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Network Working Group J.D. Burchfiel RFC # 603 BBN-TENEX NIC # 21022 31 December, 1973

                 Response to RFC # 597: Host Status

  I have several questions about the November 1973 ARPANET

topographical map:

  1.  AMES is 4-connected, i.e. four network connections will go down
      if the IMP fails.  Is there some aspiration that IMPs should be
      no more than three connected?

  2.  The seven IMPS in the Washington area are arranged into a loop.
      This guarantees that local communication can take place even if
      one connection fails, and is probably a worthwhile preparation
      for area routing.  On the other hand, for example, a break
      between MIT-IPC and MIT-MAC will require them to communicate
      through a 12-hop path through Washington.  This can be remedied
      by a short (inexpensive) connection between Harvard and Lincoln
      Labs.  Is there a plan to pull the Boston area, the San
      Francisco area, and the Los Angeles area into loops like the
      Washington area?

     [ This RFC was put into machine readable form for entry ]
     [ into the online RFC archives by Alex McKenzie with    ]
     [ support from GTE, formerly BBN Corp.            10/99 ]

Burchfiel [Page 1]