Distributed file system available

[Walter Tichy]

A new release of the network file access package of IBIS is now available.  The
package implements file access transparency, allowing remote files to be
accessed in the same way as local files.  Files are named either by absolute
pathnames (in the form of [<host>:]<path>), by relative pathnames (assuming a
remote current directory), or by remote symbolic links (crossing machine
boundaries).  Authentication is done similar to rlogin, and permits remote
logins different from local logins.

The package contains a complete I/O library, which provides instant upgrade of
existing programs to remote access.  An upgraded version of csh, rcsh, provides
remote I/O redirection, remote name expansion, and the remote current working
directory (but no remote execution).

The package is implemented on top of Unix 4.2.  Performance over our 5Mbit
Pronet, connecting 3 VAX 780s, is excellent.  For more (though somewhat out-of-
date) information, see "Towards a Distributed File System", by Walter F.  Tichy
and Zuwang Ruan, in Proceedings of the USENIX 1984 Summer Conference.

The remote access package is in the public domain.  If you wish to obtain a copy,
mail your request to

	ruan at purdue
	{decvax, ihnp4}!purdue!ruan