Subject: ICSA Status
Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2002 08:41:03 -0800
From: Neil Nelson <n_nelson@dslextreme.com>
Organization: www.AIMetaSearch.com
To: CyberLegend aka Jure Sah <jure.sah@guest.arnes.si>,
     "Harold P. Boushell" <haroldpboushell@hotmail.com>

Dear Team,

I have added the dynamic IP manager to the ICSA and changed the format
of the icsa.cnf file which now contains many comments for the use of
those parameters.

The icsa.cnf file has a new parameter to name the local computer

  local_name win_nelson

The name, shown here as `win_nelson', can be any sequence of characters
without spaces and double quotes.

When the local ICSA is started the local name is sent to the server on
the time sync request.  The server loads the name and the IP from the
TCP data into a table.  Any other PC can then send the following to
the ICSA via the icsa.cmm file to get the IP for the name from the
server and place that name in the local name-IP table.

  get_ip_for_name win_nelson

The all subsequent commands and file transfer requests can use just
the remote name and the IP will be found in the local table and added
to the ICSA communication parameters.  E.g.:

  source_process ici
  destination_process ici
  destination_name win_nelson
  remote_command follows
  ""This is a command sequence for the ICI Console.

In addition whenever the get_ip_for_name request is sent to the server,
the server will perform a connect sequence to see if the IP for that name
is working at the standard port number. If not a reply is sent back to the
ICSA that the IP for the name is not available.

Pending dynamic IP work:

I need to add a file write back to the source_process so that that process
knows when the IP is not available.

I need to test the IP parameter add sequence on, e.g., ICI command
communcations.

And then my previous priorities:

- In the double quote area a question mark and two carriage
returns on Linux crashes when sent to Windows.

- Commands messages over a certain length crash.

- Get the additional header bytes working.

- Get multiple segs working for commands.

- Get file transfer working.

- Get multiple streams working.

- Put in packet encryption.

- Get multiple input files working.

- Get named pipes working.

--- Done

- Get dynamic IPs working.

I am going to start work on the encryption by adding a random
data accumulator and RSA key generator to the ICSA main cycle
that will automatically assemble keys to some sufficient number
that will be used for encrypting communications.

There are obviously a number of bugs and some testing that needs
to be done, but it seems as though the ICSA needs to get up to a
sufficiently level of functionality in order to encourage some
minimal use.

Regards,

Neil Nelson

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