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