STANFORD UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
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STANFORD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
SUMEX CoMPUTER PROJECT Coss
Department of Genetics

Professor J. Lederberg
Principal Investigator 10 Sep tember 1974

Dr. Richard Feldman

Computation Center

Division of Computing Research
and Technology

National Institutes of Health

Bethesda, Maryland 20014

Dear Richard:

Dennis Smith relayed to me your interest in getting some experience
with computer networking as it may relate to your work at NIH. As you
know, one of the central objectives of the SUMEX project, within its AI
theme, is to explore aspects of networking to promote interaction and
sharing among a national community of users. As a pilot study toward
this end, we would welcome your collaboration with the SUMEX computing
resource and the networking connections being implemented. We feel such
an interaction could be mutually beneficial in terms of an evaluation of
networking per se as well as software exchange.

SUMEX-AIM has established some formal procedures for the authorization
of users, but Dr. Lederberg is empowered to enable informal use of the
system from month-to-month for pilot and demonstration purposes. He has
indicated that he would be delighted to welcome you on this basis. At
some future time, depending on the loading of the system and the extent
of your own use, he may ask you to submit a formal proposal. Meanwhile,
we are enclosing a memorandum describing the philosophy of usage, of which,
according to Dr. Lederberg, you are a leading example with your interest
in disseminating and sharing your programs.

We are just now in the process of implementing our connection to the
TYMNET. This is a terminal~oriented network (as opposed to intermachine
communication-oriented network) which will likely handle much of our general
terminal traffic. The primary support is for 30 character/second and
slower terminals but we will be experimenting with 120/15 cps split speed
terminals. This connection should be complete by late September. We will
also be connecting to the ARPANET as a very distant host sometime around
January 1975.

I propose that we set up an account for you on the SUMEX machine when
the TYMNET connection is operational. This should be in a few weeks. Our
few interim IN-WATS lines are rather heavily committed to existing collabo-
rator groups and in order to minimize congestion, I would prefer to delay

THE SUMEX AIM projEcT IS A SHARED RESOURCE FOR RESEARCH IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN MEDICINE SUPPORTED BY THE
BIOTECHNOLOGY RESOURCES BRANCH, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
Dr. Richard Feldman
10 September 1974
Page 2

your starting until an actual network connection is working. I will
be forwarding information about SUMEX and the TYMNET facilities soon
along with details on your account. I look forward to your joining the
SUMEX community.

Sincerely yours,

    
  

Thomas C. ndfleisch

SUMEX Facy¥Yity Director
ec: J. Lederberg
E. Feigenbaum
E. Levinthal
D. Smith
B. Buchanan

Enclosure