here. ...

-- 
John Burgess - Local Tools Administrator
ATT-IS Labs, So. Plainfield NJ  (HP 1C-221)
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(201) 561-7100 x2481  (8-259-2481)