YEHAVI@HUJIVMS.BITNET (Yehavi Bourvine +972-2-584279) (09/02/89)
HUJI-NJE version 1.3 for VAX/VMS systems (Unix will support in the future) emulating the BITNET-II protocol Product description HUJI-NJE is a program written for VAX/VMS and Unix systems (the latter is a limited capability version) which connects these systems to the RSCS/NJE network. The program can send and receive mail, files (punch, print, netdata), intercative messages and commands. Supported carriage controls are: for outgoing files: ASA (both in PRINT and NetData with CC), punch and normal NetData. For incoming files also machine carriage-control is supported, which is converted to ASA during the reception process. The VAX/VMS version works in cooperation with the HUyMail mailer which prepares the files for the NJE program and accepts mails and files for local delivery. The Unix version hasn't been tied yet to the Unix mailer. VAX/VMS systems are transparent if placed between two IBM systems or compatibles. The Unix system is not fully transparent for files in transit (will be corrected in the future as demand arrise). The HUyMail is a store and forward mailer for VAX/VMS. It can route mail/files via the NJE emulator, via DECnet links (including sending mail to VMS/MAIL user's interface), using PMDF links and SMTP (EXOS, MultiNet, and in the future DEC's TcpIp). The mailer is a table driven, but can query name server for MX and A records. The VAX/VMS NJE emulator supports the following type of links: BiSync via a DMF or DMB card, TcpIp using EXOS and MultiNet packages (VMnet version 2), Async terminal lines (not useful on loaded systems), and DECnet links. The Unix version supports only TCP links. We expect to support DEC's TcpIp package in the future. Note: Currently Wollogong and MultiNet are compatible at the $QIO level; as long as this compatibility exists, the binary can be run using Wollogong TcpIp package also. The program has a limit of 255 lines; however, most machines will not be able to support more than one or two links... A VAX-11/750 can support up to one BSC link and one DECnet link with small buffer size. The emulator executes under the VMS operating system as two detached processes (one for the NJE emulator and one for the mailer). Commands are given to the NJE emulator via the VMS standard mailbox mechanism. The NJE emulator needs special privileges to access the DMF, DMB or TcpIp (the exact privileges are dependent on the line configuration used). The protocols emulated are: BiSync (over the DMB, DMF and Async lines), and BITNET-II (over the TcpIp and DECnet links). At present, the program is useful on stand-alone machines, since its behaviour in a cluster environment was not tested. It'll probably run correctly with all functions available to all members of the cluster, except from sending interactive messages and commands, which is limited to the machine on which the emulator run. Receiving messages and mail is done via the standard VMS services, so they are expected to work correctly in a cluster. The program does not create subprocesses, thus does not take advantage of SMP machines (but works correctly on them, as any other user program). The current version is somewhere between RSCS version 1.3 and 2.1, and does not support at present the following things: o Multiple streams. o SYSIN files are not supported at present. All files are sent as SYSOUT (but incoming SYSIN files will be accepted). o Segmented records. Each part of the segmented record is received as a separate record (but preserved if forwarded to another system). This includes all types of files (print, punch, NetData). This is not a limitation on VMS systems, since the editor cannot handle files with longer lines. o Long records of sent files (more than 253 characters, locally originated) are wrapped by the mailer, and the parts of a record are sent as separate records. o Not all file types are supported (for example: disk-dump). o Printer links are not supported, and probably won't be. They are indirectly supported via the mailer, including ASA and Machine carriage control (the latter one is converted to ASA during reception). o There is no JNET compatibility. No /VMSDUMP or /BINARY files can be generated or accepted, since we could not get the description of these files format from Joiner. In the future, HUJI-NJE sites will be able to exchange binary files between themselves. Hardware required For Unix systems no hardware or software is required, since it uses the standard Unix's TcpIp sockets. For VMS you need DMF or DMB for the synchronous link (if you use such links). Software required EXOS or MultiNet package for the TcpIp links, or none if you use only DECnet or asynchronous lines. If you use DMB you need DEC's WAN device driver kit (which supplies the driver for the DMB). The Unix version should work on any BSD-4.2/3 compatible. The VMS version needs VMS-4.6 or higher (the development is done on the most recent VMS version, so future releases might need higher VMS versions). You need a C compiler to compile the source code, since the programs are written in C. A small routine in MACRO-32 is needed if you run the DMF or DMB sync link. The product takes about 2,000 disk blocks (more during compilation), and each program needs about 500 pages of memory to run (they can run with 300 pages, but more memory was never a problem...). Availability The programs are available only to non-profit organizations, or organizations that fullfil the EARN criteria. The programs are given free of charge only to the Israeli universities which are members of Machba. Others will be charged a minimal licensing and handling fee. The program is given as-is, without any commitment to support. We'll try to support it as time allows. There are known problems (documented in the installation guide and available upon request); these problems are being solved, but we do not commit ourselves to fixing all bugs. Since no support is promised, an annual fee is not charged. However, in the future, if a demand arises, we might charge an annual fee for support. Ordering The packages are distributed via Yissum (research and development company of the university), but are owned and maintained by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. To get more information please write to: YEHAVI@HUJIVMS (on BITnet/EARN), or send mail to: Yehavi Bourvine Computation Center The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Givat-Ram Jerusalem, 91904 Israel. Note: the Unix version is not released yet. Yehavi Bourvine The Hebrew University, Computation Center YEHAVI@HUJIVMS