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1. Standards

There's a killer supply of computer-related standards at www.cmpcmm.com. Fibre Channel and several mass-storage-related items can be found there.

The ANSI and IEEE standards can be purchased in hardcopy form (the only way some of them are available) from Global Engineering Documents, (800)854-7179 or (303)792-2181.

1.1. ANSI X3B5 {None}

1.2. IEEE Mass Storage System Ref Model (OSSI) {Brief, 6/1/95}

The Storage Systems Standards Working Group now has a WWW page at www.arl.mil.

Version 5 of the model is available via ftp://swedishchef.lerc.nasa.gov:mass_store/ as the files ossiv5.ps{1,2,3}.

The OSSI (Open Storage Systems Interconnection) Reference Model (its new name) "provides the framework for a series of standards for application and user interfaces to open storage systems." One of its prime purposes is to define a common vocabulary. Claiming compliance with the model at the moment has little practical value as far as interoperation of different pieces from different vendors goes (which is one of the ultimate aims of the still-distant standards that may develop from this model).

1.3. ECMA - European Computer Manufacturers Association {None}

1.4. System Independent Data Format (SIDF)

This is a data format for tapes and removable disks, to facilitate interchange between hardware and software platforms. See the FAQ at www.mcs.net.

My Home Page at Caltech

email me at rdv@isi.edu