Newsgroups: comp.protocols.misc
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!hellgate.utah.edu!basset.utah.edu!haas
From: haas%basset.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Walt Haas)
Subject: Re: Realtime Protocols
Date: 30 Sep 90 19:40:33 MDT
Message-ID: <1990Sep30.194033.16776@hellgate.utah.edu>
Organization: University of Utah CS Dept
References: <24594@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU>

In article <24594@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU> wardc@banana () writes:
>A friend just asked me an interesting question regarding network
>protocols.  His company requires a "realtime" protcol.  By realtime they
>are interested in ensuring that data arrived uncorrupted at the
>destination within a certain period.  None of the protocols that I'm
>aware of (TCP/IP, MAP etc.) provide this as an option.  About the only
>suggestion I could make is to use MAP with token-ring.  Does anyone
>know of any other protocols that might be appropriate.

Actually I don't believe either MAP or token ring will qualify either.
What you need is something based on time division.  A company called
Applitech sells a line of Ethernet bridges using a proprietary protocol
over a broadband network.  This protocol has time divisions, or "slots",
which can be hard allocated or contended for according to the parameters
set by the system administrator.  When you have a slot reserved for your
exculsive use, you know that you will always get an opportunity to
transmit in that slot.

I think the 802.6 committee may be taking a similar approach
(if I'm wrong someone will doubtless say so :-).

-- Walt Haas    haas@ski.utah.edu