Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!amdcad!ames!pasteur!
ucbvax!TROUT.NOSC.MIL!carrs
From: ca...@TROUT.NOSC.MIL (Stephen M. Carr)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: TCP/IP Versus WANG, ARCNET/NOVELL Netware, & Honeywell
Message-ID: <8801242026.AA29303@trout.nosc.mil>
Date: 24 Jan 88 20:26:05 GMT
Sender: dae...@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 90
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Ladies/Gentlemen,
1. We are about to lay the keel for networking at this command
and we must devise a game plan for MILNET and local TCP/IP
interconnectivity.
2. Among other incompatibilities, we have some unknowns in the
form of a WANG VS-300, a community within the command that has
procured and started installation of an ARCNET with I believe
Novell Netware, and many Honeywell DPS-6 minicomputers.
3. My objective is to try to implement an IEEE 802.3 Ethernet as
a backbone network gatewayed into a MILNET PSN. All other
networks in the command would be gatewayed into this backbone
Ethernet. This backbone Ethernet would have no hosts directly
connected to it, only gateways. The networks with hosts directly
connected would be subnets. This is the game plan that Mike
Karels, UC Berkeley suggested to me at the UNIX Berkeley
Networking symposium at Techmart that Advanced Computing
Environments held in August 1987. I have to believe that he
knows what he is talking about.
4. My problem is that we are complete neophytes when it comes to
TCP/IP internet as well as local networking. We cannot afford to
spend a lot of taxpayer funds making lots of mistakes trying to
learn what is going on.
5. Unfortunately, we are confronted with several problems.
a. The command has a WANG VS-300 which I don't know how we
are going to connect via TCP/IP. Is there anybody out there that
can tell me if there is a TCP/IP solution out there or in the
wings for a WANG VS-300? The vendor is promising the moon, but
WANG sales representatives promised me this same moon about 12
months ago. They are going to brief us on Tuesday, 26 January
1988 with their latest promises. I would sure appreciate some
straight skinny from any other users out there that have any
experiences with getting a WANG VS-300 singing on the internet!
I would like to go to this meeting armed with comments from this
forum if at all possible.
b. Some forces within the command that are concerned with
PCs have procured and are already installing an ARCNET with
Novell Netware. I don't know much about ARCNET, and I seem to
remember seeing some comment about it about 2 months ago in this
forum. I see no evidence to indicate to me that you can get the
ARCNET/Novell Netware to interoperate via TCP/IP at the present
time. Again, any comments from users having experience in trying
to get the ARCNET to sing along with TCP/IP in an internet
environment would be most appreciated.
c. We have some 18 or more Honeywell DPS-6s in this command
that we are going to have to internet also. There are already a
few IEEE 802.3 Ethernets installed on aircraft carriers servicing
the DPS-6 hardware onboard. My understanding is that this is
actually Bridge Communications Corporation's IEEE 802.3
hardware/software with a Honeywell label on it. In any event, we
as a CDA (Central Design Agent) must be able to emulate this
Ethernet environment on our aircraft carriers. Problem! I
understand that they have implemented XEROX XNS in this IEEE
802.3 environment vice TCP/IP. Does anybody make a gateway or
protocol converter that will allow Honeywell DPS-6s singing XNS
on an Ethernet to communicate TCP/IP with the internet?
6. We seem to be off to the races with all of the hardware and
software necessary to build our own Tower of Babel. My objective
is to somehow, some way, see if we cannot get all of this to
interoperate via TCP/IP and the MILNET.
7. Many thanks to the dozen or so folks that responded to my
plea for help on KERMIT for the Honeywell DPS-6! We did draw
down the object code, but for some reason, the source is not
available. We seem to be making progress as a result of your
help. Your immediate response was most appreciated!
8. Any suggestions, comments, or recommended alternatives
regarding our TCP/IP internetworking dilemma will be most
appreciated.
Very Respectfully,
Steve Carr
LCDR, SC, USN
Navy Management Systems Support Office (Code 42A)
Naval Air Station
Norfolk, Virginia 23511-6694
MILNET: ca...@trout.nosc.mil
MILNET: navmasso...@nardacva.arpa
(804) 445-2171, 445-1595 (extension 36)
AUTOVON: 565-2171, 565-1595 (extension 36)
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