karn@faline.UUCP (06/18/87)
This item appears on page 15 of the June 1987 issue of Data Communications. It really made my day. Enjoy. --Phil ============================================ For Own In-House Network, COS Selects TCP/IP That's right. The consortium of vendor and user heavyweights, the Corporation for Open Systems (COS), which exists solely to accelerate the development and deployment of products based on the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) specifications, confirms that its own in-house computer network will use the renegade transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) set, and not OSI transport and network protocols, at least not initially. "I realize it may look bad, but we *do* plan to migrate [to the OSI protocols]," says Steve Smith, a COS researcher. COS expects its in-house network -- consisting largely of Unix-based Sun Microsystem workstations, Unix-based file servers, and Ethernet connections supplied by Bridge Communications -- to be up and running within the next few weeks. Aware that charges are likely to fly that COS isn't practicing what it preaches when it comes to implementing OSI, COS officials declined further comment. It seems the decision to go with TCP/IP -- even though several COS members, including IBM, Retix, and Touch Communications, for example, now offer OSI network/transport-layer products -- was made reluctantly, because the vendors whose gear COS researchers wanted (Sun, Bridge) do not offer OSI connections. There could, however, be another reason for the interim acceptance of TCP/IP: COS is long overdue in setting up a test facility for checking out OSI network/transport product implementations and certifying their intercompatibility. And selecting an OSI product for use in its own network, which has not passed COS's own certification muster, might have been viewed as an even bigger political gaffe than going with TCP/IP.
gnu@hoptoad.uucp (John Gilmore) (06/19/87)
In article <662@faline.bellcore.com>, karn@faline.UUCP writes: > It seems the decision to go with TCP/IP...was made > reluctantly, because the vendors whose gear COS researchers wanted (Sun, > Bridge) do not offer OSI connections. I thought that Sun offerred OSI as an option -- but of course, the support for the OSI stuff is nowhere near as mature or useful as the support for Internet stuff. I doubt you can boot diskless via OSI protocols, or move mail. Which is part of the problem with OSI. I like the way the OSI fans say "well all we have to do is put in a few years of work and it will be just as mature". Somehow I have better things to do than throw away years of work so I can do it over. I think COS should foreswear the use of TCP/IP. If they really want to throw it away, let them start now. Hypocrites! -- {sun,ptsfa,lll-crg,ihnp4,ucbvax}!hoptoad!gnu gnu@ingres.berkeley.edu Kudos to Stargate for permitting redistribution. May the Source be with you!
yamo@AMES-NAS.ARPA (Michael J. Yamasaki) (06/22/87)
> From: ulysses!faline!karn@ucbvax.berkeley.edu > > For Own In-House Network, COS Selects TCP/IP Yep, and the mail system works so well that you get everything in triplicate (;-)... -Yamo-