As readers of NetNews here at Miami are well aware, we have been
experiencing relatively severe problems with NetNews on both the
MiamiU (IBM VM/CMS) and MiaVX1 (DEC OpenVMS) systems this semester.
Most often these problems have manifested themselves in prolonged
delays in article propagation between the two systems and in the
processing of incoming and outgoing articles to and from sites beyond
Miami.
 
    MCIS has identified a long-term solution.  The University's
NetNews server will be moved to another platform and newsreader
client software on MiamiU, MiaVX1, other systems, and desktop machines
will be used to access NetNews from that new NetNews platform.  The
actual processing of NetNews articles will thus be removed from both
MiamiU and MiaVX1, but both systems will continue to be able to read
and post to NetNews newsgroups using software with the same 'look and
feel' of the present interfaces.  This solution will be implemented
in 1995.  (Readers of NetNews on the Hamilton and Middletown campus
DEC OpenVMS systems, MiaVX2 and MiaVX3 et al., have already been using
a similar arrangement since this spring, accessing NetNews from MiaVX1
in Oxford.)
 
     Until that solution can be implemented, however, there is the
continuing problem of delays in propagation between MiamiU and MiaVX1.
Kent Covert and Steve Moore have been working very diligently to
address the problems as they occur, and to make system changes to effect
maximum performance on both systems.  At this point, MiamiU is approximately
five to six days behind MiaVX1, and is processing at its maximum capacity.
To allow MiamiU to catch up with MiaVX1 and become current again, MCIS has
decided to purge MiamiU's current backlog of unprocessed articles, and
to begin immediately processing the backlog waiting for it on MiaVX1.
This will take an estimated four to five days.  By Monday or Tuesday of
next week (21 or 22 November), we hope to have MiamiU's NetNews caught up
and in synch with MiaVX1's NetNews.
 
     To accomplish this, we need to limit the incoming flow of NetNews to
MiamiU.  We have determined that temporarily discontinuing receipt of the
alternative hierarchy (alt.*) on MiamiU will greatly expedite the 'catch up'
process.  Therefore, effective immediately, MiaVX1 has stopped sending alt.*
newsgroups to MiamiU.  This will not become apparent on MiamiU until it has
caught up with the backlog awaiting it on MiaVX1, which will probably be
early next week.  Then there will be a five to six day 'gap' in the articles
in all newsgroups in the alt.* hierarchy.  Sometime next week, after all other
hierarchies are caught up, MiamiU will begin receiving alt.* newsgroups
again, and gradually the 'gap' will disappear.
 
     The receipt of alt.* newsgroups on MiaVX1 will not be affected by this
temporary stoppage on MiamiU.  Readers of NetNews on MiamiU who need
uninterrupted access to the alt.* hierarchy should access NetNews on MiaVX1
(by typing NEWS or NETNEWS at the $ command prompt).
 
     MCIS apologizes for the inevitable inconvenience this situation has
caused, as well as for any additional convenience the short-term corrective
action may cause readers of NetNews on the MiamiU (IBM VM/CMS system).
 
 
                        John B Harlan
      Campus Wide Information Systems (CWIS) Coordinator
                 Miami University (Ohio USA)
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