Susan_Calcari@um.cc.umich.edu (05/07/91)
Your message to the cisco mailing list about NSFNET routing information was
forwarded to us by a former colleague with a watchful eye. The best place to
read about NSFNET routing is in the RFC's (request for comments) published by
the IETF and posted electronically here at Merit and at the SRI-NIC. Below
I have appended instructions for accesssing these documents at Merit by FTP or
remote mail query. They are in the directory named RFC, and are named
RFC1092.txt-1 and RFC1093.txt-1 If you are not familiar with FTP or have any
problems, let us know at nsfnet-info@merit.edu and we will help out.
An index of all the RFC's available is available in the same directory, and
is named INDEX.RFC.
Susan Calcari
Site Liaison
Merit/NSFNET
-------------------------------------------------------------------- FILE RETRIEVAL VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL
NSFNET Information Services Remote Query Database
Merit/NSFNET Information Services provides information via an
electronic mail query system based on the Remote SPIRES product
developed at Stanford. This system enables users to send
electronic mail to the server which then responds with information
from its database.
INTERNET ADDRESS: nis-info@nis.nsf.net
BITNET ADDRESS: nis-info@merit
Format of the message:
The subject field of the message is ignored and the text of the
message contains the command for the server. Only the first line
is read by the server. Sending only the word HELP in the message
will retrieve a file with a list of the available commands
with an explanation of what each command does.
An example of a command is INDEX, which followed by a directory
command will provide a list of documents stored in that
directory and a short description of the document. Sending INDEX
alone will give you a list of indices and descriptions of each.
**NOTE: For your convenience, the list of indices is appended at
the end of this message. Those indices marked with a < * > are
available only by FTP, not by electronic mail.
Another example of a command is SEND, which is used to retrieve
files.
Example queries:
To find out what documents are available in the directory
called LINKLTTR, the first text line of the message should read:
index linklttr
The server will reply with a list of all the individual
documents available in that directory. The user may then send
another message requesting one of those documents:
send linklttr.890213
Some files, due to their length or content (binary data) will not
be returned by the server. In such cases the requester receives
a message to that effect with information on retrieving the
desired information via anonymous file transfer protocol (FTP).
------------------------------------------------------------------
FILE RETRIEVAL VIA FTP
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) allows users to communicate with a
remote host for the purpose of transferring text or binary files
between their host and the remote one. The FTP program must be
running on both host computers to transfer files. To open a
connection with a remote host, you must know its address or name.
A connection to the Merit/NSFNET Information Services machine may
opened using either the host name, nis.nsf.net, or the Internet
address, 35.1.1.48. To open a connection:
type:
ftp nis.nsf.net
For name, type
anonymous
Use guest as the password. Then issue the command
get read.me
and the information file on how to proceed will be transferred
to your host.
Or you can proceed by typing DIR which will give you a list
of the available directories. To move to one of these directories
issue the change directory (cd) command. For example, to move
to the directory LINKLTTR, type:
cd linklttr
To view the contents of the directory you are currently in, simply
type the DIR command.
From any directory, the command < cd anonymous > will return you
to the default directory.
For your convenience, a list of the available directories has
been appended at the end of this message.
**Additional FTP information:
File names:
FTP on the Information Services machine is running under VM on an
IBM 4381 mainframe. In the VM/CMS context, filenames starting with
a '$' are legal (and force a file to show up at the top of a DIR
listing where alpha collation is the default). On some systems,
a '$' at the start of a filename may not be legal, or may have a
different interpretation. Because of this, you may need to use the
following form of the FTP 'get' command to assign a name compatible
with your local system when transferring a file:
get <remote.file> <localfile>
where "<remote.file>" is the name of the file on the Information
Services machine, and "<localfile>" is the name you are transferring
the file to on your host.
FTP "TYPE":
Users on ASCII systems who FTP files from IBM mainframes need to
remember these machines are EBCDIC-based, and you should NOT do
binary transfers of text files, otherwise you will end up with an
unreadable file on your ASCII system. Do not type BINARY in FTP
unless you are transferring executables or other non-text files.
------------------------------------------------------------------
LIST OF DIRECTORIES
Merit/NSFNET Information Services
NIS.NSF.NET (35.1.1.48)
Welcome to the Merit/NSFNET Information Services machine.
Information files are available on this machine under the
directories listed below. Those directories marked with a
< * > are available by FTP only, not electronic mail.
ANONYMOUS -- List of public directories from which files may
be retrieved by FTP or electronic mail
CISE -- Documents regarding the announcement for
Coordination Theory and Collaboration Technology
initiative issued by the NSF.
* IMR -- The Internet Monthly Reports communicating the
accomplishments, milestones reached, or
problems discovered by participating organizations.
LINKLTTR -- Text-only editions of the Link Letter, a monthly
newsletter published by Merit/NSFNET. File
names contain the publication date for easy
retrieval.
* MAPS -- PostScript versions of several regional
network maps (available only by FTP)
MICHNEWS -- The MichNet News, the newsletter for the
statewide network in Michigan, operated by
Merit. Issues begin with March of 1990.
Newsletters are available in hard-copy by
request to info@merit.edu or INFO@MERIT.BITNET.
MICHNET -- MICHENT information files which
include descriptions of the network, its
command language, host attachment policies,
and how to access MICHNET from across the
country and overseas
* NSFCONFG -- Configuration files for nodes on the NSFNET
backbone (available only by FTP)
NSFNET -- Merit/NSFNET administrative information,
policies regarding management of the
backbone, and government reports relevant
to networking, including activity in Congress.
* NSFSITES -- A catalog of hosts registered on the NSFNET
backbone (available only by FTP)
RESOURCE -- Basic references on TCP/IP and internetworking
RFC -- All Requests for Comments currently available
from the SRI-NIC
* STATS -- Inpacket totals for each node on the NSFNET
backbone (INPKTS), one-way delay times (PING)
and network traffic traversing the NSFNET
backbone (TRAFFIC) are available for each
monthly reporting period (available only by
FTP).
------------------------------------------------------------------