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From: SLOANE@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Bob Sloane)
Newsgroups: news.software.anu-news
Subject: Re: NNTP server suggestion.
Message-ID: <6121@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>
Date: 21 Jul 89 14:16:21 GMT
References: <1736@bmc.uu.se>
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services
Lines: 27

In article <1736@bmc.uu.se>, Mats.Sundvall@bmc.uu.se (Mats Sundvall) writes:
> Is it possible to have the NNTP server add the news entries into
> the database when it is recieved instead of writing it to a file for
> later processing by NEWS/ADD.

I agree this would be a good thing to do, but I doubt that it will happen. The
problem is that there is no method of synchronizing two processes updateing
the database files concurently. Currently, NEWS works reasonably well because
the vast majority of the database updating is done by a single job.  Real,
live NEWS readers just don't post things that often, so it doesn't happen very
often that two processes try to update the database at the same time.  If the
NNTP server also updated the database, there would be more problems. Actually,
it does post articles directly when the POST command is used.

> The advantage with this is a more interactive news network with the entry 
> available for reading directly when recieved by the system.

Couldn't you just run the batch job to do the updates more frequently and get
much the same effect?  It doesn't seem like a big problem if it takes an extra
10 minutes for something to appear.  If it is really important that you see
the articles as soon as possible, why not set up the group as served on the
remote system, and read it directly from there?
+-------------------+-------------------------------------+------------------+
|  Bob Sloane        \Internet: SLOANE@KUHUB.CC.UKANS.EDU/Anything I said is |
|  Computer Center    \ BITNET: SLOANE@UKANVAX.BITNET   / my opinion, not my |
|  University of Kansas\  AT&T: (913) 864-0444         /  employer's.        |
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