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From: info-vax@ucbvax.ARPA
Newsgroups: fa.info-vax
Subject: VAXNET and DECUS
Message-ID: <2053@ucbvax.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 19-Sep-84 18:56:26 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.2053
Posted: Wed Sep 19 18:56:26 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 25-Sep-84 06:19:59 EDT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.ARPA
Organization: University of California at Berkeley
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From: decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!drw@BERKELEY

I believe that anyone can copy from a DECUS tape.  DECUS is sort of under
the wing of DEC and I guess they figure that your are already paying enough
for the hardware or something.  Anyway, about VAXNET, we use it (I am using
it at this very minute) and it is better than nothing.  I would offer the
following restrictions if you try to use it:  AVOID unnecessary use of
in-band flow control (turn the ooze-mode OFF on your vt-nnn terminal) and
stay away from the NO SCROLL key -- especially when using it at high
baud rates.  We have had no problems with it if when following the above
restrictions.  We do, however, use ABLE and ACCORD DMA type controllers.

The original DECUS version was written in an extremely site-specific 
fashion -- the help file says things like ~ to use the modem, go to
the third floor closet outside joe blow's office and patch ....  

We modified it extensively to allow greater ease of use by,
well, USERS.  Now, it appears to the user sort of like some kind of
dataswitch.  It asks for a service by name, and does a look-up in a
file to see which ports and baud rates to use, will select the first
available port in a given service, and return a message if all are
busy.  

It is really too big to send over the net, but if you
would me to send you a tape, just reply via netmail with your
mailing address.  I already have a vms backup format 1600 bpi tape 
made-up which some other installations in the area have copied.

Hope this has been some help,
drw@ecsvax