ZEPHYR(1) MIT Project Athena (July 1, 1988) ZEPHYR(1)
NAME
zephyr - Zephyr Notification Service
DESCRIPTION
Zephyr is a notice transport and delivery system developed
at MIT which runs under 4.3BSD Unix.
A Notice Transport and Delivery system is a method of
getting small quantities of time sensitive information
efficiently from one client (or server) on a network to
another. The object is to accomplish this with the highest
possible fan-out (i.e., client to server ratio) while
maintaining both network and server performance. Zephyr is
a multi-cast notice transport and delivery system based upon
an authenticated datagram protocol. Localized Zephyr
servers provide routing, queueing and dispatching services
to clients which communicate with them via the Zephyr Client
Library. Two special purpose Zephyr clients, the WindowGram
client and the HostManager client provide user and client
host communication support.
Zephyrd(8) servers run on designated server machines. These
servers maintain a database of subscriptions and locations
for every user using Zephyr. The servers stay in contact
with one another, and provide a reliable backup system (via
duplication) in the event of network failures.
Each client machine on the network runs a zhm(8) HostManager
client program which is the link between the Zephyr servers
and the users. User programs send notices to the
HostManager, and the HostManager forwards these notices to
the nearest server for action. The HostManager is
responsible for ensuring that the notices reach a server,
and for finding a new one if its server fails to respond.
Each user on the network usually runs a WindowGram client
program automatically upon login. Zwgc(1) displays notices
to the user, and handles user responses. Only notices to
which the user has subscribed will be sent to the WindowGram
client.
Subscriptions are handled through the zctl(1) program. This
program allows the user to add or delete subscriptions from
Zephyr, to add the subscriptions to a file, and to perform
other miscellaneous functions.
SEE ALSO
kerberosintro(1)
zaway(1), zctl(1), zleave(1), zlocate(1), znol(1), zwgc(1),
zwrite(1), zmailnotify(1)
zhm(8), zephyrd(8), zinit(8), zstat(8), zpopnotify(8),
zshutdown_notify(8), syslogd(8)
Page 1 (printed 3/21/96)
ZEPHYR(1) MIT Project Athena (July 1, 1988) ZEPHYR(1)
Project Athena Technical Plan Section E.4.1, `Zephyr
Notification Service'
AUTHORS
Tony Della Fera (MIT-Project Athena, DEC), Mark W. Eichin
(MIT-Project Athena), Robert S. French (MIT-Project Athena),
David C. Jedlinsky (MIT-Project Athena), John T. Kohl (MIT-
Project Athena, DEC), William E. Sommerfeld (MIT-Project
Athena).
RESTRICTIONS
Copyright (c) 1987,1988,1989 by the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology. All Rights Reserved.
Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this
software and its documentation for any purpose and without
fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright
notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright
notice and this permission notice appear in supporting
documentation, and that the name of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology not be used in advertising or
publicity pertaining to distribution of the software without
specific, written prior permission.
M.I.T. DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS
SOFTWARE, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS, IN NO EVENT SHALL M.I.T. BE
LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR
ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR
PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR
OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH
THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
Page 2 (printed 3/21/96)