Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!pacbell!att!chinet!les
From: les@chinet.chi.il.us (Leslie Mikesell)
Newsgroups: unix-pc.general
Subject: Re: TCP for the unix-pc (now starlan)
Message-ID: <8213@chinet.chi.il.us>
Date: 13 Apr 89 04:27:40 GMT
References: <1892@umbc3.UMBC.EDU> <8187@chinet.chi.il.us> <7976@mtune.ATT.COM> <1466@mtunb.ATT.COM>
Reply-To: les@chinet.chi.il.us (Leslie Mikesell)
Distribution: na
Organization: Chinet - Public Access Unix
Lines: 44

In article <1466@mtunb.ATT.COM> jcm@mtunb.ATT.COM (was-John McMillan) writes:

>>Correction to your comments above: it is true that the other AT&T systems
>>are moving to ISO protocols, but they CAN share a wire with URP-based
>>systems; they just don't understand one another.

>1)	Bob is right, as usual ;-)

I did know that, and in fact have both types on the same wire now, but
what's the point - when we upgrade the 3B2's to the new software the
3B1's won't be able to talk to anything but themselves.

>2)	Bob hasn't mentioned that AT&T, INTERNALLY, runs many
>	[most?] of its 3B2 and 6386 systems with software that
>	supports BOTH URP & ISO.  (He KNOWS this... but is
>	smart enough to NOT mention it: I'm NOT ;-)

>	The point is: there is inside & outside pressure for AT&T
>	to release the dual protocol software as a product -- at
>	least I think that's still alive -- and there is as yet
>	little isolation of 3B1's WITHIN AT&T.  There is just the
>	tedium of knowing which of your clients are URP or ISO
>	talkers.

Great - I suppose they will wait until just after we dump the 3B1's
to release it.  And then they'll wonder why we don't buy a copy...
There is a product listed as an ISO to URP translator but the description
only mentions using it to talk to a slim-C card.  Is it in fact a
general-purpose translator suitable for (say) allowing DOS ISO clients
to talk to the 3B1 (URP) DOS SERVER?  Anyway, the correct solution
is to provide a matching ISO version for the 3B1.  Otherwise AT&T is
giving the impression that they cannot be expected to provide continuing
support for the products they sell, or perhaps that they are incapable
of porting current unix and networking software to more than a few
platforms.

>3)	True isolation occurs as StarLAN'ers switch from the 1MB
>	hardware to the 10MB hardware: there is no (known-to-me)
>	means of running the 1MB hardware on a 10 MB net.

I assume you mean 1MB URP only.  There is a 10-1 bridge for the
ISO versions.

Les Mikesell