Subject: System programmer's workshop

Network Working Group                                        R. Metcalfe
Request for Comments: 222                                    Project MAC
NIC: 7621                                              13 September 1971


   As described in RFC's #207 and #212, the next meeting of the ARPA
   Computer Network Working Group (NWG) will be held at MIT Project MAC
   in Cambridge, Massachusetts, October 10-14, 1971.

   The first phase of the NWG meeting is to be a workshop for a
   representative group of system programmers from those sites with
   operational TELNET interfaces.  From noon, Sunday, October 10, until
   sometime late Monday evening, teams of workshop participants will hit
   the ARPA network from MAC consoles in an intensive effort to study
   its operational characteristics and to work on any remaining trouble
   spots in protocols and their implementations.

   Although the NWG meeting is geared for heavy attendance, our
   facilities and objectives make it important that no more than a dozen
   system programmers be present for the grueling workshop sessions
   planned.  These system programmers should be from sites with
   operational TELNET interfaces (user and/or server) and should have a
   working knowledge of protocols, their own NCP's, and TELNET
   implementations.  Sites wishing to send a system programmer should
   leave his name and address with Anne Speare at (617) 864-6900 x1458.

   In preparation for the workshop, we are working on documentation
   describing our user TELNET and a site-use scenario booklet to be used
   at the workshop in exercising various systems.  It is our intention
   to establish a pattern of routine usage with as many sites as
   possible prior to the workshop.  In developing the site-use scenario
   booklet, we will be looking for advice and comment from participating
   hosts.

   Because the use of computers with operational network protocols is
   central to the success of the workshop, we are working hard to bring
   our developing system into a period of stability and are making
   special arrangements for on-site hardware repair personnel.  To the
   extent that participating sites can make similar preparations, the
   chances for a successful workshop will be improved.

   We are hoping that knowledgeable network people will be on call at
   the various sites during the workshop so that there will be some hope
   of fixing minor implementation problems on the fly.

   We will begin the workshop at noon on Sunday, October 10 with a brief
   strategy meeting in Project MAC's second floor conference room, #217,
   545 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Our first mission
   will be to establish and exercise all possible TELNET connections
   with MAC's PDP-10 (Host 70.).  When this first check-off is complete,
   we will meet again to discuss difficulties and to regroup for our
   second mission.  By appropriately nesting TELNET's, we will pair up
   to systematically fill in the matrix of possible TELNET connections.

   During the workshop we expect to be finding and fixing implementation
   problems, discussing protocol, and getting an extremely valuable
   introduction to the use of a wide variety of hosts.  Our experience
   in the workshop will be an important input to the NWG sessions to
   follow.  In particular, we are to generate specific reports for the
   protocol review and status sessions.

   See you then.

   Bob Metcalfe

   (617) 864-6900
    x1429 Office
    x1458 Secretary
    x2910 Computer Room

   Room 203
   Project MAC
   545 Technology Square
   Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139


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             [ into the online RFC archives by Ryan Kato 6/01]