[Info-vax] An alternative history of computing

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 7/23/2021 2:36 PM, chris wrote:
> On 07/23/21 19:27, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
>> On 7/23/2021 2:15 PM, chris wrote:
>>> On 07/23/21 18:02, Robert A. Brooks wrote:
>>>> On 7/23/2021 12:36 PM, chris wrote:
>>>>> Full decnet was an expensive layered product, from memory, though
>>>>> a subset and run time libraries did come with vms.
>>>>
>>>> I'm not sure what you mean by "run time libraries"; there is
>>>> no run-time-only DECnet option for either Phase IV or Phase V.
>>>>
>>>> DECnet Phase IV was pretty simple -- you had either a routing license
>>>> or an end node license. The X.25 stuff (VAX PSI) was separate, but
>>>> that's not DECnet per se. The NAS morass was simply a license bundling
>>>> mechanism with
>>>> other stuff, but did not alter the DECnet functionality.
>>>>
>>>> DECnet Phase V (known first as DECnet/OSI and now known as DECnet-Plus)
>>>> has more moving parts (the optional OSAK, FTAM, VT -- none of which
>>>> require an extra license), and its licensing also essentially follows
>>>> the routing/end-node paradigm. The X.25 stuff is again separately
>>>> licensed.
>>>
>>> So you are just confirming what I said then, that full decnet was an
>>> expensive layered product ?. Thanks for the clarification though.
>>>
>>> Most people expect networking to be part of the base os these days, as
>>> machines are generally useless without it...
>>
>> I agree that network is necessary.
>>
>> But DECnet with end-node license instead of routing license
>> was still network.
> 
> Probably excellent when it was first released, back in the days
> of isdn and X25, but who would choose it now, other than for niche
> applications ?...

 From around 1995 or so TCP/IP changed from nice to have to must have.

Arne