Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!bu.edu!wang!news From: ARTHUR.RUDOLPH.ART.LAVALLE@OFFICE.WANG.COM (Art LaValle) Newsgroups: comp.protocols.iso Subject: RE: ISODE explanation Message-ID: Date: 2 Apr 91 20:51:58 GMT Sender: news@wang.com Organization: Mail to News Gateway Lines: 24 Kathy Saint of Hughes Aircraft would like a high level explanation of ISODE from someone who is familiar with Computer Science. I don't think a Computer Scientists tutorial on ISODE would be High Level, or what she wants! Has Kathy read Marshall Rose's book ? If she's looking for a "run of the mill" Software Developers view of what the "meaning" of what ISODE really is, here's mine: ISODE was funded as a means to provide a "free implementation of the OSI refer- ence model" (particularly the very upper layers). It in itself is not a prod- uct, but does provide a significant amount of developed software which can be productized by any vendor that wishes to. In deploying this "free OSI" e software the original project instigators were presenting vendors everywhere with an "offer they couldn't refuse". And I'm sure a number of vendors every- where took this stuff in and examined it to see just what it would take to productize it under their label. Another way of looking at this is, a number of very vocal customers who have been screaming that they want OSI products for years (and been somewhat frustrated at the slow appearance of them from their favorite vendors) took the bull by the horns and started the ball rolling with the "core development" we know as ISODE. Now they've turned around and said to these vendors "OK Guys here it is we've built the underlying components for you - now all you have to do is add your own flavor of product different- iation - Go to it ! These opinions are mine alone and do not necessarily represent the opinions of my employer.