dtj v01-09 jun1989

This document is the June 1989 issue of the Digital Technical Journal by Digital Equipment Corporation, focusing on Distributed Systems.

The journal highlights several of DEC's key distributed system products and services from that era:

• VAX Distributed Name Service (DNS): A global, scalable directory system for identifying and locating network resources.
• VAX Distributed File Service (DFS): Provides fast, transparent, and common access to files across DECnet networks for VAX/VMS systems.
• Remote System Manager (RSM): Enables centralized management of networked systems, including software distribution, file backup/restoration, and client administration.
• MAILbus: Supports message exchange and electronic mail in multi-vendor network environments through various gateways.
• VAX/VMS Services for MS-DOS: Seamlessly integrates remote VAX/VMS file and disk services into the MS-DOS environment for personal computers.

A significant portion of the issue is dedicated to the performance evaluation, measurement, and modeling of these distributed systems and network products. This includes:

• Discussions on new methodologies and empirical/analytical approaches for system-level performance assessment.
• Specific techniques for measuring and analyzing DECnet products.
• The development of reusable tools, such as the WAVE Tools Base for sophisticated protocol testing.
• Simulation modeling (e.g., for the DECnet/SNA Gateway) to aid in capacity planning and predict system behavior under various workloads.

Overall, the journal emphasizes Digital's efforts to build robust, scalable, and high-performance distributed computing environments that enable shared resources, efficient management, and reliable access across heterogeneous networks.