Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!mips!twg.com!david From: david@twg.com (David S. Herron) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans Subject: Re: What is TP4? Message-ID: <7599@gollum.twg.com> Date: 16 Jul 90 04:27:37 GMT References: <1990Jul12.154434.3773@ka3ovk.uucp> Reply-To: david@twg.com (David S. Herron) Organization: The Wollongong Group, Palo Alto, CA Lines: 31 In article <1990Jul12.154434.3773@ka3ovk.uucp> albers@ka3ovk.uucp (Jon Albers) writes: >I have just gotten finished convincing some people here that networking our >mini's together via TCP/IP is a _Good Thing To Do_ (tm), and I come to find >out that within the next few years, the IRS has decided to migrate to a >standard called "TP4". What is it? Is is an 'improved' TCP/IP protocol? >Will the migration from an ethernet/TCP/ip network to TP4 likly involve new >hardware or just new software? > TP4 is a one of a class of protocols being developed for use in the ISO/OSI world. These are TP0 through TP4. Each has different features along the lines of connection oriented, or non, reliable delivery, or not. TP4 in particular is the one which most closely matches that required by the IP level of TCP/IP, specifically connectionless and unreliable delivery. It will likely just involve new software. For instance, the group I work in at TWG is developing, and has announced, a line of OSI software based on ISODE (5.0 now, 6.0 very soon). If you wander over to comp.protocols.iso.all you'll find discussion on these protocols. If you're interested in detailed documentation, that is available from OmniCom Inc. They are in Falls Church Va, but I don't know where or what the phone number is. -- <- David Herron, an MMDF weenie, <- Formerly: David Herron -- NonResident E-Mail Hack <- <- Sign me up for one "I survived Jaka's Story" T-shirt!