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   :database-name "irtf-rd"
   :ip-name "wais.cic.net"
   :tcp-port 210
   :maintainer "emv@cic.net"
   :description "Server created with WAIS release 8 b4 on Apr  8 13:13:47 1992 by emv@cedar.cic.net

This is an archive of the IRTF Resource Discovery mailing list.  What
follows is part of the first message sent to the list, with the draft charter.
In subsequent discussion the purposes and tactics have wandered some,
but that's no matter; this first message has enough of the right words
in it that a good search on directory of servers should locate it.

--Ed

Edward Vielmetti, emv@msen.com, emv@cic.net

>From schwartz Fri May 24 09:39:38 1991
From: schwartz@latour.cs.colorado.edu (Mike Schwartz)

Below is my first draft at a charter for the IRTF Research Group on
Resource Discovery and Directory Service....

A. Introduction

This research group will focus on the problem of supporting resource
discovery and directory service in an administratively decentralized,
wide area internet.  The aim is to develop an architecture and a useful
prototype, with which we can gain experience with real use in the global
TCP/IP Internet....

Below is a list of potential test case applications, a list of some
mechanisms to consider, a list of some proposed milestones for the
group, and a list of advantages and disadvantages of various approaches,
meant to stimulate discussion.

B. Potential Test Case Applications

A general, flexible architecture for resource discovery is certainly a
useful goal, but to focus the efforts of this research group, one or
more test cases can be used to demonstrate how a general architecture
can be applied to specific instances.  Some possible test cases include:

   1.  File discovery in WAN file systems (anonymous FTP, AFS, FTAM,
        etc.)

    2.  Network access point discovery for traveling researchers

    3.  Internet white pages (note: easier than general RD problem)

    4.  Network service discovery (Geog. Name Service, time &
        weather service, etc.  Note: there don't seem to be enough
        of these to be interesting from the scalability perspective)

    5.  Internet access to scientific instruments

    6.  Discovery of current events via WAN distributed calendar system

    7.  National database discovery (NLM, retail products, etc.
        Note: there may not be enough of these to be interesting to
        the general user at present)

    8.  National Software Exchange (NASA/RIACS)



C. Partial List of Mechanisms to Consider

Below is a list of some of the existing applications and research
efforts that may prove relevant to this research group:

    1.  Hierarchical repositories (DNS, X.500)

    2.  Directory registration and front end services (Schwartz' HNS,
        Comer's directory location service, Droms'/CNRI's KIS)

    3.  Monitoring/probing existing network infrastructure
            - Centralized services collecting information from network
              probing (McGill's 'archie' anon. FTP directory service)
            - Monitoring network traffic (NetFind seed database,
              various network management stations)
            - Probing using existing protocols and information sources
              (NetFind, Schwartz' network visualization work, Knowbots)

    4.  Levels of information quality (Schwartz' anon. FTP
        architecture)

    5.  Views, private name spaces (Tilde, Prospero, Jade, Plan 9,
        Schwartz' anon. FTP architecture)

    6.  Distributed indexing (Danzig, Research Libraries Group)

    7.  Multicast-based approaches (V and Sprite location services,
        Accetta's RLP, Schwartz' probabilistic YP protocol)

    8.  Resource self-registration (Legato's RAP, Sun's PortMapper)

    9.  Preference specification functions (Profile)

    10.  Traffic analysis-based interrelationship of information
         (Schwartz)

    11.  Curated/moderated documents and information sources
            - Centralized access (NNSC Internet resource guide)
            - Replicated copies (Granrose's anon. FTP list,
              comp.archives)

    12.  Database systems (Postgres)

"
)
