08:11 AM 1/13/95 -0400, Eddy BELIVEAU wrote:
>Date:   13-JAN-1995 07:52:34
>
>Hi! Netfriends,
<snip terminal based yuk stuff>
 
Eddy,
 
 We are delivering student information via gopher at the moment to any point
on campus in REAL time from our HP3000 student data bases (SRN IRIS) (MPE 4.0).
 
* * *
  We follow the client/server model of "smart server - dumb client".  No
business rules on the client, all changes are made on the server.  Mangement
of this approach is three words:  simple - simple - simple.
 
  Need to make a report change, no problem!  Just change the program and
re-link on the host. Done.  All access after that point receives the new
copies.
 
* * *
 
  We have telephone registration.  This means a student can hangup the phone
and go into our gopher anywhere on campus seconds later and "call up via the
network" their schedule and print it.  The response time of a complete
student schedule via our HP gopher bell curves around 3 seconds _while_
registration is going on (we do not "logon" the connections - this scales
beyond belief of terminal based systems.  I figure I can send about three
reports in the time it takes a single logon to happen -- just the logon, not
starting a terminal application).
 
  We are wiring the dorms in the next two years (over 6,000 additional
jacks) and currently support 4,000 wired machines (not empty jacks).
 
  We are testing World Wide Web systems now with the purchase of an
encrypted Web server from MCOM for student update access or grade posting or
whatever;  or like grad applications via the internet.  The possiblilities
are endless.
 
  I would seriously consider open networking alternatives before dumping
money down a terminal access room and trying to maintain copies of data.
 
  Here is a sample of our Web home page access to corporate data:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Notre Dame Home Page
 
   [ U_N_I_V_E_R_S_I_T_Y___o_f___N_O_T_R_E___D_A_M_E ]
 
Welcome to Notre Dame's WWW Development Server
 
   [IMAGE]
   [IMAGE]
 
     * Corporate Data
     * Personal Home Pages
     * Weather Information
     * Notre Dame Phone Book Information
     * WAIS Server
     * Notre Dame Homepage
 
   Note: This is a development server and some of the above services are
   currently being tested. THIS IS NOT A PRODUCTION SERVICE.
 
Commands: Use arrow keys to move, '?' for help, 'q' to quit, '<-' to go back
  Arrow keys: Up and Down to move. Right to follow a link; Left to go back.
 H)elp O)ptions P)rint G)o M)ain screen Q)uit /=search [delete]=history list
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
  The "corporate data" link is a _secure_ link, which prompts for user name
and password under the http protocol.  This gets a person into the next
selections.
 
  User name and Pass is sent for each secure user transaction, so the server
knowns what data to send to what user everytime.
 
Just thought I'd throw some real "open" ideas your way.
 
P.S.
 
  The screen print is from our test HP3000 MPE 5.0/POSIX running HP ported
LYNX web browser, free from URL http://jazz.external.hp.com/
 
  For detailed information about this approach, lookup Interex Sept'94 issue
"Tunneling into Corporate Data using Internet Gopher".
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric J. Schubert                 Administrative Information Services
Senior Data Base Analyst         University of Notre Dame, IN USA