RFC 76 (rfc76) - Page 1 of 15
Connection by name: User oriented protocol
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Network Working Group J. Bouknight
Request for Comments: 76 J. Madden
NIC 5180 G. Grossman
University of Illinois
28 October 1970
Connection-By-Name: User-Oriented Protocol
I. Introduction
Shortly after the first of the year, 1971, the Center for Advanced
Computation (CAC) at the University of Illinois will begin to use the
facilities of the ARPA network. We are the first of a small class of
network nodes whose chief characteristic is that the node is a port
to the network only. All computational power for these nodes will be
taken from other nodes on the network, ILLIAC IV for example.
An important characteristic of most of the users at our Center is a
lack of sophistication about data communication techniques and
practices. The user will eventually be in the majority of those
using the network from all nodes but the problem is ours, almost from
the start.
In our discussions with our prospective users of the network as we
designed our port facility, we found that the greatest confusion and
consternation arose over having to deal with network protocol at the
"nitty-gritty" level of sockets, links, etc. While most of them have
been acclimated to computer systems at the file and device-by-name
level where the software system handles details, here on the current
version of the network, the user handles all details.
Thus, we were compelled to seek a user level interface to network
protocol where all user protocol is handled symbolically with system
procedures making the translation into host-to-host protocol.
Currently, connections are established by exchange of known socket
numbers for the four loose ends of the connection. This requires
either that the user or process always know all socket numbers he
will use at his or other installations OR that his NCP (and/or
related software) remember them for him, allowing him to reference
them symbolically.
We propose a more general solution to the "telephone book" approach
of obtaining socket numbers for user or processes. Only the host, at
each site, knows its socket number space at any given instant in time
as well as the status of the user or process to which a socket number
Bouknight, et al.