ccruss@pollux (Russ Hobby) (01/05/90)
Hi gang,
Some of the discussion on why FAX is popular and Email is not, has been
similar to some thoughts that I have had on network applications in
general. What is it that will make networks usable by the masses? Good
connectivity and easy to use applications that can talk across the
network to everyone else's applications.
FAX has the connectivity through the telephone system. The Internet is
growing but it doesn't go everywhere the phones do! So when will will
common carriers put network connections everywhere? When there are
useful, easy to use applications that people want to use on the network
and are willing to pay for.
So lets look at the applications. Below are some of my thoughts on some
applications. I am looking for comments on these and others that you have
any ideas about. Think about not just what we need in the educational and
research environment, but also what everyone would like in their home and
business.
Thanks,
Russ Hobby INTERNET: rdhobby@ucdavis.edu
IETF Area Director - Applications BITNET: RDHOBBY@UCDAVIS
UUCP: ...!ucbvax!ucdavis!rdhobby
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Network Applications in Need of Standards
The Internet has grown to the point where a vast number of
people have access and they are now asking "What do we do
with it?". Most TCP/IP implementations include three basic
applications: remote login (Telnet), file transfer (FTP)
and electronic mail (SMTP). These applications need to be
looked at to see if they meet todays need, but people want
more!
The main reason for TCP/IP's success has been its
interoperability. Now that new applications are being
looked at (and in some cases developed), we need to provide
standards for these applications to insure continued
interoperability. In the telephone world, the user does
not care what is happening with the switching and circuits,
he just wants to be able to talk to the person at the other
end. This also needs to be true with network applications.
We already see proprietary network systems, particularly
with microcomputers, that can not talk to each other. What
we need is agreed upon standards at the network level for
the applications, and the vendors can then sell their
product because their's is the "best" implementation and
user interface. Also, regardless of one's options on OSI,
it will happen at some point and TCP/IP needs to work
closely with the OSI groups to make sure that there will be
interoperability at the application level.
Here are a few of the applications, old and new, that have
produced some interest and questions.
Electronic Mail
There is no doubt that current email could use some
improvements. How can we include image information in email?
What about electronic signatures? Is what we really need an
electronic document standard that will include these issues
and more? How is X.400 going to fit into or work with the
TCP/IP world?
Network Printers
Define a standard method of sending printer output to a
printer connected to the network. Some items to consider are:
1) Authentication/security/accounting
2) Begin/end control of print job
3) Printing modes and options (postscript, plain text,
page/line size, ....)
4) Scheduling priorities
Network Backups
Define a standard method of doing disk backups to a mass
storage system on the network. This is becoming particularly
important with the increase of PCs and workstations that do
not have mass storage directly attached.
Distributed Network Bulletin Board System
Define a Bulletin Board System such that various parts of the
information base can reside on different computers. This
allows each provider of their information to provide the
maintenance and computing resources for that part of the
information base. Also as the information base grows, rather
than having get a bigger computer to handle the growth, you
add more computers.
One idea currently being looked at UC Davis is to use the
USENET concept and NNTP, but use the Domain Name System to
specify which computer provides NNTP service for a particular
newsgroup.
Distributed Network Calendar/Scheduling System
Define a system such that one computer can maintain a
calendar for a group of people/rooms/items, but can also
communicated with calendars on other computers over the
network for scheduling.
Network FAX
Define a standard method of sending FAX information over a
network. If we can get email to include images, this need
may decrease, but people what to do FAX now!
Network Interactive Conversations
Define a standard method for interactive conversations over
the network. There are several programs that allow users to
talk to each other, but no standards for it. UNIX "talk" is
probably the closest to a defacto standard.
Network Database
Define a standard method of interacting with databases over a
network.
Directory Services
What is the best way to provide this service? Whois? DNS?
X.500? We need an official way of doing it over TCP/IP.
More?