Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ucsd!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!decwrl!decvax!eagle_snax!geoff
From: geoff@eagle_snax.UUCP ( R.H. coast near the top)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: Exchanging serial numbers
Message-ID: <251@eagle_snax.UUCP>
Date: 4 Mar 88 15:17:47 GMT
References: <8802251906.AA04676@wb6rqn.UUCP> <669@taurus.BITNET>
Lines: 28
Summary: UDP discard

In article <669@taurus.BITNET>, leonid@TAURUS.BITNET writes:
> In article <8802251906.AA04676@wb6rqn.UUCP> brian@wb6rqn.UUCP writes:
> >Here at Sirius Systems we have been discussing a means to protect our
> >TCP/IP software without placing undue strain on the users. ...
> 
> May I mention a very much similar solution done by Sun Microsystems in their
> PS-NFS 2.0 product, and please excuse me if this has already been mentioned.
> They just used ICMP discard packets to broadcast the serial number of each
[...]
> To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure weather they use ICMP discard or
> UDP discard packets...

We use UDP discard packets (UDP port 9), and we wind up sending one about
once an hour (depending on usage pattern). It hasn't broken any nets yet,
as far as I know (and I'm sure the flames would have come thick and fast :-).
And like Leonid I'd prefer an "official" solution. Anyone interested in
talking about it?
> 
> Leonid

Geoff Arnold
PC-NFS architect


-- 
Geoff Arnold, Sun Microsystems     | "Universes are just one of those things
SPD at ECD (home of PC-NFS)        | that happen from time to time..."
UUCP:{ihnp4,decwrl...}!sun!garnold | [Dunno who said it - if you know, pass it
ARPA:garnold@sun.com               | on. G.A.]