Re: Newly revised standards-track RFC (IAC/EOR)

Roger Fajman <RAF@cu.nih.gov> Fri, 15 April 1994 22:52 UTC

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Date: Fri, 15 Apr 1994 18:45:32 -0400
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From: Roger Fajman <RAF@cu.nih.gov>
Subject: Re: Newly revised standards-track RFC (IAC/EOR)
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To: Multiple recipients of list TN3270E <TN3270E@list.nih.gov>
Message-ID: <9404151852.aa21615@CNRI.Reston.VA.US>

A clarification:  we are talking about the definition of TN3270E
protocol, not TN3270.  TN3270 is what it is and we are not trying to
fix it.  We are defining a new protocol.

The current draft says that Telnet options ought not to be sent in the
middle of 3270 data blocks.  So we are talking here about what to do in
the case that someone does something that the standard says is not
proper.  Of course, the draft could be changed to allow such behavior,
but I don't think that's a good idea.

There are some weird cases when Telnet options can appear in the middle
of a 3270 block.  Suppose a request to exit TN3270E mode appears in the
middle of a 3270 block.  Well, I guess such a request should be denied,
while it probably would be accepted between blocks.

I suppose that a request to exit binary mode while in TN3270E mode
would always be denied, since TN3270E mode implies binary without it
being explicitly negotiated.

Telnet and, by extension, TN3270E say nothing about what bytes must
appear together in what TCP packets.  Each byte could be in a separate
packet if an implementation (foolishly) wanted to do it that way.

Anyway, I'm off Sunday on a week's vacation, so you've probably heard
the last from me on this.

Roger Fajman                                   Telephone:  +1 301 402 4265
National Institutes of Health                  BITNET:     RAF@NIHCU
Bethesda, Maryland, USA                        Internet:   RAF@CU.NIH.GOV