BITNET

BITNET(BECAUSE IT’S TIME NETWORK)

BITNET began in May 1981 when computers on the campuses of City University of New York (CUNY) and Yale University were linked together.In the first year, BITNET connected six universities, the next year the total was up to twenty.BITNET has continued to gain popularity and grow rapidly since then, and currently encompasses thousands of multi-user mainframes at institution around the world.

BITNET has connections, called gateways, to other major computer networks such as the Internet, UUCP and FidoNet.These gateways allow electronic mail to be exchanged.

Originally, BITNET was a single computer network connecting sites across the United States.It is now a logical network or meta-network encompassing other networks around the world.It has many interconnections, but each network is separately administered.The portion of BITNET in the United States and Mexico is called BITNET, in Europe BITNET is known EARN and Canadian portion is called NetNorth.

NETWORK STRUCTURE

At one time, BITNET was a spanning tree network.A tree with branches spreading out from a single trunk.Spanning means that there is only one route between any two branches.A single computer is thought of as the root of the tree(root node).Single root node caused some traffic problems.As a solution to this problem, two computers in each region serve as root nodes for the region.This ring of the root nodes is connected to each other.

BITNET NETWORKING PROTOCOLS

BITNET began as a network of IBM mainframes using IBM’s Remote Spooling Communications Subsystem (RSCS) software.RSCS implements the Network Job Entry (NJE) protocol.The NJE protocol makes BITNET a “store and forward”network.Information going from one site another may have many intermediate nodes to pass through , to complete this path.If a connection is down between two nodes, files are stored until the connection has been restored.

In 1986 the BITNET 2 project was started.This project has made it possible to communicate over TCP/IP networks and at higher speeds.When BITNET was started the fastest of the low-level protocols that would work with RSCS could communicate at a speed no greater than 19200 bits per second(bps).BITNET 2 project allows a speed of 1.5 million bps.

BITNET ADMINISTRATION

In September 1989, BITNET administratively merged with CSNET.This is a national network.Its purpose is to facilitate collaboration primarily between researchers in the fields of computer science and engineering.BITNET is administered by the BITNET Network Information Center or BITNIC under the auspices of EDUCOM.

NETWORK RULES

The Corporation for Research and Educational Networking (CREN) sets requirements for both membership in CREN and BITNET access.CREN provides guideliness for use of BITNET and CSNET via an Acceptable Use Policy.

BITNET SERVICES

BITNET provides 3 methods of communicating via computers:

Interactive messages up to 160 characters in length may be sent between any two people logged onto computers connected to BITNET.

File Transfers, the sending and receiving of data stored in files, from one person to another.BITNET policy states that only files of less than 300000 bytes in size be transmitted.

Electronic-mail, a message from one person is written,addressed and mailed to someone with an account on another computer.The other person does not have to be logged on to receive mail, messages are stored automatically.

REFERENCE

“BITNET” (Available from:http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~netinfo/backupcs1604/bitnet.html).

Gedney, Carolyn.”BITNET”(Available from:http://www.nus.sg/NUSinfo/ComCtr/bitnet.html)

Hardy, Henry Edward.”The History of the Net”(Available from:http:www.ocean.ic.net/ftp/doc/nethist.html)

Moore, Michael A. and Ronald M. Sawey.(1992).BITNET:For VMS Users.Burlington:Digital Equipment Corporation.

Quarterman, John S.(1990).The Matrix:Computer Networks and Conferencing Systems Worldwide.Bedford:Digital Equipment Corporation.