tcp-ip@ucbvax.ARPA (07/17/85)
From: Anita Skelton <anita@EDN-UNIX.ARPA> Does anyone have any public domain Reliable Data Protocol code -- preferably Unix-based and in C?
tcp-ip@ucbvax.ARPA (07/17/85)
From: Bob Walsh <walsh@BBN-LABS-B.ARPA> I wrote the first implementation of RDP about a year ago now. It runs on some of our local VAXes and Butterfly Multiprocessors. I am currently working with Berkeley to get it released as a part of Berkeley 4.3BSD UNIX. The following is the standard response I sent out a year ago. -------- Sorry if you've already received some of this information, but as a result of the interest generated by RDP I figured I'd collect everyone's name and whip up a standard response. The Reliable Datagram Protocol (RDP) is described in RFC 908. Request For Comment documents may be obtained from the Network Information Center at SRI. The protocol specification is undergoing a little change as a result of my work implementing it for 4.2 BSD on the VAX and as a result of some work bringing it up on other devices here at BBN. Therefore, RFC 908 will not reflect the final version of RDP. > No changes have been made so far. They seem to be on > a back burner (that may be turned off) until there is more > extensive experience with the protocol. For example, port numbers will be 16 instead of 8 bits. Some discussion is also going on with reference to the checksumming algorithm, which is sensitive to the byte ordering of the host. The RFC also needs sections better describing the acknowledgement, buffering, and flow control strategies that the specifiers had in mind and the whys behind them so that diverse implementations will work well together. > port numbers are still 8 bits. The checksum is still as > described in the RFC. Currently, the VAX code has worked since July 4 and has been used to bounce packets off goonhilly-echo for days at a time. (Goonhilly-echo is a good test of a protocol implementation since it involves crossing several networks, including a satellite net. As a result, packet loss and sequencing code gets well exercised.) I don't think we'll make it generally available until the specification is agreed upon after all input and testing has occured. This probably won't happen until at least September '84. > We're trying to avoid making tapes and verifying UNIX > licenses. It would also be nice if it were easy to > integrate. As a result, its going into 4.3BSD, which > should be released in the coming months. Though the specification specifies downloading and debugging as applications that will use RDP, the protocol is not limited to such. BBN will be using RDP in some distributed systems. To my knowledge, no work has been done on LDP (Loading and Debugging protocol) for the VAX. > Work for debugging the Butterfly remotely through an > LDP server is far along. (LDP is meant to run over RDP). > However that work is separate. Questions about how the work will be distributed should go to Rob Gurwitz (ARPA address gurwitz@bbn). I worry about the implementation and protocol issues, and Rob administrates the project and deals with policy stuff like code availability. bob walsh ARPA: walsh@bbn-labs-b