Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!decwrl!decvax!eagle_snax!geoff
From: geoff@eagle_snax.UUCP ( R.H. coast near the top)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions,news.admin,comp.unix.wizards,comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: NFS Connectathon
Message-ID: <214@eagle_snax.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 1-Nov-87 10:49:58 EST
Article-I.D.: eagle_sn.214
Posted: Sun Nov  1 10:49:58 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 5-Nov-87 22:22:06 EST
References: <317@diab.UUCP> <859@winchester.UUCP> <7078@prls.UUCP>
Lines: 34
Summary: By invitation only - wait for Uniforum!
Xref: mnetor comp.unix.questions:4761 news.admin:1321 comp.unix.wizards:5284 comp.dcom.lans:902


The NFS Connectathon is organized each year by Sun on behalf of
the NFS vendors group. Invitations are extended to all commercial
NFS licensees (both those who have licensed the code and those who have
registered their intent to use the NFS trademark). It is not a public
event: we try to restrict attendance to just those engineers who are
working on the actual implementations. Partly this is so we can
get the work done (N x N testing takes a lot of time and energy);
partly this is because (for example) some folks have been known to take
exception to cooperative work when the cooperation is with someone from
a competitor...

The most immediate and visible end product of Connectathon is the
success of the interoperability demonstrated at Uniforum a few weeks
later. The real benefits are to the quality of NFS implementations, the
users of NFS, and NFS as a standard.

If you are building a multivendor standard and are thinking of
organizing something similar to Connectathon, be aware: it's a lot
of work, you HAVE to keep it going every year (this will be the third
Connectathon), and it isn't cheap (to organize or participate in). On
the other hand, I don't think you can afford NOT to do something like this. 

By the way, though my .signature says "Sun", I can't claim credit
for any of the hard work that goes into making Connectathon a success.
The bouquets go to the folks in the Portable Software group over
in Mt. View. As far as Connectathon is concerned, PC-NFS is just
another vendor implementation, and we have to prove ourselves afresh
every year.
-- 
Geoff Arnold, Sun Microsystems     |"Dive for diamonds, or shoot for hearts,
East Coast Division(home of PC-NFS)| It's all uncertain, but that's the art.
UUCP:{ihnp4,decwrl,...}!sun!garnold| I never bet on any sure things,
ARPA:garnold@sun.com               | Since your five deuces beat my four kings."