@heading(Termly Report)
@heading(May 1984)
@heading(Communications Group)

@Section(Ednet)

@subsection(CPSEs)

All three CPSEs have been in service use.   The reliability has been
reasonable although we have been pressing GEC over software problems
on the KB 4190.   We have now received and installed the software to
run all 39 links on the KB 4190.

@subsection(TCPs)

There have been a few hardware funnies with TCPs this term but no
software problems.

@subsection(FEPs)

There have been a few breaks with the FEPs but the overall level of
service has been good.

@subsection(XGate and PSSE)

Although PSSE has been more reliable this term, its performance from the
users point of view has been bad becuase of the problems with XGate.
XGate has still been crashing almost once a day partly because of load
problems and partly because of obscure software problems in the users
complex code.   The bringing up of a second XGate will help Ring users
and should reduce the number of crashes for X25 converter users because
of the reduced load.

@section(Black Box)

This project should now be completed and we are waiting for Liverpool to
run the final acceptance tests.

@section(Chanlan)

The hardware has now been delivered and Bill Byers is looking at the
documentation.   Engineering Support has been asked for help in putting
the bits together.

@section(OSLAN Project)

The Etherbridge has been installed and the EMLAN development box delivered.
The Network manager and OSLU boxes are expected before the end of May.

F. Barratt is negotiating with British Telecom on the DNX 2000 front.   It
is almost certain that the exchange will be installed as a PACS, i.e. not
connected to the PSTN until ICL are approved maintainers (early 85).   The
exchange is expected to be delivered on time in early July and should be
operable very quickly.   Decisions have to be made soon on who should attend
the various training courses and who should be on the new exchange.

R. Middleton is seconded to the project to work on network management spending
4/5ths of his time on it.

The VAX software has been completed as far as possible and further work will
be done when there is another Ethernet host to communicate with.



                                                        Brian Gilmore.