NYSERNet News
Vol. 3, Number 3, January/February, 1990
A Publication of Performance Systems
International, Inc.
 
************************************************
 
Performance Systems International (PSI) Now
Delivering NYSERNet Networking and R & D
Services
 
The NYSERNet community has grown increasingly
dependent upon reliable information delivery
technologies and state of the art services.
Discerning the best means to provide and preserve
these services, now and in the future, is the
foremost goal of NYSERNet's leadership.
In the spring of 1989, the NYSERNet board directed
its President, William Schrader, to pursue
commercial options for the continuing operation of
its research and education network.  As a result, PSI
was formed by Bill Schrader and Martin Schoffstall,
PSI's President and Vice President respectively, to
provide these and other services.
 
In a recent press release, PSI announced the signing
of a $10 million, five-year contract with NYSERNet,
Inc. to provide NYSERNetsm network services.
This coincides with PSI's introduction of network
services in the Washington, D.C. area called
CAPNetsm, and extension of internetworking
services throughout the Mid-Atlantic and
Northeastern states.  NYSERNet, Inc., a non-profit
organization chartered to facilitate research and
education in New York State, will continue to
investigate these goals through its Board of
Directors and Syracuse, NY staff.  All operations,
development, marketing and most administrative
personnel are now employed by PSI.
 
The current NYSERNet members will continue to
have the reliable, supported network services they
expect.  PSI is now responsible for the reliable
operation of the NYSERNetsm network, including
integrating new member organizations into the
system.  Network operations are  provided through
the PSI facility in Troy, NY.
 
The new PSI/NYSERNet relationship comes
through a natural evolution of using the best
means to provide quality, cost-effective
information technology solutions.  Through its
improved economy of scale, users will immediately
benefit through lower membership costs.
 
In order to better focus its service delivery, PSI has
appointed a Director of Operations, Mr. Mitchell
Levinn. The Network Information and Support
Center (NISC) will remain in Albany under the
leadership of Mr. Levinn, with the corporate offices
in Reston, Virginia.  Reston is responsible for
research and development, administration, finance
and sales/marketing.
 
Organizations considering membership in the PSI
networks will be better assisted by local Account
Representatives who will address questions about
joining or using this information resource.
Information about SNMP licensing
(snmplisc@psi.com), Dialup registration
(dialup@psi.com), and the mail/news services will
be provided through the Reston offices.
PSI has also announced plans to enhance services
offered to NYSERNet members through more
geographically diverse dialup services which today
include Albany, Boston, Hartford, New York City
and Washington, D.C.  Further expansion in the
first and second quarter is planned.  Work on the
WhitePages Directory service to help one network
user locate another will  continue.  Further
development of network management technology
using SNMP will also be conducted by PSI in its
corporate offices.
 
For further information, please note the press
release reprinted in this issue of the NYSERNet
News.  NYSERNet members can be  encouraged by
this transition in that it provides the best means to
serve our current and future users.
 
************************************************
 
Linking NYS Researchers into National and
International Networks:  Fine Tuning New York's
Competitive Edge
by E. P. Przybylowicz, Senior Vice-President and
Director of Research, Eastman Kodak Company
 
This segment of the panel deals with one of the
mechanisms of linking researchers in New York
State with the worldwide science and technology
communities.  My fellow panelist, Richard
Mandelbaum, is a world expert in the field of
computer networks.  He presently serves in several
leadership capacities in developing and operating
science networks throughout the world.  Richard
will describe the present state of these networks and
also raise some of the important issues which need
to be addressed in furthering these linkages.
My role here is to add some industrial perspective
to this subject.  This is perhaps best done in the
context of Kodak's experience in networking its
science and technology community, both internally
and externally.
 
Worldwide, Kodak has 15 major research and
development laboratories.  Manufacturing
operations cover 16 sites.  Obviously, maintaining
good working linkages between these locations is
essential for building on ideas, speeding the process
of moving ideas from research to the marketplace
and minimizing redundancy.  In the mid-70's we
began linking these communities internally with
networks of computers to facilitate these processes.
Today, communication, project coordination and
scientific work via the computer network is an
indispensable part of our internal work
environment.
 
Linkages, external to the company, have developed
more recently, and they too, are becoming an
integral part of our working relationships with
outside center of science and technology.
Kodak connected to the New York State Education
and Research Network (NYSERNet) in January,
1989.  Through this network we have connections
into the Internet by which we access laboratories
throughout the world.
 
As of December, 1989 there are over two-hundred
Kodak researchers using the NYSERNet connection
and more are joining daily.  Nearly every one of
our research sites is represented with the heaviest
concentration of users in the Rochester Research
Laboratories.
 
Traffic through the NYSERNet connection has been
steadily increasing.  Our connection is handling
about 120 Megabytes of data transferred per day,
including electronic mail.  Of these 120 Megabytes,
400 kilobytes are electronic mail in the form of
some 500 messages per day.  The volume of usage is
growing at the rate of 10% per month.
 
Our uses of these networks can be broken down
into three categories.    The first category is mail,
which has by far the largest number of users.
Researchers are able to communicate electronically
with their colleagues and co-workers at
universities, research institutions and companies
with which Kodak has industrial partnerships.
Many NYSERNet users also participate in electronic
discussion groups on such topics as scientific
workstations, computer security,
telecommunications, artificial intelligence and
library computer systems.
 
The second category of Internet usage is the
retrieval of publicly available computer software.
Many government sponsored software projects
require that the source code be made available
through the Internet upon completion, so a large
body of high quality application programming is
available.
 
The third category of Internet usage is to access
supercomputer sites.  Kodak Research is one of the
Industrial partners of the National Center for
Supercomputer Applications at the University of
Illinois.  Initially, we accessed that computer with a
T1 line which we leased directly.  Now we have
switched that access to NYSERNet which is both
more reliable and significantly lower in cost.
A few examples of the types of usage we make of
the network will serve to illustrate the wide variety
of applications which this system serves.
 
Collaborations with laboratories throughout the
world are greatly facilitated by the use of electronic
mail and data transmission to "time-shift"
participation on topics of mutual interest between
our scientists and those in Europe, U.S. and Japan.
In a recent example, a large software application
program was moved from Europe to the U.S. lab
through the network.  Doing this by porting
magnetic tapes sent through the mail would have
been a much more time consuming and inefficient
process.
 
Kodak is a partner in the Packaging Program at the
Microelectronics and Computer Technology
Consortium (MCC) in Austin, Texas.  Here we not
only have engineers exchanging information with
the staff at MCC but also with other industrial
partners in this program such as Boeing and AT&T.
Our coordination of programs between MCC and
Kodak has been significantly enhanced through the
use of networks.
 
In another area, we have our x-ray spectroscopists
working with colleagues at Alfred University and
Dartmouth College, not only exchanging
interpretation information, but also programs and
data sets.
 
The network has permitted us to carry out neutron
diffraction experiments at the National Institute of
Science and Technology and receive information
back within a day of the experiments.
 
In another area, we are using the networks to
enhance continuing education by having students
communicate with their instructors at the
Rochester Institute of Technology during non-
instructional time.  This is especially useful for
those students who are taking courses through the
National Technical University, whose faculty is
spread throughout the country.
 
A final example is one of our scientists who is
working at a university in Israel for a year.  His
group and management at Kodak are able to stay in
touch with his work via electronic mail during his
absence using NYSERNet.
 
Kodak is only beginning to realize the potential of
the Internet.  In a broader context, I believe Kodak's
experience is mirrored in other companies
throughout the state and nation.  We are growing
in our dependence on the external linkages and as
we do, computer networks become an essential part
of our working environment.
 
With respect to the external environment, the
1980's might be called America's "R&D consortia
years".  Collaborative research agreements between
industry, government, and universities have
proliferated.
 
What has linked these disparate parts is a
perception that somewhere in these alliances lies
the answer to an economy which has stalled...to a
nation which is having trouble turning its science
into internationally competitive commercial
products.
 
While it is clear that external collaborative R&D is a
way in which we must move, the economic results
from these alliances in the context of international
competitiveness are not yet evident.  We all believe
that directionally these alliances are correct.  The
culture has not yet fully developed, which makes
this easy.
 
What is developing more recently is the closeness
of the collaboration.  In 1982, a NSF study of 464
university-industry interactions  classified only 2%
as being truly collaborative interactions.  If that
study were repeated today, I think the percentage
would be substantially higher.
 
Collaboration requires communication and
technology transfer.
 
Networking technology to support this has been
developing.  However, the usage is still largely in
the hands of what I call the "lead
customers"...people who are inclined to try new
approaches.  What we need to create is a culture in
which the close interdependence of industry,
academia and government becomes a strength from
which we as a nation can regain economic
competitiveness.
 
Systems which support this are an essential part of
our industrial infrastructure.  It is worldwide
competition we are involved in.  We need to
respond with world-class students, science
technology and commercial products.  Our
economic survival depends on it.
 
Comments from The Governor's Conference on
Science and Engineering Education, Research and
Development
Panel Discussion III, Developing New York State's
Action Plan for the 1990's December 3-5, 1989
Albany,  New York
 
************************************************
 
Governor Cuomo Names Seven    Research Sites in
"State of the State"  Address
Each Site has Access to the NYSERNetsm Network
 
In his 1990 "State of the State" address, Governor
Mario Cuomo stressed the importance of the state's
research and development efforts for its future
economic competitiveness.  He discussed several
financial commitments toward this end, including
the enhanced role of the New York State Science &
Technology Foundation.
 
In this address, the Governor mentioned seven
important projects:   "In recent years, New York has
disbursed over $200 million in grants and low
interest loans to universities in the state for the
capital construction of research facilities.  Examples
include the Telecommunications/Computer
Research Center at Columbia University, portions
of the Supercomputer facility at Cornell, the Optics
Center at the University of Rochester, the Center
for Industrial Innovation at RPI, the Computer
Software Center at Syracuse University, the
National Center for Earthquake Engineering at
SUNY Buffalo, and the Center for Advanced
Materials Processing at Clarkson University.  The
primary rationale for these efforts has been their
economic development potential."
 
Each of these facilities has use of the
communications and technology transfer
capabilities of the NYSERNetsm network system.
This system, along with other networks globally,
allows researchers to share and refine their findings
with millions of others in the national and global
research and development community.  In
addition, they can use sophisticated computing
resources and useful databases without leaving
their offices.
 
NYSERNet has given the state one key method to
facilitate its goals for competitiveness in the global
marketplace through using cutting-edge technology
to solve fundamental communication needs.  This
has given New York a national leadership position
in the capability to encourage and develop new
technologies.
 
********************************************
 
Annual Costs for Standard Connection Service
Reduced for 1990
 
The transition of networking services being
provided to NYSERNet members by PSI  offers a
number of benefits.  At the top of the list for many
current members, next to reliability and end user
services, is cost.
 
Through the development  and implementation of
new technologies, NYSERNet has led nationally in
providing reliable, cost-effective connections
between its system and the customer's site.  First in
offering a supported, entry-level 9.6Kbps Standard
Connection, costs were further subsidized for
academic and non-profit organizations up to 50%
through the Academic Scholar Access Program
(ASAP) from late 1988 through mid-1989.
 
As costs for providing reliable computer
networking service have lessened, more
organizations have participated in the growing
information infrastructure, represented largely by
the Internet.  PSI continues this trend by passing on
lower membership costs to current and prospective
participants in its networks.
 
The PSI annual membership fee includes all
installation, integration and maintenance of the
requisite communications hardware and software
used for the Standard Connection Service (SCS).  It
represents a fixed rate for customers interested in
accurate budgeting without discouraging use of this
communications resource.
 
As an example, the all inclusive annual fee for the
9.6Kbps SCS has dropped from $15,000 to $10,000.
In general, costs have been reduced between 17 and
33 percent for all speeds of SCS.
 
For further information about how these prices
effect your organization, please contact your
Account Representative or our main offices at
703.620.6651.  You may direct electronic mail to
info@psi.com.
 
********************************************
 
Dialup Service Gathers Momentum in Serving
Network Users...
... in New York City, Boston, Albany, Hartford,
Metro-DC...
 
In the summer of 1989, NYSERNet began a pilot
program to begin offering its users the means to
connect to the network using a modem and
personal computer or terminal.  This pilot was
originally focused on a Manhattan terminal server
allowing network users traveling to NYC to easily
access their home computers.  This pilot has now
matured into a production service.
 
The impact to date is that there are now nearly 300
individuals registered to use the Dialup Service.
They are scholars from NYSERNetsm network sites
requiring access while at home or traveling.  They
are employees of smaller organizations looking to
work with existing member sites so that individual
access is useful and cost-effective.  They are users
from smaller activities of member sites who cannot
justify a dedicated line at this point in time.
 
Since the summer, this service's presence  has
grown.  In October, NYSERNet installed new dialup
services in Albany.  Also, PSI has installed this
service in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area,
Boston and Hartford.  After this, cities such as
Rochester, Philadelphia, Newark, NJ  and Syracuse
will be equipped to handle this service.
 
As the Dialup service grows in its geographic
diversity, users derive much greater flexibility as to
where and when they can take advantage of a local
call to get work done.  This service enhances the
investment organizations have already made in the
Standard Connection Service.
 
Now that these dialup facilities are coordinated
through PSI, each current and new participant will
need to fill out, sign and return a new registration
form to PSI's corporate offices.  NYSERNet accounts
will be discontinued on May 1, 1990.  This service
will be free of charge throughout 1990.  Contact
dialup@psi.com or call 703.620.6651 for further
information.
 
***********************************************
 
PROPHET Offers a  National Computing Resource
for Life    Science Research
 
 
PROPHET is a national computing resource tailored
to meet the data management and analysis needs of
life scientists working in a wide variety of
disciplines, ranging from pharmacology to
molecular biology. The PROPHET system offers a
fully integrated graphics-oriented environment
designed for the manipulation and analysis of
tabular data, graphs, molecular structures, biological
simulation models, and protein and nucleic acid
sequences, and it includes access to molecular
structure and sequence databases.
 
The PROPHET system is used by approximately 800
scientists at more than 80 sites, including
universities, hospitals, and other biomedical
research centers.  PROPHET is sponsored by the
Division of Research Resources of the National
Institutes of Health.
 
PROPHET plays a major role in the development of
several hundred research publications and
presentations every year.  Here are examples of a
few studies:
 
Structure-activity
Studies of steroid-receptor binding
Analysis of variable-region immunog-
        lobulin sequence data
 
Clinical
Studies of maternal mortality in
    Massachusetts
Studies of Legionnaires' disease
 
Laboratory Studies and Model
Systems
Renin-angiotensin systems
Intracerebral histamine administration in
        rats
 
Pharmacokinetics
Cytokinetic analysis of tumors
Characterization of histamine-activated
        cardiac adenyl cyclase
 
How To Use PROPHET
 
Investigators enter data in tables (molecules are
entered interactively or retrieved from one of
several databases).  Once entered, the data can be
analyzed, summarized, and presented in ways best
designed to highlight an area of particular interest
or to evaluate a particular model.  PROPHET's data
types include numbers, texts, graphs, and molecules
that can be stored and processed in tables.  The
tabular representation of almost any kind of
research data such as laboratory notebooks, patient
files, clinical studies, and instrument data can be
generated, processed, analyzed, and stored.
PROPHET can also abstract portions of data that
meet one or more user-defined criteria.
 
One of PROPHET's greatest assets is the simplicity
of the user interface.  Any user from the computer
naive to the computer sophisticate can learn to use
it quickly and effectively.  The new graphically-
oriented user interface allows the user to interact
with PROPHET by selecting items with the mouse
from dialog boxes which clearly present the context
for the analysis.  Scrollboxes, clickbox sets, and radio
buttons provide improved control and specification
properties.  In general, no programming or other
computer experience is necessary.   However, users
with knowledge of programming can take
advantage of PROPHET's high-level programming
language to customize their work environment.
Already existing software may be integrated easily
to the PROPHET system.
 
The PROPHET system has many uses and
advantages for its users.  The users have the power
of a high-performance workstation in their
laboratory and access to networks and worldwide
mailing lists.  They also have the ability to access
and use the capabilities of remote computing
facilities and user support via the PROPHET
Newsletter, electronic mail, and a telephone
hotline.
 
Availability
 
PROPHET is a fully distributed system for high-
performance graphic workstations.  Network
connections to the central facility provide access to
the latest versions of scientific databases, facilitate
information sharing, code development and
distribution, and, in the future, will make available
specialized computing resources.
 
At present, you can run PROPHET on Sun UNIX*
workstations including the Sun 3, Sun 4, and
SPARCstations or on Digital Equipment Corp.
computers using the ULTRIX* operating system
version 3.0 or higher.  Specifically VAX* hosts and
workstations including the VAXstation 3000 series
and Digital's RISC machines including the
DECstation 2100 and 3100.  PROPHET supports both
the X11 Window System and SunView* Window
System.  For future releases, other workstations and
hosts will be supported.
 
Pricing
 
The initial fee for the PROPHET software is $510.00.
This includes a license to use PROPHET software,
initial software distribution, one set of
documentation, and two months of user support
(hotline and electronic mail).
 
For further information:
 
Call the PROPHET hotline at (617) 873-2669 or
contact:
 
Dr. Richard DuBois (301) 496-5411
Biomedical Research Technology
    Program
Division of Research Resources
National Institutes of Health
5333 Westbard Ave.
Westwood Bldg., Room 8A-15
Bethesda, MD 20892
 
***********************************************
 
New PSI Network Access Points of Presence (POP)
Boston, MA
Reston, VA
Newark, NJ
Washington, DC
White Plains, NY
 
***********************************************
 
Columbia University Announces New Release of
MS-DOS Kermit
 Columbia University Center for Computing
Activities, New York City
 
 
Version 3.0 of MS-DOS Kermit for the IBM PC, PS/2
and compatibles is now available.  As many dialup
users use PC's and Kermit, anyone with a PC can
use MS-DOS Kermit to connect to the electronic
world:
 
-Use your PC as a terminal and connect to another
computer-PC, mini, mainframe, or subscriber
service-using ordinary asynchronous
telecommunication lines, direct or dialup, or over
many local area networks.
 
-Enable other computers to connect to your PC
with the server option.
 
-Emulate a variety of terminals to display text and
graphics.
 
-Transfer text and binary files between any of 400
different computers and operating systems with
error-checked reliability at speeds up to 57,600 bits
per second using the PC's standard communication
port, and even higher speeds over local area
networks.
 
-Automate procedures with a powerful script
language.
 
The major new features of version 3.0 include:
 
-Transfer of text files in international character sets
via a new Kermit protocol extension.
 
-Emulation of the DEC VT320 terminal, including
soft function keys and support for a wide variety of
international character sets in any of the five
standard PC code pages.
 
-Sliding window packet protocol for improved file
transfer performance over public data networks and
long distance satellite connections.
 
-Expanded support for local area networks,
including IBM Netbios, AT&T StarLAN, Novell
NASI/NACS and TES, DECnet LAT and CTERM,
Ungermann-Bass Net/One, Intel OpenNET, 3COM
BAPI, and TCP/IP with vendor-provided utilities.
 
-Enhanced Tektronix graphics terminal emulation
with VT340 extensions, suitable for use with
mainframe WordPerfect versions 5 and 4.2 and
other applications.  Support for color, line patterns,
rectangle fill, sixel graphics.  Graphics screens may
be saved in TIFF 5.0 format for importation into
applications like WordPerfect, Pagemaker, and
Ventura Publisher.
 
Version 3.0 continues to support advanced Kermit
protocol features such as long packets, file
attributes, a secure server mode, command files and
macros, a (now even more powerful) script
programming language, VT52/100/102 and Heath-
19 terminal emulation, key redefinition, screen
rollback and capture, printer control, compatibility
with Microsoft Windows, and more.
 
MS-DOS Kermit 3.0 was prepared by Professor Joe
R. Doupnik of the Center for Atmospheric and
Space Sciences and Department of Electrical
Engineering of Utah State University in Logan,
Utah, in cooperation with Columbia University,
with contributions from many others in the
international academic and corporate sectors.
All Kermit software remains unlicensed and
continues to be available internationally on a
variety of media from:
 
 
Kermit Distribution,
Columbia University Center for Computing
Activities
612 West 115th Street
New York, NY 10025 USA
Write to this address or telephone
(212) 854-3703 for a catalog and ordering
information.
 
***********************************************
 
White Pages Status
 
PSI continues development on common,
distributed databases with easy to use front ends
which allow network users to take advantage of
electronic directories to find other users.  The group
of participants continues to grow.
 
Advanced Decision Systems
Alfred University
Anterior Technology
Bell-Northern Research
City College of CUNY
Clarkson University
Columbia University
Corporation for National Research
    Initiatives
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Defense Communications Agency
DMD
Eastman Kodak Co.
Ford Motor Company
GTE Laboratories, Inc.
Hewlett-Packard
IntelliGenetics, Inc.
Lawrence Livermore National
    Laboratory
National Aeronautics and Space
    Administration
National Institutes of Health
New Mexico State University
New York University
Northern Telecom
NYSERNet Inc.
Performance Systems International
Polytechnic University
Princeton University
Rockefeller University
Rutgers University
Schlumberger
Software Kinetics Limited
State University of New York at Albany
State University of New York at Buffalo
State University of New York at Stony
        Brook
Syracuse University
University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Delaware
University of Michigan
University of Pittsburgh
University of Rochester
Virginia Tech
 
***********************************************
 
Typesetting Service Now Available on the Internet:
Chiron's Linotype Postscript Typesetter
 
Chiron, Inc. located in Cambridge, Massachusetts
on the Harvard University campus, is a commercial
typesetter.  Chiron owns a Linotype Linotronic 300P
(PostScript L300), and operates primarily from the
UNIX environment.  The L300 produces typeset
hardcopy at standard resolution of 1270 d.p.i. (dots
per inch) and high resolution of 2540 d.p.i.
 
How Chiron, Inc. Was Founded
 
Gary A. Bisbee and Joe R. Snowden are the co-
founders of Chiron.  Gary is a historian by training
and has a Th.D. in history (second century Roman
Empire).  According to Gary, many scholars were
anxious for him to typeset manuscripts containing
ancient languages such as Greek, Latin, and Coptic.
He also has done jobs involving Hebrew, Russian,
and routinely works with the European languages.
 
Types and Scope of Work
 
Books comprised of ancient and foreign languages
make up only a portion of Chiron's contracts.
Chiron also handles such things as the typesetting
of computer manuals, text books, and books on
topics such as economics and mathematics. Chiron,
Inc. is a typesetter vendor for many publishers,
including Addison-Wesley, Harvard University
Press, and MIT Press.
 
Chiron will take a book or journal from any stage of
completion to a camera-ready copy.  Chiron's
services include  keyboarding manuscripts,
interfacing mag tapes and floppies from various
computer operating systems (such as Macintosh,
IBM and UNIXTM), writing page formatting
software (primarily in troff ),and running hang-tape
(pre-formatted PostScript files) directly to the L300
typesetter.  In addition, Chiron can run TeX output
(software used primarily by mathematicians to do
equations) on the L300, and can mix the Computer
Modern typefaces with Adobe typefaces.
 
Chiron's billing procedure depends on how much
work a particular contract requires.  Jobs are
normally bid and billed on a per-page basis.
This service is primarily for the book and journal
business and jobs exceeding 50 pages fit Chiron's
profile best.  For more information please contact
Gary Bisbee or Joe Snowden at 617-864-7853.
 
Address:
 
Chiron Inc.
PO Box 609
Cambridge, MA 02238
E-mail: gab@wjh12.harvard.edu
            joe@wjh12.harvard.edu
 
********************************************
 
MAIL and USENET NEWS Services Added for
Entry Level  Electronic Communications Capability
Standard Connection Service (SCS) Customers Can
Receive One Free  USENET NEWS Feed
 
Using electronic mail seems commonplace to
thousands of professionals using the PSI networks.
It has become requisite for academic collaboration,
the development of new products and services, the
support of high-technology product users, and the
acquisition and maintenance of federal contracts.
 
While direct connection to the Internet represents
the most timely and robust means to transfer
electronic mail, there are many organizations who
need a simple, reliable and inexpensive mechanism
for mail.  Their current needs do not demand other
applications such as transferring files and logging
on to remote computers and services.
 
For this type of organization, PSI is now offering
both UUCP Mail and USENET NEWS services.
Customers can leverage the existing PSI Boston to
Washington network infrastructure to realize more
consistent service.  In many cases, they can use a
local phone number.  These services incur a flat fee
with no additional usage or communication costs.
 
With UUCP Mail,  customer mail is relayed to a PSI
host (uu.psi.com) using a unique customer domain
name which our staff can assist in obtaining. This
electronic mail is then forwarded to a user's
machine using the UUCP protocol.  The simplicity
of the technology to provide this service keeps the
cost down.  The range of the PSI networks and
growing number of dialup access points keep
communication costs low and reliability high,
using the network infrastructure to transport this
information rather than long-distance, public
phone lines.  The new availability of 9600 baud
modems at the dialup access points also increase
the utility of this service.
 
USENET NEWS is a forum for several hundreds of
news groups focusing on subjects including
science, technology, computing and sociology.
Those participating number in the hundreds of
thousands from around the globe.  This "bulletin
board" is an effective way to post new findings,
products, services or commentary to special interest
groups or a larger audience.
 
USENET NEWS, as with UUCP Mail, can also be
forwarded to customer sites using the UUCP
protocol.   For PSI network members, one free news
feed per member will be provided using the NNTP
protocol which takes advantage of TCP/IP networks
and offers a more efficient method of transport.
 
For further information about this PSI service,
please contact "Mail & News Services" at
703.620.6651.  You may also direct questions to
info@psi.com.
 
******************************************
 
PSI Releases Version 3.4 of its Network
Management System Software  50% Discount For
Commercial PSI SCS Members, 90% Discount For
Academic
 
 
Throughout its development, NYSERNet's co-
invention and implementation of SNMP has
contributed to the NYSERNetsm network
performance and to member's campus networks.
Non-profit members have licensed this software for
nominal fees and have used the technologies to
enhance their internal network performance, along
with complimenting the NYSERNetsm wide area
network (WAN) service.
 
PSI has now made this software available for
commercial network members at half the regular
costs for a site license.  In so doing, it will be easier
for commercial members to benefit by using
SNMP's utility to control their own internetworks.
The release of version 3.4 offers the new
snmpxmon2 network mapping tool displayed at the
NYSERNet booth during INTEROP*89.  This new
tool allows for more comprehensive displays of the
manager's network using a layering approach to the
graphics capability.  Network Managers can "click"
on boxes representing a subnet to pull up a more
detailed map of that subnet.  This scale lets the user
include the entire network in their topology maps
without the need to display each portion of the
network at the same time.
 
Additionally, this latest release offers another new
tool, snmptswho, giving the network manager a
better picture of activity on a network terminal
server.  Necessary enhancements and bug fixes are
included as well.
 
With the NYSERNet to PSI transition, this new
"minor" release of SNMP software will
automatically be distributed to NYSERNet
customers who exercised this option when
licensing the software.  Pricing for this new release
will be the same as with NYSERNet.  For details,
please contact SNMP Licensing at 703.620.6651 or
snmplisc@psi.com.
 
*******************************************
 
NSF Announces New Funding Opportunities for
Academic  Network Connections
 
The National Science Foundation will be releasing
a revised set of criteria for funding academic
institutions who would like to be connected to the
NSFNET.  The funding is specifically for equipment
costs and line charges which are necessary for
connecting to a mid-level network.
 
Updated guidelines
 
These new guidelines will be replacing the old NSF
program requirements which were developed a few
years ago.  The panel will meet three times per year
and there will be five factors which must be met
when determining which institutions will receive
funding.
 
The criteria list
 
There are five criteria which will be used when
judging proposals.  Each criteria will be considered
equally.  Every institution should address each of
these requirements.
 
1)  Each institution should work on projects, such
as research and instruction, that will involve the
NSFNET in a beneficial manner.
 
2)  Description of the organizations that are
operating and supporting the networks on campus.
 
3)  Personnel who are experienced with TCP/IP
protocols.
 
4)  Plans that will incorporate all networks available
at the institution.  Also a description of the
computing system that will be connected.
 
5)  An itemized list of all costs needed, including
the amount needed from NSF.
 
All proposals, which have been received since the
last meeting, will be rated by the NSF review panel.
The information provided to the program officer of
the NSF will be used to decide who will receive
funding for a connection to a NSFNET mid-level
network, which will provide that institution with
access to NSFNET and other national networks.
For further information, please contact:
 
Douglas Gale
(202) 357-9717
dgale@nsf.gov
 
Dan VanBelleghem
(202) 357-9717
dvanbell@note.nsf.gov
To receive a copy of this program announcement,
contact Brenda Peterson at the above number.
 
**********************************************
 
PSI Internetworking Tutorial
 
April 25-27
PSI Facilities
165 Jordan Road, Troy, NY
Contact:
Cristina Colangione
(chrisc@psi.com) 518.283.8860 to register
* first come, first serve
 
 
*********************************************
 
A New Era of Service Begins for NYSERNetsm
Network Users
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
CONTACT:    Martin L. Schoffstall
        Vice President
        Performance Systems
            International,Inc.
        P.O. Box 3850
        Reston, VA   22091
        703.620.6651
        info@psi.com
 
PSI introduces high-performance computer
networking service in the Washington, DC area
(CAPNetsm) and Northeast (CAPNetsm).
 
Reston, VA, January 1, 1990 - William L.
Schrader, President & CEO, Performance Systems
International, Inc. (PSI), today announced his
organization's new networking services in the Mid-
Atlantic and Northeast states.  "PSI's services will
provide mature information technology to business
and industrial applications now dependent on
electronic communications, data handling and
computing."
 
CAPNetsm, a new Wide Area Network (WAN)
service in the Washington, DC metropolitan area,
has been established by PSI and was brought into
operation today.
 
The services being provided initially include
WAN integration into customer Local Area
Networks (LAN's) primarily using the TCP/IP and
OSI computer networking protocols.  This turnkey
service will minimally support electronic mail, file
transfer and remote terminal access for users at  the
member site.  These services are augmented by
training,  consulting, individual dialup access,
electronic WhitePages Directories, and UUCP Mail
and News.
 
PSI has also signed a $10 million, five-year contract
with NYSERNet, Inc., a non-profit company inNew
York State supporting research, development and
education, to provide networking services for the
current and anticipated NYSERNet membership.
In the first quarter of 1990, PSI will be providing
these services throughout New York, New
England, and the Mid-Atlantic states.
 
Access can also be provided to national and inter-
national networks, called the "Internet," which
today supports over one million daily users as well
as electronic mail access to ten million others.
General Internet access will be provided to
institutions which are approved by appropriate
government agencies as has been the case since the
Internet's inception.
 
PSI's entry into this marketplace is another
example of how the research and development
community progressed from being served by
prototype work and products delivered primarily by
academic organizations to more cost-effective and
reliable commercial service.  This was seen during
the eighties with commercial workstation products
developed during the seventies.
 
PSI's organization includes veteran networking
professionals.  PSI was founded by William L.
Schrader and Martin L. Schoffstall, who  previously
co-founded NYSERNet, Inc. where they served as
President & CEO and Vice President respectively.
All NYSERNet technical and related professional
support staff have been hired by PSI.
 
PSI Corporate headquarters and research &
development groups are located in Reston,
Virginia.  PSI network operations is centered in
their Albany, New York facility.
 
Software technology and service development
work will continue by PSI on projects begun earlier
by NYSERNet, Inc., including SNMP network
management software, X.500 Directory services,
X.400 multimedia mail services, Z39.50
bibliographic retrieval, in addition to other new
technologies.
 
 
************************************************
 
Newest Staff Member Profiles
 
As PSI continues to grow and improve, new
additions to the staff continue as well.  The
following is a list of all new employees at PSI.
 
Mary-Ann Caulfield, Administrative Assistant.
Mary-Ann is a graduate of Russell Sage College.
Some of  Mary-Ann's responsibilities are keeping
equipment inventory and travel arrangements.
 
Salvatore De Tillio, Field Service Technician.  Sal
just recently ended his six year career with the
Navy.  While in the Navy, he specialized in
aviation electronics.  At PSI, Sal will be involved in
installing and testing equipment, as well as helping
to provide hardware support services.
 
Scott Gould, Field Service Technician.  Scott came
to PSI, Inc. with a strong electronics background.
He was a communications equipment technician in
the US Army, cable splicer for NY Telephone, and a
service technician for KAMA Communications and
Mosler, Inc.  At PSI, Scott will be testing and
servicing in-house and remote equipment.
 
Diane Hurtt, Network Operator.  Diane has a very
diverse technical background.  She previously was
an electrical technician for National Satellite.
Diane also has experience as a copier technician and
a telephone technician for ComDoc and Taconic
Long Distance Service respectively.  At PSI, Diane
will be configuring gateways and monitoring
connections.
 
Mitchell Levinn, Director of Operations.  Mitch was
the Director of the Computer Science Laboratory
and a Senior Lecturer at RPI before joining PSI.  He
will be working on providing the technical
resources our operation staff requires in order  to
continue supplying high quality network services.
 
Michael Piskun, Network Operator.  Mike is a
recent graduate of SUNY College of Technology at
Utica.  Some of Mike's responsibilities include
monitoring the networks, configuring gateways and
turning over defective gateways and links for
repair.
 
Dave Ruppel, Account Representative.  Dave
graduated from Magdalen College in Bedford, NH
with a BA in Communications.  He has had
experience in marketing reprographic and  copy
equipment as well as construction products.  Dave
is responsible for generating new network
membership and supporting the current
membership in New York, Connecticut and
Northern NJ.
 
Mary Kay, "MK", Schiesser, Manager of Finance .
MK is located in our corporate offices and is
responsible for the accounting and financial aspects
of PSI.  She has a MBA and a CPA.
 
Steve Schoffstall, Account Representative.  Stephen
has a computer science bachelors degree from the
University of Maryland and is responsible for
coordinating several programs for PSI, including
Dialup Services, SNMP licensing and UUCP
Mail/USENET News.  He also handles marketing
requirements for the CAPNet network in the D.C.
area.
 
Julie Sprinkel, Secretary/Receptionist.  Julie
attended Tidewater Community College in
Virginia.  Before coming to PSI, she was a front
desk supervisor at the Marriott Hotel In
Manassas,VA.  Julie is situated in our Reston, VA
office and in addition to her receptionist duties, she
provides support in sales and marketing.
 
Brett Tissiere, Electronics Technician.  Brett spent 6
years in the US Navy.  He has worked in the
electronics field for a number of years.  Brett is
involved in testing and upgrading equipment, core
node assembly, and installing and maintaining
computer room connections.
 
********************************************
 
Upcoming Events
 
NYSERTech Meeting:
       March 20, 1990
 
PSI Internetworking Tutorial:
       Troy, NY, April 25-27
       Reston, VA, May 23,24
 
*******************************************
 
New Publications
 
NYSERNet WhitePages Pilot
Project:  Status Report, 12.31.89,  Marshall Rose.
 
A Query Language For the Simple Network
Management Protocol.  Technical Report:  12.29.89,
Wengyik Yeong.
 
*******************************************
 
NYSERNet News is published bi-monthly by PSI, Inc.
P.O. Box 3850
Reston, VA 22090
Telephone: 703/620-6651
FAX:  703/620-4586
 
William L. Schrader, President
Martin Schoffstall, VP & COO
 
NYSERNet News staff
Martin L. Schoffstall, Acting Editor
John Eldredge
Kimberly Brown
Janine De Tillio
C 1990 Performance Systems International, Inc.
Quotation with Attribution Encouraged