Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!jarthur!ucivax!gateway
From: S.Kille@cs.ucl.ac.UK (Steve Kille)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.iso.x400
Subject: Re: The NSF X.400 Pilot Project.
Message-ID: <802.655381297@UK.AC.UCL.CS>
Date: 8 Oct 90 10:33:51 GMT
Lines: 36
Approved: usenet@ICS.UCI.EDU
In-reply-to: Your message of Thu, 27 Sep 90 17:09:28 -0500. <900927170926*@MHS>
Phone: +44-71-380-7294

Alf,

Thanks for this message.  I hope that your piloting activities and PP will
have a useful symbiosis.

A few thoughts:

1) I find the Internet X.400 piloting discussions difficult, as they seem to
occur in a policy vacuum (this statement is meant to be provocative).  Your
description is of laying out a pilot service, with transition to full
service.  However, I don't see this reflected in overall strategy for the
Internet (e.g., as RFCs on overall plan or IETF minutes).

2) Your service model is very oriented to the "external view".  This
facilitates connection of other WEPs and external commercial services using
X.400.  There needs to be more focus on an "internal" view.   I'd like
to see:
   - Information as to benefits of joining the pilot (short term,
   	strategic)
   - Model for an organisation to transition / join the pilot.  This is
   	non-trivial for any organisation with a serious commitment
	to local messaging services
   - managing links within the PRMD (X.400 is oriented to bilaterally
   	agreed links), and intra-PRMD routing.
I don't see how the external aspects can be tackled as any sort of service,
until there is a coherent internal view.  This needs to be considered in
terms of overall message service for the organisation, and not just X.400.

3) On managing 987 /1148 mapping tables for PP.   UCl provides PP format
mapping tables derived from the international tables, which PP sites
can pull on a regular basis.   US PP sites should submit any mappings
they need through you.  This will ensure that the mapping is a genuinely
global one.


Steve