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From: JMS@ARIZMIS.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: DECnet stuff
Message-ID: <8704160742.AA24623@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Wed, 15-Apr-87 23:39:00 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8704160742.AA24623
Posted: Wed Apr 15 23:39:00 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 19-Apr-87 05:18:15 EST
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There's been a lot of discussion about DECnet in the VMS V5
timeframe.  Please remember that those two products are
separate, and it is very unlikely that Digital will release
major changes to them in close time areas.

DECnet Phase V is an OSI implementation of DECnet.  This
means (in response to Marty Sasaki's comment) that you'll
get the full 40 octets of addressing available in things like
NSAPs etc.  So, yes, there will be plenty of addresses, although
how the DECnet folks are going to remain compatible with
Phase IV is beyond me (I suspect that only "short" OSI addressed
nodes will be able to talk to Phase IV nodes).

Because OSI is designed to supplant TCP/IP protocols, you will
find support for them decreasing -- this is probably a reason
why Digital is selling the Wollongong package, rather than put
any time of their own into writing one.

There are other interesting things which DECnet Phase V has in
it that you can find out by asking for a standard presentation
from your local office (may involve non-disclosure agreements
as well).

That above was facts.  Here's some speculation on my part --
I believe that there will never be a PDP-11 implementation of
DECnet Phase V.  Too much work, too little address space, too
few customers.  So, don't go out and buy a DECSA gateway; it'll
probably be replaced by a DECSx gateway, where the PDP-11 turns
into a MicroVAX I/II/III?.  I also believe that you won't see
a Phase V release until well after VMS V5 is available; almost
certainly the only BIG change in VMS V5 will be multi-processing
and some of the RMS stuff that they've been promising for so
long.  Another guess is that little things will come a little
at a time in 5.x releases.

Some questions for you-all -- How many have gotten VMS 4.6 ?
Joe Bingham seemed to indicate that he's read the release
notes, but his site is big enough to be a beta.  And, I
never seem to get my own INFO-VAXes back -- anyone else on
the BITNET side of the redistribution have this problem?

+-------------------------------+
| Joel M Snyder                 |            BITNET: jms@arizmis.BITNET
| Univ of Arizona Dep't of MIS  |          Internet: jms@mrsvax.mis.arizona.edu
| Tucson, Arizona 85721         |   Pseudo-PhoneNET: (602) 621-2748
+-------------------------------+              ICBM: 32 13 N / 110 58 W
(std. disclaimer in re: nobody taking anything I say seriously)
"Sure looks like Plant Food to me !"   - Seymour, and Audrey II