Date : Tue, 17 Jan 1984 11:29:42 EST
From : David Towson (CSD) <towson@amsaa>
Subject: TAC news.
The following is provided for the benefit of those persons who can access
MILNET TAC's.
Dave Towson
info-cpm-request@brl-vgr
Received: From Sri-Nic.ARPA by BRL via smtp; 16 Jan 84 19:51 EST
Date: Mon 16 Jan 84 16:04:23-PST
From: NIC
Subject: All-Points Broadcast--TAC Login Procedures
Sender: NIC@SRI-NIC
To: ALL-POINTS: ;
Reply-To: NIC@SRI-NIC
The following message explains MILNET TAC Login. Users will encounter
the need for this information as of Midnight tonight EST. These
instructions are also available through all MILNET/ARPANET TAC's as a
menu item in the TACNEWS system, which is accessible via the "@n"
command. Note that ARPANET users will be unaffected at present,
unless they use a MILNET (Defense Data Network) TAC to access their
ARPANET host.
Please broadcast these TAC Login procedures to all of your MILNET TAC
users. As announced in DDN Newsletter No. 35, the Universal UserID
procedure will be in effect 17 January through 15 February, after which
individual UserIDs will be necessary.
====================================================================
The access control system for MILNET (Defense Data Network) TAC's
requires you to login before connections may be opened.
The login process is automatically started with the first "@open"
("@o") command you issue. There is also a new "@logout" ("@l")
command to logout. Otherwise, the functioning of the TAC is
unaffected by the access control system.
Here is a sample of the login dialog (user input is underlined):
a) PVC TAC 110 #:01
b) @o 26.2.0.8<RETURN>
-----------
c) TAC Userid: TAC.LOGIN<RETURN>
----------
d) Access Code: 22ockedc2<RETURN> (Does not echo.)
----------
e) Login OK
f) TCP trying...Open
In the above example, the TAC prints its greeting (a). The user
proceeds to give the command to open a connection to host 26.2.0.8 (b).
If you are used to using a host number with a slash in it, you may
still use that form, i.e. "@o 2/8", as long as you are not going across
networks. The TAC prompts for a TAC UserID. The user enters the Universal
UserID which expires February 15, 1984 (c). The Access Code corresponding
to the UserID is entered (d). After a brief wait, the TAC indicates that
login is successful (e) and goes on to the normal connection sequence (f).
When you are entering your TAC UserID and Access Code:
- A carriage return (indicated as "<RETURN>" in the example)
terminates each input line and causes the next prompt to appear.
- As you type in your TAC UserID and Access Code, it does not
matter whether you enter an alphabetic character in upper or
lower case. In the typing of the TAC UserID, all lower case
alphabetic characters echo as upper case.
- The Access Code is not echoed in full-duplex mode. An effort is
made to obscure the Access Code printed on hardcopy terminals in
half-duplex mode.
- As an aid to correct reading of Access Codes, they have been
designed so that they never contain a zero, a one, a "Q" or a
"Z", because each of these characters resembles another. So if
you think you see one of these characters in your Access Code,
you know it is really the letter "O" [oh], the letter "L" [el],
or the number "2" [two].
- You may edit what you type by using the backspace (Control-H)
key to delete a single character.
- You may delete the entire line and restart it by typing
Control-U. A new prompt will appear.
- While entering either the TAC UserID or Access Code, you may
type Control-C to abort the login process and return to the TAC
command mode. You must interrupt or complete the login process
in order to issue any TAC command.
After both the TAC UserID and Access Code are collected from the
terminal, the TAC must verify the login attempt. Often this takes less
than a second, but in some cases a slight delay will occur. Anything
typed at the terminal after the concluding carriage return of the
access code, but before the login confirmation (or denial) is received,
will generate the message "Wait" on the terminal. If the login is
allowed, you will see the message "Login OK" and immediately afterward
the TAC will attempt to open your TCP connection. If the login is
denied for any reason, you will see the message "Bad Login." The TAC
will then prompt you for another UserID and Access Code. After several
bad login attempts, the TAC will attempt to hang up your TAC port.
Once logged in, your port remains logged in as long as you have an open
connection. There is a ten minute period after you close one
connection in which you may open another one without having to go
through the login sequence. When you are finished using your TAC port
you should log out by using the TAC "@logout" command. Typing "@reset"
has no effect on your login state. If ten minutes go by during which
your port does not have an established TCP connection, the TAC will
attempt to hang up on your port, logging you out.
If you are having problems logging in, call the Network Information
Center at (415) 859-3695 between the hours of 8:00-17:00 PST.