LETTER TO MR. ROBERT H. LEVINE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR DEFENSE COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING CENTER, DCA FROM CLIFFORD D. MAY, JR.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00933R000200060003-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 1, 2001
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: August 12, 1976
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2002/01/08 : CIA-RDP84-00933R0A0.200060003-3
STA
TINTL
ODP .1578-76
Mr. Robert 11. Levine, Deputy Director
Defense communications Engineering Center, DC- k,
1860 Wiehle Avenue
Reston, Virginia 22090
It was enjoyable talking with you on 30 ;July. I always
appreciate an update on what is going on at L)CvA. In my
present business, I have virtually no contact with anyone
from D CA, although I do get an occasional bit of news through
As r explained to you on the phone, we are undertaking
the development of a large stand-alone file building, storage
and retrieval system. Chile the design concepts are not firm
at the present time, it is clear that we will be pushing the
state-of-the-art in several areas : rapid text search; docu-
ment retrieval; and, telecommunications. The cost tradeoffs
involving telecoxmunications alternatives might well be the
governing factor in selecting a final design. It is in this
area that I thought we might get some useful ideas from your
people.
The system will be designed to accommodate up to 2000
remote interactive terminals which will be connected to the
computer environment through a telecommunications network.
The terminals could be limited to telecommunications at a rate
of about 9600 bits/sec., or the design could call for the
ability to remotely view documents at the terminal, which
would require wide-band digital telecom munications or possibly
video links. The computing environment could consist of a
very large central processor/mass storage system, or -vie could
choose a distributed system. If we go the distributed route,
the telecommunications network will involve considerable
switching. The majority of the terminals will be located
in our headquarters building.
,4e have a tight schedule which will necessitate pinning
down most of the basic design choices within the next year.
At the present time, we are trying to learn more about what
is going on in the telecommunications area which may he ap-
plicable to our problem. It occurred to me that people in
the Defense Communications E Engineering :enter would probably
have a good overview of activities in this area, both in govern-
ment and industry. If this is the case, we might be able to
save some time if we could talk to your people.
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The topics we are interested in are:
a. Wideband transmission/multiple:xing/sswitch-iing systems
for servicing a highly concentrated user environment.
Distributed processing systems.
C. Packet switching.
d. Error handling in communication nettiworks.
STATINTL
If you wan s uss ssible agenda topics further, you can
call me on
is the project director responsible for the s:as es e e t
mentioned above.
If you feel that you are able to give us some advice in
these areas, I would like to arrange a meeting sometime in
late September 1976. Our group would consist of 6 to 8 people
who are skilled in the design and development of large-scale
information processing systems.
Please let me know whether you think this meeting would
be fruitful and, if so, what date would be convenient for you.
Sincery
STATINTL
Clirforc o. may, .sr.
Director f -bata Processing
Distribution:
orig - adse
1 - C/SPS
1 - ODP Registry
2 - CDMa : ee 8-11-76
t
STATINTL
Approved For Release 2002/01/08 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000200060003-3