Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site minn-ua.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!we13!ihnp4!stolaf!umn-cs!minn-ua!sew From: sew@minn-ua.UUCP Newsgroups: net.mail Subject: Re: Domains vs. area addressing - (nf) Message-ID: <945@minn-ua.UUCP> Date: Fri, 3-Feb-84 21:29:38 EST Article-I.D.: minn-ua.945 Posted: Fri Feb 3 21:29:38 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 8-Feb-84 07:21:18 EST Sender: notes@minn-ua.UUCP Organization: Univ. of Minn. Computer Center, Minneapolis Lines: 50 #R:seismo:-56300:minn-ua:8900001:000:2182 minn-ua!sew Feb 3 14:21:00 1984 Those who are in favor of using area codes for domain/subdomain addressing seem to want to aim a message at a geographic region, rather than addressing to an organization or site. Should problems be expected if sites can be in more than one subdomain? I think not. Assuming that the net usually is expanded and backbones are not removed very often, the route-sensitive user.site.site.subdomain.domain addressing will work most of the time. If backbones or major links within a geographical region are altered somewhat more frequently then user.site.region.domain will function often, and probably should be available for when major changes do occur. Although having too many options could make the addressing too complicated, I think that there should be some kind of geographical addressing. Allowing both kinds of addressing should be possible by having aliases in routing tables and by a site knowing which geographical areas it is included in. Area codes can be too limited for geographical addressing. Example: If you wanted to contact xyz someplace inside Digital Equipment Corporation near Boston, you might after many attempts find xyz is actually in Rhode Island or in west Massachusetts' area code. Being able to send to that general region would result is some more effort by routing software but a greater chance of getting through with one message. How to address? nw | nc | ne ------------------------ wc | cent | ec ------------------------ sw | sc | se The above nine subdomains would cover a geographical subdomain. Overlapping at the edges is recommended. (Should the four cardinal points be allowed as addresses?) A site which was involved in transferring a message would know what subdomains it was in. Example: a site in Harrisburg, PA would be in ec.northamerica, se.northamerica, ec.usa, ne.usa and ec and ne. Giving only a geographical subdomain code would probably assume the address was in the current country. A site in alaska would be in both alaska.usa and nw.northamerica, but not nw.usa; a distance of separation rule probably needs to be made. from the analog digits of Scot E. Wilcoxon ...ihnp4!umn-cs!minn-ua!sew