RFC 364 (rfc364) - Page 1 of 6

Serving remote users on the ARPANET

Network Working Group                       Marshall D. Abrams
Request for Comments: 364                   National Bureau of Standards
NIC  10606                                  July 11, 1972
References:  NIC 6801


                  Serving Remote Users on the ARPANET

Problem Statement

   Second only to the unavailability of the serving host, the most
   vexing problem encountered in attempting to use the service hosts on
   the NET has been the inadequacy of administrative procedure and
   information dissemination for remote users. This paper explores the
   problem and proposes solutions.

   When computer systems begin to service remote users, some of the
   operating procedures which produced a functioning environment for
   local users may not be satisfactory for those who are off-site. It
   may be that these procedures were already inadequate, but the local
   community developed a set of informal procedures to augment the
   formal ones. It may also be true that the established formal
   procedures were completely satisfactory for local users, but failed
   when an attempt was made to extend them to the remote user. In either
   case, this paper asserts that a problem exists and offers a set of
   suggestions for its amelioration.


Existing Information

   Having used (or attempted to use) the information currently
   available, I should first summarize the existing sources and indicate
   that they don't meet total needs. There is the resource notebook
   index. The index is an ordered list of attributes which refer one to
   the appropriate main entry for hosts exhibiting that attribute. When
   the index is completed, it will reference the main entries in the
   resource notebook, to which we now turn out attention. On the whole,
   the main entry contains a summary of the hardware and software
   services available. At this site, these entries serve as a "shopping
   list" from which we may select the service center hosts which may be
   suitable for the computing we wish to undertake. Some administrative
   information is also provided. Using the outline of a host-site
   subsection, this information consists of: I. Personnel; V.B.  Rate
   structure; V.D. Long-term storage; VII. Login; VIII. Operator
   Communication; IX. Miscellaneous; and X. Programs. The discussion
   under "IX. Miscellaneous" included a statement of intention to
   include an elaborated documentation section in a future revision of
   the resource book. This is most urgently required. This paper



Abrams