CAMERON@EMBL.BITNET (01/21/88)
From: Graham Cameron <CAMERON%EMBL.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
The EMBL File Server
The announcement of the EMBL File Server has created a fair wave of electronic
comment, mostly enthusiastic responses from the EARN community. There have,
however, been a number of messages stressing the limitations of the service
provided, the most clear of which was that from Dave Kristofferson. I think it
is worth clarifying a few points:
- The service offered is an initial capability on which we plan to
develop.
- The fact that the service is offered over EARN/BITNET does not imply
that EMBL view this network as exemplifying the "trend for the future".
- EMBL is the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, funded by 15 member
states, all but one of them in Europe. EARN is the European Academic
Research Network. The EMBL server works reasonably over EARN, and
thereby reaches the community to which EMBL feels the most
responsibility.
- There are other gateway-accessible networks which we want soon to be
able to reach. These are JANET (extremely important, as at present
there is a hole in our European service) and the domains currently
accessible via the ARPANET (.edu .gov .com).
- We plan to build capabilities to serve these networks as soon as
possible - i.e., in weeks rather than months. The European Molecular
Biology Laboratory is not insensitive to the needs of North American
Researchers.
- In the meanwhile, we hope that the capability provided proves useful as
far as it goes. We have a number of improvements on the stocks, and
will keep you posted.
Graham Cameron
EMBL Data Library Manager
cameron@embl.earn