baker@VITAM6.UUCP (Fred Baker) (10/26/89)
Line Interoperability of Routers can occur only to the degree that the vendors can agree on what the line is to carry. If the line is *only* to carry one protocol, say IP, and best effort service (as opposed to reliable service) is adequate, then no datalink header is required at all. If multiple network layer protocols (say, add CLNS) are to be carried, then some identification of the message format is required. If the backbone is to carry non-datagram traffic (SNA anyone?), it takes more, and if Remote MAC Bridging of any LAN is going over the backbone, then there's more yet. I have looked at one of the drafts of the point to point protocol, and feel that if the protocols that they are targeting are the ones you're using, then it is probably as good as any of the proprietary offerings. The question that I'll ask - and any vendor will ask - is 'but what about <mumble> which that doesn't support and my customers use?' When the P-P comes out, I think the vendors will support it as 'one of the options', touting their proprietary protocols as well. Fred baker@vitalink.com