[ih] Re: internet-history digest, Vol 1 #141 - 2 msgs

[Bob Braden]

  *> Question:
  *> 
  *> In RFC 819, Jon Postel explains the difference between the 
  *> ARPANET naming convention and the proposed Internet naming 
  *> convention (the DNS) using this address comparison -
  *> 
  *> ARPANET Convention:   Fred at ISIF
  *> Internet Convention:  Fred at F.ISI.ARPA
  *> 
  *> What does the "F" stand for in these addresses?
  *> 
  *> And, less important but also of interest to me, did "Fred" 
  *> refer to anyone in particular or was Postel just using a 
  *> generic name here?

At that time, ISI (Information Sciences Institute) operated a major
time-sharing service facility for the US military as well as sponsored
university research.  In particular, ISI operated six DEC mainframes
using the TOPS20 timesharing system (derived from BBN Tenex).  These
machines were designated ISIA, ISIB, ... ISIF.  When the DNS was
introduced, their host names were changed to A.ISI.EDU, ... F.ISI.EDU.

I believe FRED was generic.

Bob Braden


  *> 
  *> Many thanks if anyone can answer these questions.
  *> 
  *> Best,
  *> Gretchen Schoel
  *> American Studies Program
  *> College of William and Mary
  *> Virginia
  *> 
  *> 
  *> --__--__--
  *> 
  *> Message: 2
  *> Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 14:00:22 -0400
  *> From: "J. Noel Chiappa" <jnc at ginger.lcs.mit.edu>
  *> To: gfscho at wm.edu, internet-history at postel.org
  *> Subject: Re:  [ih] question re "F" in RFC 819 name/address example
  *> Cc: jnc at ginger.lcs.mit.edu
  *> 
  *>     > From: gfscho at wm.edu
  *> 
  *>     > In RFC 819, Jon Postel explains the difference between the ARPANET
  *>     > naming convention and the proposed Internet naming convention (the DNS)
  *>     > using this address comparison -
  *>     > ARPANET Convention:   Fred at ISIF
  *>     > Internet Convention:  Fred at F.ISI.ARPA
  *>     > What does the "F" stand for in these addresses?
  *> 
  *> ISI had a series of PDP-10 time-sharing computers running TENEX, named, with
  *> great ingenuity and originality, ISI-A, ISI-B, etc, etc. (I think BBN had the
  *> same thing.)
  *> 
  *>     > And, less important but also of interest to me, did "Fred" refer to
  *>     > anyone in particular or was Postel just using a generic name here?
  *> 
  *> No, "Fred" was just the common meta-name back then.
  *> 
  *>     > Many thanks if anyone can answer these questions.
  *> 
  *> Sure.
  *> 
  *> 	Noel
  *> 
  *> 
  *> 
  *> --__--__--
  *> 
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  *> internet-history at postel.org
  *> http://www.postel.org/mailman/listinfo/internet-history
  *> 
  *> 
  *> End of internet-history Digest
  *>