NETWORK WORKING GROUP E. FORMAN REQUEST FOR COMMENTS # 274 MITRE NIC # 7901 1 November 1971 CATEGORIES F, G UPDATES: NONE OBSOLETES: NONE ESTABLISHING A LOCAL GUIDE FOR NETWORK USAGE Actual experiences and experimentation with network systems and subsystems will be an important supplement to existing NIC documentation. For this reason, MITRE, to facilitate local user access to network resources, is planning to establish a local GUIDE TO NETWORK USAGE to supplement the Resources Notebook and other NIC documentation. The Guide will be tailored to the needs of MITRE users and will contain information on network systems and subsystems. (We cannot precisely define systems and subsystems at this time but as an example of what we have in mind, TENNEX at SRI is a system and NLS is a subsystem.) The Guide will be implemented under NLS in much the same fashion as the NIC LOCATOR SYSTEM. Information gathered that is appropriate for the NIC but not yet included will be submitted for inclusion in the NIC. Attached is an outline of the proposed NLS files for the Guide System. The information included in the Guide will be sufficiently detailed to enable local users who are unfamiliar with the network, its terminology, and stores of reference material to utilize resources at foreign hosts via the network. Sites will be included in the Guide as local users gain experience with systems and subsystems located at the remote sites. Therefore, the sites most likely to be in the Guide will be those that can be used to support MITRE projects. We are planning to coordinate our efforts in this undertaking with a similar effort at the National Bureau of Standards. We believe that such endeavors will result in valuable contributions to the NIC, [Page 1] particularly to the Network Resources Notebook. Although the Guide will be tailored for MITRE users, it will contain information of general interest to other network users and will be made accessible to them through NLS. The Guide should become operational during December 1971. Any comments on proposed contents of the Guide are welcome. Anyone wishing to cooperate in this effort should contact E. Forman at MITRE. [ This RFC was put into machine readable form for entry ] [ into the online RFC archives by BBN Corp. under the ] [ direction of Alex McKenzie. 12/96 ] [Page 2] ATTACHMENT An NLS "Site File" will be built for each site at which a resource is presently available to network users at MITRE. Initial files will be for those sites that offer resources that are of specific interest to the local community. A RESOURCE LOCATOR FILE will contain a table of contents of the SITE FILES and a list of the subsystems surveyed for each of these sites. The headings in the table of contents will contain links to the corresponding online site file documents. RESOURCE-LOCATOR O Output processor directives 1 Text indicating how to use this file 2 Site identification (Link) 2A Subsystem list (with links) 3 Next site 4 Next site ... [Page 3] SITE-FILE (one for each site) O Output processor directives 1 Text indicating how to use this file 2 Subsystem list (with links) 3 Periods of system availability 4 Accounts 4 Accounts 4A List of accounts at site established by MITRE personnel 4A1 For each account indicate: - users - who is allowed to use this account - restrictions on use of system or subsystem with with this account - who to ask for password and ID (if the account is open to use by all, list password and allowable ID's) 4A2 Next account 4B How to establish a new account 5 System charges (special subsystem charges--if any-- will be listed with subsystem entry) 6 System Documentation 6A Title - Brief description - NIC reference number - link - on hand at local station - local users who have copy - where to order 7 Log in procedures (special log in procedures for sub- systems (if any) will be listed with the subsystem entry) 8 Special considerations when used with the following local (network user) equipment: 8A With devices -----, ----- - NIC reference numbers - links - list of special considerations when used with this system (e.g., special characteristics, half or full duplex) 8B With devices ... [Page 4] SITE-FILE (continued) 9 Comments on system usage and performance such as reliability, availability, recent user experience, bugs, differences from documentation (similar to NIC Journal Folklore) 10 Subsystem " " 10A Brief capability description References and links 10B Subsystem documentation 10B1 Title - brief description NIC reference number - link - on hand at local station? - local users who have copy - where to order 10B2 Next document 10C Periods of availability--same as system or list special subsystem availability times 10D Special subsystem charges if any 10E Log in procedures-if special log in procedure needed for subsystem 10F Special considerations when used with the following local (network user) equipment: 10F1 With devices -----, ----- - NIC reference numbers - links - list of special considerations when used with this subsystem (e.g., special characteristics, half or full duplex) 10F2 With devices -----, ----- ... 10G Comments on subsystem usage and performance such as reliability, availability, recent user experience, bugs, differences from documentation (similar to NIC Journal Folklore) 11 Subsystem " " ... 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