AUERBACH@CSL.SRI.COM (Karl Auerbach) (06/19/87)
Since I'm sort of an ISO proponent, I guess that I can post this without getting too much flak... Did any of you notice the article "Practicing What It Preaches Is Aim of Standards Group's LAN" on page C/7 (Connectivity section) of the June 16 issue of PC Week? For those of you who didn't, here are some excerpts: To implement the actual seven protocol layers COS [Corporation for Open Systems] is taking the approach it recommends to its members. Since few products that implement upper-layer standards are available, COS is utilizing established ISO standards at the lower levels, with close approximations -- in this case, the TCP/IP protocol suite -- at the top. ... The interim approach that COS uses and recommends is the set of protocols used by the Department of Defense on its Defense Data Network (DDN), also called Arpanet. The DDN employs the TCP/IP protocol suite. TCP/IP most closely resembles the ISO standard, and is migrating toward it, Mr. Berkowitz said. For example, the DDN internet protocol, used at layer 3 of the ISO model (network layer) is evolving toward the ISO 8473 standard, while the DDN transport protocol, TP 4 [sic], is moving toward the ISO 8073 standard at the transport layer. Up at layers 5, 6, and 7, things get even more complex, according to Mr. Berkowitz. Currently, COS is using the DDN's FTP (file transfer protocol), which covers all of these top layers. ... --karl-- -------