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RFC 408 UNKNOWN SERVICES · NETWORK MANAGEMENT

NETBANK

Single billing and account system for network resource access

On rfc-editor.org ↗
PUBLISHED
October 1972
AUTHORS
A.D. Owen, J. Postel
STREAM
Legacy
DOI
10.17487/RFC0408

RFC text

Original text · RFC Editor View on rfc-editor.org ↗ 
NWG/RFC 408                                        Buzz Owen (SAAC-TIP)
NIC #12390                                         Jon Postel  (UCLA-NMC)
                                                   25 October 1972

                                NETBANK

The following idea for a protocol (or service) is offered as an
aid to network use for new users:

   a single billing and account creation and validation system,
   so that a manager of a "goal oriented project" could:

      authorize a set of user's ids to gain access to and utilize
      resources at the entire or a specified subset of the server
      hosts.

      create a set of accounts which the users will expend, and
      which will be used as the breakdown for a single bill to be
      presented to the project manager.

   the idea is that the project manager would be required to go
   through the initialization process of introducing himself,
   verifying the existence of funding, etc. only once, and,

   the idea would also encourage server hosts to implement
   systems for which usage might be projected to start at low
   levels and grow, by allowing funded hacking by project members
   in a controlled manner.

   this would require an option at login for the prospective user
   to indicate the server should check the "netbank" facility at
   the system currently hosting it.



    [ 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
PROBLEMNew ARPANET users had to create accounts and arrange billing separately at each server host they wanted to use, creating administrative overhead and friction for project teams.
MECHANISMNETBANK would let a project manager authorize users and set up accounts across all or a subset of server hosts through a single system, receiving one combined bill instead of many.
PROPOSED SERVICEThe RFC proposed a centralized service to reduce new-user friction and encourage servers to offer resources knowing the manager had completed authorization and funding checks only once.

§1The Problem

When a project manager wanted to give team members access to computing resources on ARPANET, each person had to go through account creation and funding verification at every host where they might work. This required the manager to perform introductions and provide funding verification repeatedly, creating administrative barriers for both managers and sites.

Teams had to sign up for accounts at every computer they wanted to use, which was annoying.

§2NETBANK Service Model

The RFC proposes NETBANK: a single billing and account creation system where a project manager would be required to go through the initialization process of introducing himself and verifying funding only once. The manager would then authorize a set of user IDs to gain access to and utilize resources across the entire network or a specified subset of server hosts. Users' accounts would create charges to be broken down in a single bill presented to the project manager.

One manager signs up once, gets money checked once, and then all their team members can use computers everywhere. One bill comes back to the manager.

§3Benefits to the Network

NETBANK would encourage server hosts to implement systems that previously seemed viable only at low usage levels, by allowing funded hacking and experimentation by project members in a controlled manner. The system would require an option at login for prospective users to indicate the server should check the NETBANK facility at the system currently hosting it. This approach reduces friction for both users and service providers.

Schools would be more willing to offer computing time if they knew one person had already approved and funded it.