dcrocker@TWG.COM (Dave Crocker) (09/08/88)
Darren, your suggestion for the use of alternate, parallel routes is well-taken; however, the accepted means of getting different routing services from the network involves two actions by the sending host: 1. If the sending host is multiply-connected, then different interfaces may be used to start the packet on its way; 2. For step #1 and again for use by every IP router, the sending application should specify a level of service, which should be translated by the sending host into the IP TOS field. Therefore, network transmission software does not need to look up into higher layers. The catch, of course, is that the TOS field is not in general use by sending software and is not in general use by routing software, although there is increasing pressure on the vendor community to start setting and paying attention to the field. Dave