Subject: URGENT! DLSw press release draft review

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 95 13:46:04 PDT

THIS DRAFT IS FOR EACH OF THE COMPANIES PARTICIPATING IN THE
DLSW V1 INTEROPERABILITY TEST!

======
To:     DLSw V1 Int. Test Participants
From:   Louise Herndon Wells, DLSw chair [email-masked]
             Chris Carleton, Bay Networks     [email-masked]
Date:   Tuesday, 3 October, 1995
Re:     Approval of press release draft due by Wednesday

URGENT!   Please have the appropriate person at your company
review this draft media release as soon as possible.  All comments
are due by the end of Wednesday.  URGENT!    Post comments to
[email-masked]

Media Release  -  DRAFT  -   DLSw Version 1 Interoperability Test

NOTE:  This is a draft.  Paragraph  headers  will not be used in
the release.

Letterhead:  APPN Implementers Workshop

Press Contacts: Louise Herndon Wells, DLSw Chair,
                             Internetwork Technology Institute (408) 946-4625
                        Wendy Arnette, media relations,
                                APPN Implementers Workshop, (919) 254-6126

Title:  DLSw Version 1 Interoperability Test Proves DLSw to be
        True Multivendor Solution for SNA and NetBIOS over TCP/IP

Dateline:  10 October 1995, Billerica, MA

Text:
Data Link Switching (DLSw) reached another milestone in its
emergence as the multivendor standard for carrying SNA and NetBIOS 
over TCP/IP by holding a successful week-long
interoperability test.  Nine DLSw developers last week tested
their implementations of DLSw Version 1, also known as RFC 1795.

"Users with SNA and TCP/IP have long wanted to integrate them.
DLSw is the best solution because it requires no changes in the
end systems, ensures reliability, and minimizes wide area
traffic."  said Louise Herndon Wells, chair of the DLSw group.
"DLSw is now a proven multivendor solution from all major vendors
for integrating SNA and TCP/IP networks."

The DLSw Version 1 Interoperability Test was held October 2-6,
1995 in Billerica, MA at the test lab of Bay Networks. This was
the first interoperability testing session of DLSw Version 1 (RFC
1795) vendors in the DLSw Related Interest Group (RIG) to verify
their products can communicate successfully.  Nine vendors--3Com
Corporation, ACC, Bay Networks, Cisco, Data Connection Limited,
IBM, Proteon, and Synaptel--were participants testing their DLSw implementation
s and Wandell & Golthermann, a testing product vendor,
tested its DLSw package

DLSw carries SNA and, optionally, NetBIOS traffic across wide area
networks (WANs).  The end systems may be on a variety of data
links, including synchronous data link control (SDLC) links or
token ring or Ethernet LANs.  The network between the data link
switches is TCP/IP.  DLSw can be adapted to support other data
links and WANs.

The testing began with pairs of DLSw products establishing TCP
connections and performing DLSw capabilities exchange.  Once these
connections were established between a given pair of DLSw
products, the DLSw implementers tried out a variety of end station
connection scenarios, including:  SNA type 2.0 and 2.1 nodes on
token-ring to a host, SDLC-attached end stations to a host, and
NetBIOS end stations on token-ring to each other.  In addition,
the DLSw vendors created congestion scenarios to test new DLSw
flow control procedures, and tried configurations where each DLSw
product had multiple DLSw partners.

Each vendor tested with every other vendor in a round-robin style.
The DLSw Version 1 Interoperability Test was successful, promoting
interaction among developers of key industry DLSw implementations.
Information, tips and techniques were exchanged with a common goal
of multivendor DLSw connectivity.

"Bay Networks was pleased to act as host for this DLSw
interoperability test."  said David Berman, director of IBM
networking products at Bay Networks, the merged company of
SynOptics and Wellfleet.  "The number of vendors here, as well as
those with imminent implementations, makes it clear that DLSw is
truly a multivendor standard."

Disclaimer paragraph:
The DLSw interoperability test was designed as an engineering
project, not a marketing event.  The results of individual tests
will, therefore, only be used internally to improve each vendor s
interoperability.  Future public DLSw interoperability tests may
be held, perhaps in conjunction with a trade show such as
Networld+Interop.

THE PARTICIPANTS
3Com Corporation,  Santa Clara, California
ACC, Santa Barbara, California
Bay Networks,  Billerica, Massachussetts
Cisco Systems, Santa Clara, California
Data Connection Ltd., Enfield, Middlesex, UK
IBM Corporation, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
Proteon , Incorporated, Westboro, Massachussetts
Synaptel, Velizy, Cedex, France
Wandell & Golthermann, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

                           # # #

BACKGROUNDER (will be sent on separate page)
DATA LINK SWITCHING

DLSw HISTORY
DLSw was first developed by IBM for its router product line to
support SNA and NetBIOS over TCP/IP.  IBM published its DLSw
specification openly  as an informational RFC 1434 in early 1993.
Many vendors quickly seized on DLSw as a way to standardize their
support for SNA over TCP/IP, which their customers were
requesting, and the DLSw RIG was quickly formed.

DLSw particpants elected to meet under the auspices of the APPN
Implementers Workshop (AIW) since most of the same companies are
involved with both groups and the AIW, as a standards body, can
officially sponsor DLSw standards.  The DLSw RIG meets three to
four times a year in conjunction with the AIW.

Less than two years after RFC 1434 was posted, in January 1995,
the DLSw RIG approved its enhanced version of DLSw.  Called DLSw
Version 1, to indicate that it is the first multivendor standard
version of DLSw, it was also submitted to the Internet Engineering
Task Force (IETF) as informational RFC 1795.

DLSw TECHNOLOGY
DLSw carries SNA and, optionally, NetBIOS traffic across wide area
networks (WANs).

To an end system, a data link switch looks like a bridge and all
the other resources on the WAN appear one hop away. DLSw directs
SNA or NetBIOS searches only to other data link switches.  DLSw
maintains an end-to-end circuit between the communicating end
systems, but the data links are terminated at the data link
switches.  These features reduce timeouts, extend hop count
limits, and decrease broadcast searches and link-maintenance
traffic on the WAN.  In addition, DLSw requires no changes to the
end systems  software or wiring.

The standard describes how DLSw works with traffic from
synchronous data link control (SDLC) or 802.2 LANs, but it can be
adapted to support other data links.

DLSw allows TCP to act as the connection-oriented transport protocol
required by protocols like SNA and NetBIOS, which allows these
protocols to run over many intervening link types.  Though the
standard describes how it runs over TCP/IP, DLSw could be adapted
for use over other protocols such as frame relay.

DLSw VERSION 1 / RFC 1795 ENHANCEMENTS
In AIW DLSw Version 1 (RFC 1795), the DLSw RIG added several
enhancements to the original 1434 specification.  Users can
prioritize their traffic by circuit.  Adaptive flow control was
added to pace for congested conditions.  The new ability for
switches to exchange capabilities allows flexibility to add many
optional features to some data link switches while maintaining a
core of interoperability with all data link switches.  In
addition, a number of enhancements and clarifications were made,
many of which improved DLSw as a multivendor protocol.

---

From: "Roger Lingle" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 03 Oct 95 17:13:16 EST

The correct spelling of the testing product vendor is:
     
     Wandel & Goltermann
     
     Please correct the spelling.

Thank you

Roger Lingle
Product Manager 
Wandel & Goltermann

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: URGENT!  DLSw press release draft review
Author:  [email-masked] at WG-RAL-SMTP
Date:    10/3/95 4:55 PM

======

     

     

Text:

     

     
     
Disclaimer paragraph:

THE PARTICIPANTS

                           # # #

     
DLSw HISTORY

DLSw TECHNOLOGY

---

From: "rak" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 04 Oct 95 16:53:16 EST

Louise,

     This looks fine to us at Proteon --- to bad you did mention the first 
     interoperability test with RFC1434 that was conducted at Interop in 
     June 1994 between Proteon, IBM & then Wellfleet.

        Otherwise we can always re-write history.

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: URGENT!  DLSw press release draft review
Author:  [email-masked] at INTERNET
Date:    10/3/95 4:59 PM

======

     

     

Text:

     

     
     
Disclaimer paragraph:

THE PARTICIPANTS

                           # # #

     
DLSw HISTORY

DLSw TECHNOLOGY

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: 6 Oct 95 11:23:05 EDT

Hello,

>From 3Com's point of view, the enclosed AIW/ DLSw interoperability press 
release is fine, with no revisions necessary.

If there are any last minute changes please send the new version to myself and 
Chuck Cruz for 3Com's approval.  Also, if you could please send myself the 
final draft (when this is announced on monday) it would be very much 
appreciated.

Thanks for your help and I look forward to working with you soon.

Rich Black
(408)764-8486 

To: Chuck Cruz/HQ/3Com 
cc: Richard Black/HQ/3Com  
From: David Bryant/HQ/3Com    
Date: Thursday  October 5, 1995 05:16 PM
Subject: Re: URGENT! DLSw press release draft review
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard - 

The AIW will be looking for a formal response from 3Com on this issue via the 
internet.  This is done by sending the appropriate email to:

[email-masked]@ugate

This email should come from either you or Chuck.  Given the nature of your 
jobs, I would think it more appropriate coming from Chuck.  The responses from 
the other companies have typically come for product marketing.  

Also, Chuck - the next AIW will be held in Raleigh 10/31-11/2.  You may want to 
attend just to get a feel for what goes on their and perhaps establish 
relationships with some of the key players from other companies.  I can send 
you the details as necessary (or perhaps one of your can as well).
The next AIW will be 3/25-3/28/96 in San Jose. 

Cheers, Dave
----- Previous Message ---------------------------------------------------- 

To: Richard Black/HQ/3Com 
cc: David Bryant/HQ/3Com  
From: Chuck Cruz/HQ/3Com    
Date: Wednesday  October 4, 1995 03:06 PM
Subject: URGENT! DLSw press release draft review
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard,

I am the new PLM in Marketing for IBM/SNA.

This copy looks OK to me, please handle from a Public Relations viewpoint.  If 
you have any questions please contact me at extension 5930.

Regards,

To: Chuck Cruz/HQ/3Com 
cc: Philippe Byrnes/HQ/3Com  
From: David Bryant/HQ/3Com    
Date: Wednesday  October 4, 1995 01:25 PM
Subject: URGENT! DLSw press release draft review
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chuck - Would you please handle responding to this particular request?  Let me 
know if you need my help.

Thanks, Dave

To: aiw-siglets-dlsw-redist  @ 3mail.3com.com @ UGATE
cc:  
From: lhwells @ cup.portal.com @ UGATE    
Date: Tuesday  October 3, 1995 04:54 PM
Subject: URGENT!  DLSw press release draft review
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THIS DRAFT IS FOR EACH OF THE COMPANIES PARTICIPATING IN THE
DLSW V1 INTEROPERABILITY TEST!

======

Text:

Disclaimer paragraph:

THE PARTICIPANTS

                           # # #

DLSw HISTORY

DLSw TECHNOLOGY