[Info-vax] Re; Spiralog, RMS Journaling (was Re: FREESPADRIFT)

[David Froble]

VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG wrote:
> In article <nkh313$ekh$1 at Iltempo.Update.UU.SE>, Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se> writes:
>> On 2016-06-23 18:06, VAXman- at SendSpamHere.ORG wrote:
>>> In article <nkgspt$rm$2 at Iltempo.Update.UU.SE>, Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se> writes:
>>>> This whole thread came about because some people pointed out that exact
>>>> file sizes, to the byte, sometimes were wanted. And then it's been a
>>>> thread of "why?". And when I give an example of why, it becomes a thread
>>>> of "why?".
>>>>
>>>> Yes, I know VMS couldn't care less. RSX also couldn't care less. Me,
>>>> writing an http server (as well as an ftp server), do care. And doing
>>>> these things, which many people consider to be pretty basic tools that
>>>> all systems should have, is a pain because the file system do not have
>>>> this information.
>>>>
>>>> Yes, there are solutions. They are costly. Could there possibly be a
>>>> point in adding this information, if it can be done at a low cost?
>>>>
>>>> You are just putting your head in the sand and saying that since it's
>>>> not there, we don't need it.
>>> Why pay for it when you don't need it?  Pay for it when you do!
>> Which, for a web server, is every time a document is requested, which 
>> might mean a dozen requests for a single page. And that is just one 
>> example. And for a 10M document, calculating the size every time is 
>> pretty costly... Reading through 10M to find the size, and then read 
>> through it again, to deliver it. Color me not-excited.
> 
> Again, that's not a VMS problem; it's your/the protocol.  Perhaps, instead
> of about it complaining here, you should complain to the IETF. ;)

Agreed.

> VMS moved files over the network without having to know the precise number
> of bytes it has to move before doing so, so there could and there should 
> and there are alternative ways this can be accomplished without knowing a
> count beforehand.

What about a protocol that allows data to be sent without a byte count up front, 
terminated by some termination flag, and then the byte count so the receiver can 
check for a good transmission?  Should work.