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) [log in to unmask]