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From: ejnorman@uwmacc.UUCP (Eric Norman)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip,comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: IP to DECNET translation ????
Message-ID: <1505@uwmacc.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 13-May-87 22:00:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: uwmacc.1505
Posted: Wed May 13 22:00:18 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 16-May-87 07:24:48 EDT
References: <3770@oddjob.UChicago.EDU>
Reply-To: ejnorman@unix.macc.wisc.edu.UUCP (Eric Norman)
Distribution: world
Organization: UW-Madison Academic Computer Center
Lines: 49
Xref: mnetor comp.protocols.tcp-ip:180 comp.dcom.lans:455

In article <3770@oddjob.UChicago.EDU>,
matt@oddjob.uchicago.edu (Matt Crawford) pleads for mercy with:

> Help!  We want to connect our campus IP networks to SPAN, a wide
> 
> Is there anything which will give us better access than just
> logging in to the span node?  Some people will want to transfer

I just copied a file from a DECnet host to an IP host using
a MicroVAX running Ultrix as an intermediary with

  rsh ultrix-host dcat decnet-node::vms-file > unix-file

All I needed was an .rhosts file on the Ultrix beast.  A proxy
account on the DECnet node does not seem to allow referencing a
file relative to your home directory; i.e., the following failed:

  rsh ultrix-host dcat decnet-node::login.com

However, this does work after an rlogin to the Ultrix host:

  dcat decnet-node::login.com | rsh unix-host put vms-login-file

where my .cshrc on unix-host aliases "put" to "cat - >".

Now, methinks you would want to write some simple shell scripts
to do all that, but I reckon you would want to do that anyway
so that folks don't have to learn VMS.

> What we wish for is a protocol translator.  Is there one?

Heffalumps.  See RFC875; such a critter operating at the network
or transport layer would probably be considered miraculous.
However, up at the presentation or application layer it seems at
least partly possible.  Gatewaying mail from DECnet squawkers to
IP barkers isn't difficult, albeit without complete protocol
translation.  The above would be another example of the possibilities.

I think one of the nice things about the .rhosts or proxy account
approach is that they allow you hide the fact that you're rising higher
up the protocol stack.

Eric Norman
Internet:     ejnorman@unix.macc.wisc.edu
UUCP:         ...{allegra,ihnp4,seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!ejnorman
Life:         Detroit!Alexandria!Omaha!Indianapolis!Madison!Hyde
  
"And on the eighth day He said, 'Oops'."	-- me
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