Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!apple!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ceres.physics.uiowa.edu!news.iastate.edu!sharkey!nstar!inland!allebrandi
From: allebrandi@inland.com (Tom Allebrandi)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.ultrix
Subject: Transparent DECnet file support?
Message-ID: <543.27b28e7e@inland.com>
Date: 8 Feb 91 11:41:50 GMT
Organization: Inland Steel Research Labs; East Chicago, IN
Lines: 41

On VMS, DECnet file operations are built into the file system. For
example, I can copy a file from one system to another by using the
normal file copy command giving node names as part of the file spec.

Under Pathworks (aka PCSA) on DOS, I can do the same thing if I
optionally load the TFT module.

I can't do this on Ultrix. Yes, I know about "dcp" and "dls", but that
does not do what I want. I want network file access as part of the file
system.

I'm thinking of something like

	/node/user/password/some.file

to access the file "some.file" on DECnet node "node" using the given
username and password. It would be acceptable to mount a "device" for
each node that we wish to access.

Is there anything to do this? Has anyone given this any thought?

We could basically do the same thing with NFS or VMS/Ultrix Connection.
The problem is that we just don't need the extra layers of software
and networking.

We have one Ultrix machine, a DECstation 3100, that is used by three
people for a specific application. These guys would simply like to keep
their files on our VAXcluster, and transparently bring them over when
they run the application. They would also like their output to go
directly to the VMS side. Right now, they "dcp" over the input
files, run the application, and "dcp" back their results. We'd
like to eliminate the "dcp" steps in as simple a way as possible.

Thanks!

--- Tom
Tom Allebrandi             | Mail guru   - DECUS UUCP Development Team
Inland Steel Research Labs | Chairperson - VMSnet Working Group, DECUS VAX SIG
East Chicago, IN           | Internet:  allebrandi@inland.com
219 399 6306               | UUCP:      ...!uunet!inland!allebrandi
                           | DECUServe: allebrandi     BIX: ta2