In order to alleviate the load on the US lines caused by the shipment of the
huge BITEARN NODES file  from NETSERV at BITNIC, it has  been decided that all
the LISTSERV machines should allow  node administrators (NADs), and ONLY them,
to retrieve their private copy of the BITEARN NODES file ---> IF, AND ONLY IF,
THIS COPY IS THE LATEST AVAILABLE VERSION OF THE MASTER NODES FILE <---
 
  This will make it possible for US NADs to obtain the file from a node nearer
than BITNIC,  while still ensuring  that they  get an up-to-date  copy. Please
note that the time stamp of BITEARN NODES may vary from server to server as it
indicates  the date  the UPDNODES  program  was last  run on  the file.  Other
countries  might benefit  from  this  new possibility,  but  it was  primarily
designed for  the USA where there  are presently 35 LISTSERVs  versus a single
NETSERV. Some NADs have reported waiting for three weeks for the BITEARN NODES
file to  reach them,  and some  have waited  for more  than one  month without
receiving it.
 
  A new  one-line file, BITEARN  VERSION, has been  made available on  all the
servers. Its single record contains the version code of the 'latest' available
version  of BITEARN  NODES, as  determined by  the EARN  coordinator (Berthold
Pasch <PASCH@DHDIBM1>) who  maintains the file. Since the file  is very small,
it can be expected to reach each  server very quickly after the UPDNODES files
are  unleashed from  DEARN  and  to block  the  distribution  even before  the
UPDNODES files  are made available  in the USA. Alternatively,  Berthold might
want to  wait for a few  days before updating  BITEARN VERSION so as  to avoid
this side effect.
 
  The sites which presently provide this facility are the following:
 
OREGON1  EB0UB011  RUTVM1 RITVM  UGA  TCSVM  BITNIC CANADA01  TAMVM1  UTORONTO
IRISHVM KSUVM CLVM
 
---> PLEASE USE ONLY THE NEAREST SERVER!!! <---
 
  There will be  more and more sites as the  LISTSERV postmasters update their
servers.  A complete  list  of all  existing LISTSERVs  can  be obtained  from
LISTSERV at  FRECP11 by means  of the GET  PEERS NAMES command  (all LISTSERVs
have the list but  the FRECP11 one always has the latest  version; you may try
LISTSERV@BITNIC or  LISTSERV@UGA if you  don't need the very  latest version).
The command to retrieve the file is GET BITEARN NODES, of course.
 
  LISTSERV owners: BITEARN NODES  does not need to be made  R/W to LISTSERV --
R/O access  is sufficient  and nothing  needs to be  changed there.  Since the
files will  not be  moved on  LISTSERV's private minidisk,  you don't  have to
increase  disk space  nor anything  similar.  Since BITEARN  NODES is  already
available  to your  server in  R/O mode,  this new  feature will  not eat  any
additional disk space  (except for BITEARN VERSION and the  few lines added to
CONTROL FILELIST).
 
Cheers, Eric