Routing protocols (OSPF vs RSPF)

[dennis%nanovx.uucp@mathcs.emory.edu (Dennis J. Boylan)]

> U could replace the AT s and PI cards, at most of the sites, with PacketTEN's
> and come out 200 bucs in the lead, and have a 68000 based switch. In addition
> the switch would ahve a communications co-processor, and much better total
> thruput, and several times more peak baud rate on the ports.

  Sounds like a good idea, but have you looked at the repair costs of a
  PacketTEN?  Spares costs for PCs are dirt cheap.  And easy to obtain.
  And there is an abundance of people who can repair them.  Can the same
  be said for the PacketTEN?  You have to realize that the network is
  around the state, and as such the parts for repair have to be around
  the state.  Also, the PacketTEN does not support MULPORT that I know of.
  MULPORT is a very important feature in this area.  RSPF should help make
  it obsolete, but we are still using it.  Is the source code available for
  the PacketTEN?  You should also note that for most of the original switches,
  they have TNCs driving the 56k links, and only 1 link per switch.  The plan
  for all new switches is 2 56k links on different frequencies.  Someone
  suggested we change over to OS2 2.0 and IBM tcp/ip using the artic
  card.  Go to production software...  But that too would mean replacing
  the existing switches, a costly alternative.

(a side note)
  MULPORT is multiport digipeating, where you can specify which port a
  specific callsign can be found at.  Real usefull from the users perspective.
  They don't have to really know the structure of the network to get to
  a specific node.  An example would be -
        KD4NC-1 has 4 ports     ax0 (high speed)
                                ax1 (13/73 1200bd)
                                ax2 (.01 1200bd)
                                ax3 (433.8 2400bd)
        WA4BRO is on 13/73 1200bd
        W4QO-1 has 2 ports      ax0 (high speed)
                                ax1 (.03 1200bd)
        N4ZMZ is on .03 1200bd

        For N4ZMZ to get to WA4BRO, he could use -
                C AX0 WA4BRO W4QO-1 KD4NC-1
        and the following happens -
                1) W4QO-1 looks at the digi string to see KD4NC-1 which
                   has a route out the ax0 port.
                2) KD4NC-1 looks at the digi string to see WA4BRO is the
                   destination, which if he does not exist in the routing
                   table will go out the lan port (13/73)
                3) connection is established assuming all the stations are
                   up.
The ports for this example are from my memory, and may have nothing to do
with the actual ports on the network.

(and back to our program)
So, if someone can come up with something dirt cheap and really fast, we
might be able to afford to use it.  (It'll also make my job easier....)
We've considered using the DE56 for some of the switches, but are not
actively pursueing it due to standards throughout the network.  The DE56
does work fine with the 56k modem.  It can support 2 directly, and as
many as you think you can attach using multi-drop KISS on.  The PacketTEN
is in the plans to evaluate for our high volume sites (KD4NC-1 mainly),
but pending evaluations as to stability, reliability and interoperatability
will not be actively considered for new switches.

73, Dennis N4ZMZ