RFC 231 (rfc231) - Page 1 of 4

Service center standards for remote usage: A user's view

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Network Working Group                     J. Heafner - Rand
Request for Comments  231                 E. Harslem - Rand
NIC 7648                                  21 September 1971


                        SERVICE CENTER STANDARDS
                        ------------------------
                    FOR REMOTE USAGE--A USER'S VIEW
                    -------------------------------

INTRODUCTION
------------

     This note is a statement of our views on service cen- ter
standards.  It is an input to the service center panel discussion of
the October Network meeting.  Some areas are identified for
consideration in intra-network standardiza- tion.  We do not describe
a methodology for analyzing com- puter systems; however, such analysis
may be appropriate for solving the problems.  We also do not enumerate
the spectrum of services that may be required.  We merely enu- merate
areas where commonality of appearance and function can be of immediate
value to a network user.

CAVEAT
------

     It is assumed that service centers will conform to official
network standard protocols.  This is essential for service centers
since the effects of their practices are generally more wide-spread
and are crucial to the effectiveness of minimal hosts such as TIPs.

JUSTIFICATION
-------------

     The generation of network standards for service centers is of
value to a very important class of people--the ultimate user
community.  We have such a community at Rand that is composed of
research scientists and their support programmers.  Certainly such
users exist elsewhere, and a goal of the net- work must be to
encourage their use.  In the past, these researchers have relied
solely on programmers to buffer them from computer detail.
Standardization of services is cer- tainly a great value in expanding
the community of users and eliminating the buffer.

     Additionally, standards will be of benefit to those persons
responsible for implementation of resource access programs.  Instances
and areas of standardization are cited below to support both of these
statements.
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