[comp.protocols.tcp-ip] mapping an IP address into an X.25 address

brescia@PARK-STREET.BBN.COM (Mike Brescia) (05/23/88)

>  NETINFO:X25.DOC ... covers the DDN's class A IP address

The DDN (Milnet, Arpanet) x.25 service is supplied by packet switch nodes
(PSNs') which have the internal structure reflected in the address given to
each host attachment point.  Embedded in the 14 digit address is 3 digits of
PSN and 2 digits of host port connection on that PSN.  Since there is this
known mapping, the number of digits can be encoded uniquely in the 24 bits
of 'host' of a class A IP address.

>  It seems like gateways everywhere support this but where's the algorithm???

The general case of any arbitrary X.25 address for a network in any country
cannot be handled by a single algorithm, so the implementations that I know of
have a separate data base which is typed in to the individual gateway when it
is configured, or perhaps down-loaded from a file provided with the gateway.

Maybe you want to specify an address resolution protocol (ARP) service where
the information is stored in a single central host, instead of the ethernet
style of ARP where the information for each host is stored in the individual
hosts.  You then only have to configure one address in each machine, the
address of the ARP server.  (The address of "the ARP server" on ethernet is
"broadcast".)

Mike Brescia