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NWG/RFC #302                               UCSB ComputerNIC  9074                                  Research Laboratory                                           Roland F. Bryan                                           8 February 1972EXERCISING THE ARPANETQuestions---------     1.  Can a technically competent person, initially uninformed         as to network operation and naive as to the capabilities         of various time-shared terminal systems attached to the         Network, be able to develop problem solving competence         at server sites on the ARPANET?     2.  What inherent user problems exist that complicate such         adaptation?     3.  Once proficient in the use, what aspects of the various         sites limit the usability and what modifications should         be considered at both server and user sites to meet         various needs?     4.  Should a user select a given site for composing and         editing all of his files for subsequent transfer to         other sites for processing or should he learn to compose         and edit at each of the sites doing his processing?     5.  What are the problems in starting cooperating processes         at several sites?  How does a user control such         processes?                                                                [Page 1]

Obtaining the Answers---------------------     Under the direction of UCSB Professor James Howard, a testgroup of 14 graduate students was formed to pursue the questionsabove, and any other aspect of ARPANET operation that they mightuncover.     The test group has been given access to the 16 console On-LineSystem classroom in the E.E. Department at UCSB.  The 16 consolesproduce graphic and alphanumeric displays and are tied into theUCSB Host 360-75 which gains them access to the network.  Oldstyle Culler-Fried keyboards are being used which provide alimited key set  Jim White has managed to program around most ofthe protocol problems brought about by these keyboards, but somestill remain.     Seminars were given to the test group to familiarize themwith software and hardware aspects of the ARPANET, the local NICfile has been made available to the group, and the group has beenallowed to sign onto the Network to pursue any available system.     Following the initial period of two weeks, during which thegroup developed some familiarity with the network, the test grouphas been divided into working groups with emphasis as follows:         Patric Timlick      }      BBN-TENEX         Dave Stearns        }      BBN-TENEX B         John Pickens        }      SRI-ARC (NIC)         Doug Beaubien       }         Dave Whittington    }         Richard Haraguchi   }      MIT-Multics         Maria deGraaf       }      MIT-DMCG         Richard Melton      }         Su Sung Won         }         Ronald Varekamp     }         Jeoff Benson        }      UCLA-CCN    HARV-10         Hasan A. El. Hasan  }      UCLA-NMC    UTAH-10         George Engelberg    }      RAND-CSG    LL-67         Rodney Skinner      }                                                                [Page 2]

Some Initial Results--------------------     The first real encounters with the ARPANET at large produceda series of questions and comments.  Test group comments areitemized below with additional comments by the author {In braces}.We plan subsequent reports on a periodic basis.     1.  We find that we need further information about access         to the NCPs at various sites.  User manuals from the         sites might provide this.  {Site response is solicited}     2.  We sometimes cannot sign into UCLA-NMC directly from         UCSB, but can do so readily by way of BBN.  {Protocol?}     3.  After running a Fortran or PL-1 program at some net         location we can only display the results on our consoles         but cannot store them as files.  {UCSB programming need?}     4.  When communications break down how can a user be         assured that he is logged out of some remote site?         {Need for automatic Log-out?}     5.  How do we make contact with programmers at other sites         to develop cooperative programs for file transfer, etc?         {Jim White?}     6.  Is there a best time of day for operation at each site?         Should contact be made with the site operator prior to         user sessions?   {Server sites please comment}     7.  UCLA-NMC has assigned a separate user identification         for test group use.  Would other sites prefer to do         likewise?  {Comments?}     8.  Is there information regarding uses made of the         various time shared systems by internal users at each         site?  Does a bibliography exist to allow contact         with such users?  {Check the Resource Notebook}     9.  MIT-DMCG and BBN provide very good user service,         especially the site survey.  Also these sites have         good responses to define events.  Can UCSB provide         local users with similar information?  {Jim White?}       [ 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 3]