[net.news] Usenet backbone proposal

mark (04/21/83)

Here is the latest proposal for a Usenet backbone.  This is very similar
to what we have before, and I expect very few changes before it goes into
effect.  Would anyone who has a problem with it or suggestions for changes
please let me know?
	Mark

   ubc-vision---alberta---sask . . . . . . . . watecs--utzoo
	|                                                 |
    uw-beaver+                                            |
	|                                                 |
    tektronix-------------------------------------------decvax
	|                                               /   \
	|                                              /   philabs---mcvax
     zehntel-------------------------ihnp4---------harpo     | |
	|                              |             |       | |
	|                             we13         mhb5b+    | |
	|                             +   \          |       | |
     hplabs                                \      spanky+    | |
	|  \                                \    /           | |
	|   \                                burl----duke    | |
	|    \                                         \     | |
	|     -----------------hao----------------------seismo |
     sdcrdcf+                   +                              |
	|                                                      |
     sdcsvax----------------------------------------------------
	|
     australia

+ indicates a stub for a future link is open
. . . indicates a desired future link.
(sdcsvax-australia link via magtape once/week)
(philabs-mcvax via tin cans and string)

Each backbone sites becomes responsible for their own geographic
area and should help arrange the configuration of that area.
Some sites also gain responsibility for some areas that are not
geographic, e.g. seismo for the ARPANET and we13+burl for Western
Electric.  Other corporations may wish to remain linked up, instead
of going geographic, e.g. decvax and decwrl will probably want to
maintain a connection.

Most geographic areas are obvious, however, note that zehntel covers
the northern SF bay (SF, Berkeley, east bay) and hplabs covers Silicon
Valley; sdcrdcf covers Los Angeles; duke covers the Research Triangle,
philabs covers New York state, mcvax covers Europe.  harpo, mhb5b, and
spanky cover BTL WH, MH, and HO; we13+burl cover Western Electric,
Long Lines, AT&T, and BOC's (but not BTL or ABI).  ABI connects in
through spanky.

The following sites which used to be on the backbone no longer are:
	ucbvax		(to be connected to zehntel)
	sri-unix	(to be connected to hplabs or zehntel)
	cca		(connected to decvax)
	npois		(becomes part of BTL backbone)
	ihnss		(replaced by ihnp4)
ucbvax and sri-unix and brl-bmd are still important as ARPANET
gateways for fa newsgroups and certain net newsgroups, so they
are within one hop of the backbone.

The following existing Usenet links should be cut after the above
links are established.  (This is a recommendation, not a requirement.)
DO NOT SEVER THESE LINKS YET - THIS IS NOT FINAL!
	tektronix-ucbcad
	ucbvax-decvax
	sri-unix-cca
	ihnp4-houxi
	duke-decvax
	duke-harpo
	npois-harpo
	sdccsu3-sdcrdcf		(replaced by sdcsvax-sdcrdcf)
	sask-utah-cs		(replaced by alberta-sask)
	decvax-microsoft	(replaced by uw-beaver-microsoft)