Dynamic host configuration protocol for TCP/IP introduced as standalone software product, JOIN; Competitive Automation also announces new customization service for individual sites

Business Wire, Feb 5, 1996

Menlo Park, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 5, 1996--Competitive Automation today introduced JOIN, software which automates the addition of computers, terminals, and other devices to TCP/IP networks. The company also announced a new customization service for users whose requirements exceed the functions specified by the DHCP standard.

JOIN automatically assigns IP addresses and configuration parameters to machines added to, or moved around on, TCP/IP networks, eliminating the manual steps formerly required of a systems administrator.

Although straightforward, the process can take 20 minutes per machine when done manually, plus the delay waiting for the administrator to arrive at the device to perform these tasks. The software embodies an industry standard for address configuration, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

"Adding new devices to a large network once entailed hours, even days, of administrative overhead," said Laird McCulloch, president of Competitive Automation, Menlo Park, California. "The growing acceptance of TCP/IP demands an automated approach, so systems administrators can spend their time doing more productive work".

JOIN is a superset of the DHCP standard. Among the improvements in JOIN is a security feature which enables, but does not require, the system administrator to restrict issuance of IP addresses to devices with pre-authorized Ethernet addresses. Another of JOIN's enhancements supports updating of naming services such as NIS and NIS .

David Brown, director of network services for the New York Times Company's Newspaper Division, said "DHCP is very robust, but security is important to us, and there's nothing in DHCP that addresses security. We hated to think that someone could come in off the street, plug into our net, and be fully IP- capable".

Another significant issue for the NY Times was the guaranteed uniqueness of addresses. When done manually, two separate devices could be assigned the same IP address, potentially causing a network to crash. JOIN's automated address management approach resolves this issue.

NEW CUSTOMIZATION SERVICE

McCulloch said, "For many users, vanilla DHCP will be fine. But for other large enterprises, security and other considerations require a custom solution. Competitive Automation's three years on the Internet Engineering Task Force, and a year-long beta process for JOIN, uniquely qualify us to provide such service".

For example, users with existing computing platforms are likely to consider retaining Bootp for address management, predicted McCulloch. But with the rapid acceptance of Windows 95, which only supports DHCP, customization and other enhancements are required.

Such is the case with the NY Times, an early adopter in the Windows 95 program. Brown said, "We asked Competitive Automation to create a solution to enable a peaceful coexistence, giving us the best of both worlds: preserving the legacy protocol and adopting the new".

Within a year, JOIN could be administering addresses and performing other TCP/ IP administrative functions for as many as 2,500 to 3,000 devices at the NY Times, Brown said.

Competitive Automation has tailored JOIN to accommodate the requirements of several customers, both in the end-user arena such as the New York Times, and for developers of computing platforms such as Digital Equipment Corporation. The company has also ported its DHCP implementation on an OEM basis for Digital Equipment Corporation (on the Digital UNIX platform), SunSoft (Solaris), Wollongong, and others.

JOIN costs $1,500 per server, for up to 300 IP addresses. It is available now for SunOS, Solaris, and Digital UNIX.

Competitive Automation is a four-year-old software development company headquartered in Menlo Park, California. The company specializes in DHCP technology, which simplifies TCP/IP network administration.

Competitive Automation's World Wide Web site on the Internet, at http://www.join.com, provides detailed technical information on the company's products, requests for comments (RFCs), and hot links to related sites and documents. Related RFCs discuss the protocol, options, and interoperation with the Bootp protocol, for example.

From Competitive Automation's web site, visitors can also hot-link to Yahoo's networking section, which has access to a number of web sites containing TCP/IP-related product and technology information. -0-

JOIN is a trademark of Competitive Automation.

UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company, Ltd.

CONTACT: Laird McCulloch, 415-321-4006

or

Ed Bride, 413-442-7718

E-mail: info@join.com

Internet Home Page: http://www.join.com