RHX@CORNELLC.CCS.CORNELL.EDU (Dick Cogger) (04/07/88)
All Interested Parties:
(Please forgive posting to multiple lists due to overlapping
subject matter.)
Cornell University MacIP and PC/IP are now available to colleges and
Universities, essentially free.
Cornell's versions of Mac and PC programs implement telnet, tn3270,
and serial port terminal emulators compatible with the TCP/IP
applicaitons. A ping application is also available. These programs
are derived from the MIT PC/IP, and the Mac's Appletalk drivers were
developed at Stanford. Major features are as follows:
1. Both tn and tn3270 are quite fast. With tn3270, full screens are
displayed in less than a second, counting host time to generate the
screen. Times approximately as follows: PC/XT 1 sec, MacPlus, .6
SEC, PC/AT OR MACII .45 SEC.
2. User key-mapping is supported. On the Mac, a simple macro
facility provides the mapping. (The PC will have the equivalent
soon.)
3. A very easy-to-use file transfer is built into the tn3270. A
simple host command (e.g. "download foo memo") effects the
transfer. Speed is about 3Kbytes/sec.
4. Serial port versions of the terminal programs present a near-
identical user interface, including the same key mapping, same
visual appearance. If calling an IBM host via 7171, the file transfer
works trasparently with error checking, albeit more slowly. In fact,
the same CMS module is used whether operating on TCP/IP or by
async connection-- therefore, upload/download commands may be
imbedded in exec's to operate either way.
5. The Mac versions support Appletalk and Omninet (Ethertalk soon),
the PC versions support Appletalk (TOPS Flashtalk card), Omninet,
Ethernet (3C501), Pronet-10, and a Netbios 5C interface. This latter
is IP over Netbios, not to be confused with the reverse, and permits
the use of various networks for telnet while running local file-
service, such as Novell.
6. With Appletalk, the Mac and PC can be used with the Kinetics
fastpath. The PC will operate normally on an ethernet or Pronet.
Omninet and the Netbios interface require a matching router which
we have at Cornell but is not generally available (see below).
We've been running the Omninet versions for over 18 months at
Cornell, and the Appletalk versions for several months. I'd estimate
that over 100 people use them daily and the number is growing.
However, they havn't been tested much outside Cornell, and most of
the use at Cornell is over low-latency local nets.
At least for now, we will be licensing these programs to colleges
and universities only, with a simple license that basically has the
licensee agreeing not to redistribute or hold Cornell responsible for
any problems. For now, we won't be sending out source, but
eventually we will on some basis. For non-university folks, we hope
to find a commercial vendor who will release (sell) and support the
programs, but we havn't been able to conclude such an arrangement.
If we don't soon, we'll probably put it all in the public domain.
If you want to license these programs, send me electronic mail and
I'll send you a copy of the agreement to sign and return. SPECIAL:
The first 25 requests I get, we'll provide the disks and postage to
send it to you. (You'll know if you're in the 25 when you get the
license form.) After that, there will be a distribution fee of $25.00.
Regarding the IP Router (Gateway): We use a PC/AT clone,
configured with one backbone interface and up to four local net
interfaces. Usually, the backbone is Pronet, but it could be ethernet.
The local nets are Omninet or Appletalk, or some of both. We have
about 10 gateways in service in this configuration, and expect
several more soon. With these Omninet/Appletalk units, we locate
the router in a locked room at one of eight locations served by our
backbone Pronet. From there, we run a telephone type twisted pair
(part of our System 85 wireplant) to the building of interest where
we install a star hub at the BDF (Building Distribution Frame).
Additional telephone pairs go from the hub to outlets in offices.
Also for local nets we can support ethernet or pronet or the Netbios
interface. We've tested the Netbios interface with Starlan and IBM
TokenRing, so far; it should work with lots of other nets. For this
type of local net, we're thinking of using an Omninet (1 Mbit) to
connect a port on a backbone gateway to a "satelite gateway"
connected on the local ethernet or Netbios net.
The gateways are assembled without disks, keyboards, or monitors.
They boot over the backbone and download configuration. The boot
server is a PC running a simple net monitor that pings listed IP
addresses and displays responding status while answering boot
requests in the background. Even stuffed full of cards, the gateway
boxes usually cost under $2000 for the hardware. Performance
seems to be excellent, although we have not done extensive testing.
In one test we did do, an appletalk wire was saturated at 75
packets/sec (plus another 150/sec on the wire for ALAP RTS/CTS
packets), about 180 Kbits/sec, all of the packets coming/going to a
Pronet using 23% of the AT's CPU.
Right now, we're adding Appletalk protocol-forwarding with IP
tunnel-routing (like the KIP code for the Kinetics box).
We're working on arranging for the AT-based gateway to be made
available, but because of licensing issues, it seems to be taking a
long time. Let me know if you would be interested.
-Dick Cogger, Cornell University
Internet: RHX@CornellC.ccs.cornell.edu
Bitnet: RHX@CornellC
607-255-7566
U.S.Mail: Richard Cogger, Cornell University, 192 Caldwell Hall,
Ithaca, NY 14853GILBERT@YALEVM.BITNET (Howard Gilbert) (04/08/88)
Please send the license forms for your products.
Howard Gilbertasher@TONTO.CC.ROCHESTER.EDU (Samuel Asher) (04/08/88)
Ok, Please send me a license form for Cornell PCIP and MacIP Samuel Asher University of Rochester 727 Elmwood Ave. Rochester, NY 14620 asher@cc.rochester.edu Thanks.
RHX@CORNELLC.CCS.CORNELL.EDU (Dick Cogger) (04/08/88)
OK, but I need a US mail address.... -dick
CC06067@UAFSYSB.BITNET (Christopher Corke) (04/11/88)
I read the message about cornell MAC/IP and PC/IP. I was wondering
if the software was available anywhere via Anonymous FTP?????
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University of Arkansas
<CC06067@UAFSYSB> (Christopher C. Corke) 220 A.D.S.B.
System Programmer I 155 Razorback Road
Universtiy of Arkansas (Postmaster) Fayetteville, AR. 72701
Department of Computing Services (501) 575-2905
Acknowledge-To: <CC06067@UAFSYSB>