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From: guy@sun.uucp (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: net.micro.att
Subject: Re: 3bnet
Message-ID: <2258@sun.uucp>
Date: Sat, 1-Jun-85 05:11:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: sun.2258
Posted: Sat Jun  1 05:11:39 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 5-Jun-85 00:44:41 EDT
References: <1800@ukma.UUCP> <202@uwvax.UUCP> <283@cuae2.UUCP>
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Lines: 29

> 3BNET provides bulk file transfer, remote command execution, electronic
> mail, and an Application Programming Interface to allow users to develop
> custom network software.
> 
> The Application Programming Interface allows programmers to directly access
> network services at the Ethernet Data Link Layer through the use of standard
> UNIX System calls: read, write, open, close, ioctl. The programmer can
> construct programs that communicate with each other by sending Ethernet
> packets that they construct. The user opens an Application Port for reading
> from the network or writing to the network or both, sets
> several parameters (such as his symbolic address for receiving packets,
> protocol type, etc.), and is then ready to send/receive packets.

Why not just provide TCP and IP (or XNS protocols, or ISO protocols, or
whatever) on top of Ethernet, and serial lines, and Hyperchannel, and the
PCL-11, and...?  There are already standard protocols in the Internet
(TCP/IP) protocol suite for bulk file transfer and electronic mail.  You can
stick UUCP on top of TCP and get another bulk file transfer and remote
command execution protocol (you can also use it for mail but it's not as
nice).  You can talk to any other machine which supports those protocols.
*AND* you can write one bulk file transfer server, one mail server, one
remote command execution server, etc. and use it with all those different
communications devices.

The software isn't too expensive; the University of California doesn't
charge too much for a tape, and there are plenty of companies out there
distributing it - I'm sure they wouldn't mind adding AT&T to the list...

	Guy Harris