Newsgroups: bit.listserv.banyan-l
Date:         Mon, 14 Dec 1992 20:40:54 EST
From:         Elliott Coates <coates@UMUC.UMD.EDU>
Subject:      RE: How StreetTalk work ?

>I am new to Banyan VINES. How can I find out more about how the ST function ?
>Is there any technical notes except those in the manual? (I am having VINE5.0)

There are technical notes available via anonymous ftp to csus.edu.

As has been pointed out, Banyan offer many courses.


>In particular I would like to find out the following in a multi server
>environment:

>1.  When a user login, how did he find a ST service on the LAN?

The user's pc broadcast for a server to provide login services.  This may or
may not be the same server the user's group resides on.  The login server
queries the user's group server to validate the user and to provide user
specific login processes from the user's profile on the user's group server.


>2.  Once it locate a server that provide the ST service, does it always
>    query to the same server for name query subsequently, e.g. when doing
>    a setdrive?

When logging in the user gets a routing server and a Z: drive server.  The
routing server aids the user in getting to other servers, including the user's
group server if it is not the same as routing server.  The server for the Z:
drive provides network operating system command files such as setdrive.


>    If yes then what happen if the ST service down? Will it query from
>    another ST service?

It depends on what action the user needs.  Specific user information resides on
the user's group server.  If specific user information is needed and the group
server is down, the user is "out of luck".


>3.  Is the query being answer in a 'recursive manner', i.e. the ST service
>    that one query, will contact to other servers to get the answer and
>    return to the user if the information is not stored in the current
>    server?

Yes.


>4. Does the ST service cache the result of a query for a subsequent same
>   query?

>5. Assumming all servers are in the same local LAN, must all servers runs
>   the ST service? Why? It may be ideal to have only one or two servers
>   maintaining the ST database while others providing other services like
>   file and mail

It depends on the StreetTalk information being requested, but I think most
information captured by a server is held for at least a brief period - some
minutes.  Some information is kept for extended periods, e.g. routing
information for source routing.  All servers in a LAN keep a group level - not
item level - knowledge of all other servers for extended periods - forever as
long as a server is up.

It is possible to have only some servers provide mail for all users on any
other server.


>6. Does ST provide name searching mechanism at all? Is STDA a must for name
>   searching or it is useful only when complicate name searching and sorting
>   is required when using the mail service?

Yes a server can search for a StreetTalk item on any other server.  I'm not up
on the specifics, but servers can exchange C langauge query commands -
something like VnsGetItemInfo(item) directed to another server.


>Wong Chee Heng
>Systems Programmer
>ccewch@nuscc.nus.sg.


Others here know more or have a different angle on things.  They will answer
here or directly to you.  I hope that these people correct or extend anything
they think needs correcting or extending in what I've layed out.  Hopefully
here on the list.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 |                       Elliott Coates, washington dc                        |
 |               coates@umuc.umd.edu         coates@umuc.bitnet               |
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