Hello all: (* Please DO NOT include all this text when replying *)
I would like to propose that the limits on data requested be amended as
follows, (and some other enhancements that go along with this):
(1) The default limit be raised to at least 5 times the current (256kb)
limit (.. a single copy of NODES INFO1 will exhaust the current
default limit!!). In addition, a whole package should be sent when
requested, not just half the files and half 'limit exceeded' messages!
(2) The limits should not be time wise, but should be based on the
number of links crossed, and the relative importance of such
links, plus perhaps the type and speed of such links, and some
sort of load factor (see number 4, below);
(3) Some sort of mechanism should be put into place so that you must
confirm that you want a specific file a second time during a 24
hour period (24 hours since last request, not midnight to midnight)
and this confirm mechanism will allow that you can not just specify
'override' on every command, but that it must be in response to a
Listserv advisory that "You have ordered this file within the last
24 hours and it has not been updated since then. Send the command
again with a parm of (confirm send and it will be sent to you again"
so as to avoid/discourage people from sending all commands with the
"override send" type of parm as a habit;
(4) If some sort of regional association of backbone sites could be
formed to peer more important files. It can be spread amongst more
than one server in a particular region if space is a problem. This
may mean that a GLOBAL filelist (limited) may be created, much like
the GLOBAL list functions now being used. A server will be able to
request that a file be sent from another server that is either:
(a) The sub-server that has the file because of space considerations
at the main (regional) server site, or;
(b) A server that is closer to the site that is requesting the file
than the regional server, and the files have been sub-stored on
that server, or the site is in fact a closer regional server.
This regional concept may work as follows:
1. Inter-Regional:
All files have an origin point and are sent to this origin by the
person making the updates. This Listserv then sends the update
job to all other regional servers housing the file in question.
2. Intra-Regional:
The Regional server then updates all its local sub-servers.
3. An "Update completed successfully job returns from the last server,
plus at every update point there is a checksum. Also, the point
of origin will receive an ack from each Listserv that is updated
and a report is run at some given time frame (say 48 hours?) which
will advise the person putting the file on that server(s) XXX have
still not received the file and loaded it properly. It may also be
run at a further 48 hours since if a link is down a weekend, for
example, a file could take more than the initial 48 hours to reach
its destination.
This would, in my opinion, cut down on the problems of people requesting
the same file many times, of people not being able to get decent amounts
of data, and of huge file queues (at least it may make a dent :-))) ).
These are just basics. Discussion welcome :-).
/Geert
** Disclaimer: The above are my views and may not be those of my employer,
or any other person, and are not to be taken as such. **
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