XTP/PE Design Considerations

Abstract

The Xpress Transfer Protocol, XTP, is an approach to protocol design for next generation networks. The Protocol Engine, PE, is a hardware architecture for implementing network protocols and system interfaces using VLSI techniques. The two projects are related: XTP is designed with a PE in mind. This paper presents some of the ideas and goals in XTP. Introduction XTP [1] represents a compromise between issues of bandwidth, latency, protocol complexity, VLSI constraints, transport services, system interfacing, and speculation about future network evolution. The general goals are to demonstrate feasibility of Gbit/sec operation, to fit in a VLSI environment, and to provide adequate functionality for distributed system applications. Bandwidth Network interfaces can be based on software plus specialized hardware for the link level functions, and can be effective at the 10 Mbit/sec level. As network bandwidths from 100 Mbit/sec to 2 Gbit/sec become available it is necessary to apply hard..