SMFS Login and Logout
Authentication and accounting for UCSB file access
Krilanovich, M., "SMFS Login and Logout", RFC 399, DOI 10.17487/RFC0399, September 1972, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc399>.
@misc{rfc399,
series = {Request for Comments},
number = 399,
howpublished = {RFC 399},
publisher = {RFC Editor},
doi = {10.17487/RFC0399},
url = {https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc399},
author = {M. Krilanovich},
title = {{SMFS Login and Logout}},
pagetotal = 2,
year = 1972,
month = sep,
} RFC text
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 ]
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§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.