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RFC 408 UNKNOWN ACCOUNTS · BILLING · NETWORK

NETBANK

A proposed single system for network accounts and billing

On rfc-editor.org ↗
PUBLISHED
October 1972
AUTHORS
A.D. Owen, J. Postel
STREAM
Legacy
DOI
10.17487/RFC0408

RFC text

Original text · RFC Editor View on rfc-editor.org ↗ 
NWG/RFC 408                                        Buzz Owen (SAAC-TIP)
NIC #12390                                         Jon Postel  (UCLA-NMC)
                                                   25 October 1972

                                NETBANK

The following idea for a protocol (or service) is offered as an
aid to network use for new users:

   a single billing and account creation and validation system,
   so that a manager of a "goal oriented project" could:

      authorize a set of user's ids to gain access to and utilize
      resources at the entire or a specified subset of the server
      hosts.

      create a set of accounts which the users will expend, and
      which will be used as the breakdown for a single bill to be
      presented to the project manager.

   the idea is that the project manager would be required to go
   through the initialization process of introducing himself,
   verifying the existence of funding, etc. only once, and,

   the idea would also encourage server hosts to implement
   systems for which usage might be projected to start at low
   levels and grow, by allowing funded hacking by project members
   in a controlled manner.

   this would require an option at login for the prospective user
   to indicate the server should check the "netbank" facility at
   the system currently hosting it.



    [ This RFC was put into machine readable form for entry ]
    [ into the online RFC archives by BBN Corp. under the   ]
    [ direction of Alex McKenzie.                      1/97 ]

ISO Plain Language

On this page
PROBLEMA project manager might have to arrange access and funding separately for users at different server hosts.
MECHANISMNETBANK would let a manager authorize users and create accounts for all or selected server hosts through one initialization process.
THE PROPOSALUsage across those accounts would be combined into one bill for the project manager.

§1One Setup for a Project

The RFC proposes a single billing and account creation system for a goal-oriented project. The project manager would introduce themselves and verify funding once, rather than repeat that initialization for each server host.

A project manager would complete the introduction and funding check once. The proposal aims to avoid repeating that process at every host.

§2Authorizing Users Across Hosts

The manager would authorize a set of user IDs to use resources across the whole network or a specified subset of server hosts. The proposal also provides accounts for users to spend while using those resources, with the charges included in one bill to the manager.

The manager would choose which users could access which hosts. Their account charges would be collected for one bill.

§3A Login Check at the Host

NETBANK would require a login option that tells a server to check the NETBANK facility on the system hosting it. The author says this could support controlled, funded experimentation by project members and encourage server hosts to offer resources that might begin with low usage.

The RFC presents this as an idea for a protocol or service.

When a user logged in, the host would check NETBANK for the project's authorization. The document proposes this service but does not describe a completed system.