RFC 399 UNKNOWN AUTHENTICATION · FILE SYSTEMS

SMFS Login and Logout

Authentication and accounting for UCSB file access

On rfc-editor.org ↗
PUBLISHED
September 1972
AUTHORS
M. Krilanovich
STREAM
Legacy
BUILDS ON
RFC 122 — UCSB SMFS
OBSOLETED BY
RFC 431 — Update on SMFS Login and Logout
LOGIN OPCODE
13 (decimal)
LOGOUT OPCODE
14 (decimal)
MAX USER NAME
8 characters
MAX ACCOUNT NUMBER
4 characters
DOI
10.17487/RFC0399

RFC text

Original text · RFC Editor View on rfc-editor.org ↗
RFC #399                                        Mark Krilanovich
NIC #11917                                      UCSB
Updates:  122                                   Sept. 26, 1972

                  SMFS Login and Logout

        Two new commands have been added to UCSB's Simple Minded
File System (SMFS).  They are described below.


        Login (LGI)
        The login command is the means whereby the user
identifies himself and specifies the account number to which his
use of SMFS is to be billed.  The user should issue a LGI command
directly after completing the ICP and before any command
referencing a file.  The user name and account number specified
remain in effect until another LGI command is issued, a LGO
command is issued, or the connection is closed.

        At present, the use of SMFS is not billed, and therefore
use of the accounting commands is optional.  It is requested,
however, that users and user processes begin to use this command
as soon as possible, since we would like to collect statistics on
SMFS utilization before implementing billing.  Therefore, at
present the user name can be any name that identfies the user,
and the account number is completely arbitrary.

        The format of the LGI command is given below.  Note that
the lengths of the fixed-length fields are given in bits.  The op
code for LGI is decimal 13.

            8
        <op code><user name><account number>

The <user name> and <account number> fields are further divided
as follows:

            8     8*length
        <length><user name>

where <length> gives the length in 8-bit characters of the <user
name> or <account number> subfield.  The maximum length of <user
name> is eight characters and of <account number> is four

NWG/RFC# 399                           MCK 26-SEP-72 15:15  11917
SMFS Login and Logout


characters.  The <user name> and <account number> fields must
consist of characters chosen from the same character set as
filenames.


        Logout (LGO)
        The logout command terminates the association between the
user and the accounting information specified in the last LGI
command issued, if any; it does not cause SMFS to close the
connection.  The user should then issue another LGI command
before attempting any operation referencing a file.  It is not
necessary to issue a LGO command before issuing another LGI
command, or before closing the connection.

        Again, at the present time the LGO command is optional,
and does not affect the user's ability to reference files.

        The format of the LGO command is as follows:

            8
        <op code>

The op code for LGO is decimal 14.







    [ This RFC was put into machine readable form for entry ]
    [ into the online RFC archives by BBN Corp. under the   ]
    [ direction of Alex McKenzie.                      1/97 ]

AI ELI5

On this page
PROBLEMUCSB's Simple-Minded File System (SMFS) needed a way to identify users and track which account should be billed for their file operations.
MECHANISMTwo new commands were added: Login (LGI, opcode 13) identifies the user and account number that remains in effect until another Login or Logout; Logout (LGO, opcode 14) terminates the current accounting association. Both commands use fixed-length user names (8 characters) and account numbers (4 characters).
ACCOUNTING FEATUREThe accounting commands allowed SMFS to prepare for billing when billing was later enabled, and to collect usage statistics.

§1Accounting for File Access

RFC 399 describes two new commands added to UCSB's Simple-Minded File System (SMFS): the Login command and the Logout command. These commands allow SMFS to identify users and track which account should be billed for file operations.

At the time of publication, SMFS was not yet billing for use, but the commands were designed to prepare for future billing and to collect usage statistics.

The file locker needed to know who was using it so it could later bill the right account.

§2Login and Logout Commands

The Login (LGI) command, with opcode 13, identifies the user and specifies the account number. The user should issue Login directly after completing the connection setup (ICP) and before any command referencing a file. The user name and account remain in effect until another Login command is issued, a Logout command is issued, or the connection closes.

The Logout (LGO) command, with opcode 14, terminates the current accounting association without closing the connection. The user must issue another Login before performing file operations after logout.

When you arrive, you say your name. Everything you do gets billed to your account. When you leave, you say goodbye, but stay connected if you want.

§3Command Format

Login messages contain an 8-bit opcode (13), followed by a user name field and an account number field. Both fields use the same format: an 8-bit length followed by that many 8-bit characters. The maximum user name length is 8 characters; the maximum account number length is 4 characters. Both must use characters from the same character set as filenames.

Logout is simpler: just the 8-bit opcode (14) with no arguments.

Login says: the number 13, then how many letters your name has, then your name, then how many numbers your account has, then your account. Logout just says the number 14.

§4References