Serving remote users on the ARPANET
Guidelines for supporting users accessing computer systems over the ARPANET.
Abrams, M.D., "Serving remote users on the ARPANET", RFC 364, DOI 10.17487/RFC0364, July 1972, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc364>.
@misc{rfc364,
series = {Request for Comments},
number = 364,
howpublished = {RFC 364},
publisher = {RFC Editor},
doi = {10.17487/RFC0364},
url = {https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc364},
author = {M.D. Abrams},
title = {{Serving remote users on the ARPANET}},
pagetotal = 6,
year = 1972,
month = jul,
} RFC text
Network Working Group Marshall D. Abrams
Request for Comments: 364 National Bureau of Standards
NIC 10606 July 11, 1972
References: NIC 6801
Serving Remote Users on the ARPANET
Problem Statement
Second only to the unavailability of the serving host, the most
vexing problem encountered in attempting to use the service hosts on
the NET has been the inadequacy of administrative procedure and
information dissemination for remote users. This paper explores the
problem and proposes solutions.
When computer systems begin to service remote users, some of the
operating procedures which produced a functioning environment for
local users may not be satisfactory for those who are off-site. It
may be that these procedures were already inadequate, but the local
community developed a set of informal procedures to augment the
formal ones. It may also be true that the established formal
procedures were completely satisfactory for local users, but failed
when an attempt was made to extend them to the remote user. In either
case, this paper asserts that a problem exists and offers a set of
suggestions for its amelioration.
Existing Information
Having used (or attempted to use) the information currently
available, I should first summarize the existing sources and indicate
that they don't meet total needs. There is the resource notebook
index. The index is an ordered list of attributes which refer one to
the appropriate main entry for hosts exhibiting that attribute. When
the index is completed, it will reference the main entries in the
resource notebook, to which we now turn out attention. On the whole,
the main entry contains a summary of the hardware and software
services available. At this site, these entries serve as a "shopping
list" from which we may select the service center hosts which may be
suitable for the computing we wish to undertake. Some administrative
information is also provided. Using the outline of a host-site
subsection, this information consists of: I. Personnel; V.B. Rate
structure; V.D. Long-term storage; VII. Login; VIII. Operator
Communication; IX. Miscellaneous; and X. Programs. The discussion
under "IX. Miscellaneous" included a statement of intention to
include an elaborated documentation section in a future revision of
the resource book. This is most urgently required. This paper
contains a proposal which might constitute the outline for that
section.
Another source of information concerning serving hosts is the NIC.
Some sites have submitted existing documentation to the NIC; some
have even written special documents to assist network users. There
are several problems however: It may be difficult to learn about said
documents, especially for someone new to the ARPANET and/or the NIC.
NIC policy is to lend the documents, which is fine for browsing but
unacceptable for reference.
Information Required
Employing a questionnaire format, I will now present additional
outline entries which might be used to supplement NIC 6801.
XI. Administrative Procedures relating to Financial Arrangements
Who does a prospective user contact?
Is there a way to sample using the system (gratis)?
How does one open an account for computer services?
How does one obtain the necessary blank administrative forms?
Can all expenses (e.g., manuals, postage) be charged to the
computer services account?
How does one determine the status of his account?
What is the relationship of a number of users to accounts?
How can one determine the charges accruing during a session?
How often are account statements issued?
How current are account statements when issued?
XII. Information Dissemination
A. Documentation
Is there a "beginners pocket"? Does it contain examples?
Is there a list of documents available? Where?
Where are published documents sold?
How does the remote user obtain these documents?
May document purchases be charged to the account?
How are errata sheets distributed?
How often are manuals updated? How are updates announced?
What local documentation is available/necessary?
What manufacturer hardware/software documentation is
available/necessary?
Is manufacturer documentation available from the same source as
local documentation and with the same arrangements?
What is the mechanism for resolution of conflicts amongst
manuals?
Is documentation available for each subsystem and application
program?
Is there a printed newsletter or equivalent? If so, what is the
procedure for becoming a subscriber? For obtaining back issues?
Is there a "message of the day" automatically presented?
How does an irregular user keep informed of past "messages of
the day"?
Is there an on-line information service like a newspaper? How
does one obtain "back issues" of the "newspaper"?
B. User Assistance
Is there a (required) single point of contact for remote users?
What is his level of technical competence?
What is his level of administrative responsibility?
When the contact person cannot answer a question will he follow
it up with the appropriate in-house person? Will the remote user
be referred to the in-house person?
To what extent will a remote user be permitted or denied access
to technical and administrative staff?
What priority does the local user have relative to the remote
user?
Is there a telephone service for answering questions?
Is INWATS or equivalent provided?
What are the service hours?
Is there an on-line assistance mechanism? How does it work?
Is there a mechanism for sending messages to an off-line user
consultant?
C. Technical Capabilities and Requirements
Is there an index of system capabilities?
1. Communications
How do you log in (or whatever it is called)?
What device assumptions are made concerning lines per
page, columns per line, (seperate) line feed, (seperate)
carriage return, (combined) carriage return line feed,
horizontal tab, vertical tab, form feed, and back space?
Have any of the non-printing ASCII characters been
assigned non-standard functions?
2. Command language
What is the minimum set of control statements required?
Where are the control statements documented?
What are the installation defaults on control statements?
3. File System and Editor(s)
What are the attributes of the file system? Describe the
naming conventions of the defaults.
How is a set, subset, and superset of "files" defined,
related and named?
What is the minimum information about the file system that
is required in order to use the editor(s) and language
processors?
Are names divided into adjectival qualifiers? What are
these called? Are there restrictions? Defaults?
Describe the editor(s) characteristics. What documentation
is available?
Are there in-line editing features (e.g., erase
immediately preceding character, erase entire line)?
Describe.
4. Languages
What language processors are available?
How are the processors implemented (e.g., batch compiler,
interpreter, incremental computer)? What difference does
it made to the user?
What is the compitability of your language dialect(s) with
the standard and with other dialects?
To what extent can program units written in different
languages communicate? Discuss data types,
representations, and structures as well as subroutine
linkage conventions.
XIII. Operations
What measures are in effect to preserve the security of one's
files and accounts?
Can a remote user direct printing, punched cards, plotting, etc.
to an on-site device? How does he get his output mailed to him?
What off-line secondary storage is available? How is it used?
What does it cost?
How does the remote user request, renew, release, mount and
demount tapes and disk packs?
What arrangements are there for mailing off-line storage media?
Is the operating staff aware that there are remote users?
Are there services available to local users not available to
remote users; and conversely?
Is there on-line file storage? What does it cost? What limits
are imposed? How often is it backed-up?
Does the announced operating schedule consider users in
different time zones?
Is the announced schedule closely followed?
How are remote users notified of changes in the schedule?
Implementation
Much of the information suggested herein as being beneficial for
remote user would also apply to local users. Perhaps much of it
already exists in local documentation. I assert that the remote user
is usually unable to easily find the information, especially when he
works with several remote hosts. Presenting the information in a
format that followed a standard outline would certainly be a service.
I also recognize that preparation of this information might involve a
duplication of effort, and would possibly produce two documents which
had to be updated when changes occurred. One solution is to follow
the outline in producing a guide to the literature available from the
host site.
[ This RFC was put into machine readable form for entry ]
[ into the online RFC archives by Alan Ford 10/99 ]
AI ELI5
On this page
§1The Remote User Problem
Marshall Abrams at the National Bureau of Standards identified a critical issue in ARPANET operations: after host unavailability, the biggest problem was inadequate administrative procedures and information for remote users. Procedures that worked smoothly for local users—including informal workarounds that locals had developed—often failed completely for users accessing the system over the network.
The paper argues that this wasn't always because procedures themselves were wrong, but because information about them wasn't accessible to off-site users. Remote users couldn't rely on the informal knowledge that local staff took for granted.
Computer centers had rules for local people, but didn't write them down clearly for visitors from far away.
§2Information Categories Needed
Abrams proposes a comprehensive outline of documentation topics, organized into three main categories. Administrative Procedures cover account opening, billing, financial arrangements, and account status—how do users establish accounts and understand costs? Information Dissemination addresses documentation availability, user assistance, contact persons, help services, and how users stay informed of system changes. Technical Capabilities document login procedures, terminal requirements, command languages, file systems, programming languages, and data representations.
Additional sections address operations—how to request output on different media, arrange for offline storage, understand scheduling for different time zones, and get help from the operating staff. The outline includes questions about security, service levels for local versus remote users, and how users stay informed of changes.
The paper lists all the things a remote user needs to know: how to open an account, where to find the manual, who to call for help, what the computer expects you to type, and so on.
§3Making Information Accessible
Much of the information is already available at service centers—often documented locally or in manufacturer materials. The problem is that remote users cannot easily find it, especially when working with several different hosts. Abrams proposes standardizing how information is organized and presented, following a consistent outline. This makes it easier for a remote user jumping between systems to find comparable information at each site.
He recognizes that preparing standardized documentation might duplicate effort and create maintenance problems when systems change. One solution is for sites to publish a guide to their existing documentation organized by the standard outline, rather than rewriting everything. This approach leverages what exists while making it accessible and discoverable to the remote user community.
Instead of rewriting everything, each computer center can just organize and point to the information it already has, using the same outline so it is easy to find things at different places.