An overview of BLN: A bell laboratories computing network

Abstract

The Bell Laboratories Network (BLN) provides a host-to-host networking service that has been specifically designed for the heterogeneous computer environment at Bell Laboratories. BLN incorporates two important concepts: a 7-layer architecture similar to the one currently being proposed by ISO and CCITT, and implementation techniques that allow most of the networking software to reside in totally portable modules. BLN has been operational since March, 1979 in first a 3-node and then in an 8-node prototype network. It is now being deployed to replace the existing interlocation network in Bell Labs. In this paper we provide an overview of the network service requirements and the architecture and implementation that was developed to provide those services.