Experience with the Xpress transfer protocol

Abstract

The Xpress transfer protocol (XTP), a transport and network layer protocol suitable for use as a SAFENET transfer service in the US Navy's emerging survivable adaptable fiber optic embedded network (SAFENET) specification, is described. The background protocol, the implementation environment, the communications architecture, the user interface, some working XTP demonstration programs, and some measured performance results are described. The experience with XTP shows that the implementation is stable; operational in PC and VME bus environments; and capable of being transmitted reliably over Ethernet, token ring, and fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) networks.<>