Editor's Note: Minutes received 12/1/92 CURRENT_MEETING_REPORT_ Reported by Joshua Mindel/Open Networks Minutes of the FTP-FTAM Gateway BOF (FTPFTAM) The purpose of the BOF was to discuss the status of the Internet Draft FTP-FTAM Gateway Specification and the usefulness of transitioning the document to a more permanent status. Mr. Mindel initiated the discussion with an overview of the document's purpose, evolution, and content. The purpose of the document is to provide a formal specification for a gateway that maps, in real-time, between the FTP and FTAM protocols. The specification will be of use to both implementors and customers. As an IETF-endorsed standard, the specification will permit implementors to justify the cost of building FTP-FTAM gateways. Robert Cooney, representing both the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and the Navy Open Systems Environment Testbed, expressed the dilemma currently faced by customers that need to procure FTP-FTAM gateways - there is no specification available to reference. In the electronic mail world there is Request for Comments 1148 (RFC1148), Mapping between X.400 and RFC 822, to serve as a reference for electronic mail gateways. The FTP-FTAM Gateway specification is based on the original NIST FTP-FTAM Gateway design, published by M.A. Wallace et al in 1986, as well as on lessons learned by the authors in fielding the ISODE FTP-FTAM Gateway on the MILNET in 1989. The following relevant historical events were also noted: o MITRE implemented FTP-FTAM Gateway based on NIST design (1987) o MITRE implementation was incorporated into ISODE o FTP-FTAM Gateway (ISODE 6.0) was fielded on MILNET under the DoD GOSIP Gateway Initiative (1989) The FTP-FTAM Gateway specification contributes to the advancement of the FTP-FTAM Gateway concept in the following ways: o Clarifies and enhances the FTP and FTAM mappings documented by NIST. o Enhances the user interaction capability provided by the ISODE implementation of the FTP-FTAM Gateway. o Provides guidelines for fielding FTP-FTAM Gateways on the Internet(s10hs12V). o Serves as a formal specification for the FTP-FTAM Gateway suitable for implementors to use in building additional FTP-FTAM Gateways. 1 o Serves as a formal specification for organizations desiring to procure FTP-FTAM Gateways. The Internet Draft was reviewed by the IETF in July 1991. In addition, Digital Equipment Corporation has developed an FTP-FTAM Gateway using the draft specification. Based on this implementation, DEC provided valuable input to the specification. All BOF attendees agreed that the document is mature, represents stable technology, and has undergone sufficient peer review. The discussion then turned to the IETF status of the specification. In time, the usefulness of the specification will be proven by the number and quality of implementations based on it. Daniel Fauvarque, of Sun-France, indicated that his organization may have an interest in implementing an FTP-FTAM Gateway, but at this time, there is no published standard. He indicated that advancement of the specification to Proposed Standard would provide sufficient status to permit Sun to use the specification at the appropriate time. Dave Piscitello, the OSI Area Director in attendance, agreed to advance the specification by submitting a request to the IESG to consider the Internet-Draft FTP-FTAM Gateway Specification as a Proposed Standard. Copies of the FTP-FTAM Gateway specification were distributed at the BOF. Attendees Daniel Fauvarque dfauvarq@france.sun.com Steve Hardcastle-Kille s.kille@isode.com Joshua Mindel mindel@netwrx1.nw1.com David Piscitello dave@sabre.bellcore.com Robert Slaski slaski@netwrx1.nw1.com 2