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From: jon@CS.UCL.AC.UK.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Tcp/Ip vs a store & forward network
Message-ID: <8703311326.AA18899@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Tue, 31-Mar-87 06:05:29 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8703311326.AA18899
Posted: Tue Mar 31 06:05:29 1987
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Actually, I thought the Internet WAS a store-and-forward network. Gateways
store up packets as they are received and forward them after a queueing
delay.  I think you really meant "message switching" as opposed to "packet
switching".

Yep. In the UK we use a spooled FTP system called NIFTP
(Network independant file transfer protocol). This works over
anything and we have it on 11/44s on Cambridge rings, vaxen and
pyramid, TCP/IP over ethernet. The spec says you can
checkpoint files, so it will work over junk networks without
having to break large files down yourself. It also does binary
etc, and it does some sorts of run-length encoding, for people
with 30bps packet radio nets! It also has sensible
authentication, unlike ftp which seems happy to send LOGIN passwords
around on networks without encryption (try and sell that to a
commercial company with ethernet).

The spec may be got from the Joint Network Team in the UK.
Implementations for ?NIXs exist. Why reinvent the wheel, when
you can get a halftrack for free - or
you could wait for FTAM.

jon