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authorThomas Voss <mail@thomasvoss.com> 2024-11-27 20:54:24 +0100
committerThomas Voss <mail@thomasvoss.com> 2024-11-27 20:54:24 +0100
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+Network Working Group D. Walden (BBN-NET)
+Request for Comments: 660 Oct 1974
+NIC #31202
+
+
+ SOME CHANGES TO THE IMP AND THE IMP/HOST INTERFACE
+
+In the next few weeks several changes will be made to the IMP
+software including changes to the IMP/Host software interface
+as specified in BBN Report No. 1822, Specifications for the
+Interconnection of a Host and an IMP. These changes come in
+four areas: a) decoupling of the message number sequences of
+Hosts; b) Host/Host access control; c) expansion of the
+message number window from four to eight; and d) provision for
+messages outside the normal message number mechanism. All changes
+are backward compatible with possible minor exceptions in timing.
+
+a. Decoupling of the Host/Host message number sequences:
+ Since 1972 the IMP system has provided for exactly four
+ messages to be outstanding at a time between any pair of
+ IMPs, and thus, a total of only four messages between
+ all the possible pairs of Hosts on the two IMPs. Because
+ all the pairs of Hosts on the two IMPs have had to share
+ the four outstanding messages, it has been quite possible
+ for the various Hosts to interfere with each other. To
+ remove this possibility of interference, the IMP's
+ message number logic will soon be changed to allow a
+ separate message number sequence between each pair of Hosts.
+
+ To keep manageable the space required to maintain the
+ Host/Host message sequences above that presently are required
+ for the IMP/IMP message sequences, the Host/Host sequences
+ will be taken dynamically from a limited pool of possible
+ sequences. The pool will be sufficiently large to seldom
+ interfere with a pair of Hosts wishing to communicate. In
+ no case will Hosts be prevented from communicating. In
+ the event that the Hosts on an IMP desire to simultaneously
+ communicate with so many other Hosts that the pool would
+ be exhausted, the space in the pool is quickly multiplexed
+ in time among all the desired Host/Host conversations
+ so that none is stopped although all are possibly slowed.
+
+b. Host/Host access control:
+ Upon instructions from ARPA, we will soon add a Host/Host
+ access control mechanism to the IMPs. Any pair of Hosts
+ wishing to communicate is checked (via bits in the IMP)
+ to verify that they have administrative permission to
+ communicate. This check normally is made whenever a pair
+ of Hosts attempts to communicate after not having
+ communicated for two minutes. If the pair of Hosts is
+ not allowed to communicate, a special type of Destination
+ Dead Message (sub-code 3) is returned to the source
+ Host. The default case initially will be to allow all
+ Hosts to communicate with each other.
+
+
+
+ -1-
+
+
+c. Message number window.:
+ Once the message number sequences are on a Host/Host
+ rather than IMP/IMP basis, the number of messages that
+ will be permitted to be outstanding at a time between
+ a pair of Hosts will be expanded from four to eight,
+ permitting increased Host/Host throughput in some cases.
+
+d. Message outside the normal mechanism:.
+ For certain limited experiments which are being carried on
+ using the network, it is thought to be desirable
+ for specified Hosts to be able to communicate outside the
+ normal ordered, error controlled message sequences.
+ Thus, the following expansion to the IMP/Host protocol is being
+ provided.
+
+i. a single packet message coming from the source Host
+ to the source IMP with a (new) special message type,
+ 3, will be put directly into the IMP store-and-forward
+ logic with a mark saying the packet is this special
+ kind of message. A multi-packet message of type 3
+ will be discarded.
+
+ii. such messages (packets) are routed normally to the
+ destination IMP, possibly arriving out of order.
+
+iii. at the destination IMP, messages of the special
+ type will be put directly on the destination Host
+ output queue skipping the reassembly logic and marked
+ with a special (new) IMP to Host message type, also 3.
+
+iv. there is no source-to-destination retransmission
+ logic, no reassembly, no RFNMs, no incomplete
+ transmissions, etc.
+
+v. if at any time there are insufficient resources in the
+ network to handle one of these special messages
+ (e.g., the destination Host won't take it), the
+ message will be discarded.
+
+vi. by using the special message type between the Host
+ and the IMP, the normal message number mechanism is
+ preserved for all the Host/Host transmissions which
+ presently depend on it.
+
+Because the uncontrolled use of this mechanism will degrade the
+performance of the network for all users, the set of Hosts permitted
+to use this mechanism will be regulated by the Network Control
+Center.
+
+Please file this note with your copy of BBN Report 1822 until
+that document is updated.
+
+
+
+ -2-