Competitive Automation's Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Licensed To Digital Equipment Corporation; Automates Addition, Configuration of Devices To TCP/IP Networks for Digital UNIX Users.Automation announced today that it has licensed its implementation of the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (protocol) Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol - (DHCP) A protocol that provides a means to dynamically allocate IP addresses to computers on a local area network. The system administrator assigns a range of IP addresses to DHCP and each client computer on the LAN has its TCP/IP (DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) Software that automatically assigns temporary IP addresses to client stations logging into an IP network. It eliminates having to manually assign permanent "static" IP addresses. DHCP software runs in servers and routers. ) standard to Digital Equipment Corporation. Digital will bundle DHCP into the Digital UNIX See Tru64 Unix. operating system. DHCP automates the nettlesome and often error-prone task of adding or reconfiguring new devices such as computers, terminals, and printers or other peripherals to a corporation's TCP/IP TCP/IP in full Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol Standard Internet communications protocols that allow digital computers to communicate over long distances. network. Incorporating DHCP into future versions of Digital UNIX will result in more efficient and effective operations for network administrators. Although a straightforward procedure for a network-savvy administrator, without DHCP the address and reconfiguration process can take up to 20 minutes per device, plus the delay inherent in the queue for this administrative service. The agreement between the two companies follows a six-month evaluation, during which time Competitive Automation ported its DHCP code to the Digital Alpha platform. Digital has licensed both the server and client components of DHCP from Competitive Automation. "Digital's DHCP implementation is noteworthy for its security features," said Laird McCulloch, president, Competitive Automation. "A percieved shortcoming short·com·ing n. A deficiency; a flaw. shortcoming Noun a fault or weakness Noun 1. of DHCP servers is that they could issue IP addresses to non-authorized users. However, the Competitive Automation server software being used by Digital resolves this issue by enabling the administrator to restrict address assignments to authorized machines only, for example those with pre-registered Ethernet addresses. "Because the very nature of TCP/IP, and networks in general, encourages access, it runs counter to security considerations," McCulloch said. "Enabling systems administrators to guide and control automated address assignment with Competitive Automation's DHCP is an important mechanism for providing secure access to corporate and inter-corporate networks." Digital is the first company to license Competitive Automation's secure DHCP solution. The Internet Engineering Task Force (c/o Corporation for National Research Initiatives (CNRI), Reston, VA, www.ietf.org) Founded in 1986, the IETF is a non-membership, open, voluntary standards organization dedicated to identifying problems and opportunities in IP data networks and proposing technical solutions to the (IETF See Internet Engineering Task Force. IETF - Internet Engineering Task Force ), of which Competitive Automation is a member, devised the DHCP standard for automatically identifying and configuring clients, remote printers and other peripherals, and servers. DHCP eliminates the need for administrators to physically and manually reconfigure each device added to, or changing location within, a network. Digital Equipment Corporation is the world's leader in open client/server solutions from personal computing to integrated worldwide information systems. Digital's scalable Alpha platforms, storage, networking, software and services, together with industry-focused solutions from business partners, help organizations compete and win in today's global marketplace. Competitive Automation is a four-year-old software development company headquartered in Menlo Park, California Menlo Park is a city in San Mateo County, California in the United States of America. It is located at latitude 37°29' North, longitude 122°9' East. Menlo Park had 30,785 inhabitants as of the 2000 U.S. Census. . The company specializes in DHCP technology, which simplifies TCP/IP network administration. The company has licensed its DHCP technology to several computer, software, and peripherals manufacturers in the U.S. and Asia. -0- Digital, DEC, Alpha and the Digital logo are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation. UNIX UNIX Operating system for digital computers, developed by Ken Thompson of Bell Laboratories in 1969. It was initially designed for a single user (the name was a pun on the earlier operating system Multics). is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company, Ltd. CONTACT: Competitive Automation: Laird McCulloch (415-321-4006) Digital Equipment Corporation: Andy Pool (508-264-5246) |
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