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Cell Relay Retreat>List Archive>month:1997-Jul> msg00141



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Re: Connection and connectionless (was: Rerouting of existing connections)

  • From: manfredi@arl.bna.boeing.com
  • Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 10:22:44 -0600

In article <5r94q3$t6n@mozo.cc.purdue.edu>,
  qiwei@ecn.purdue.edu (Qiwei Xiao) wrote:

>   Hmmmm... I don't agree with that. Whether a protocol is connection-oriented
> or connectionless is a property of itself. There can be a connectionless
> protocol sitting on top of a connection-oriented protocol and vise versa. So
> the correct saying is that
>
>   In layer 4, UDP is connectionless and TCP is connection-oriented. ATM is
also
>               connection-oriented if used as a layer 4 protocol.
>   In layer 3, IP is connectionless and ATM is connection-oriented if used as
>               a layer 3 protocol.
>   In layer 2, Ethernet is connectionless and ATM is connection-oriented if
used
>               as a layer 2 protocol. (I believe there is a HDLC operation
mode
>               which makes Ethernet a connection-oriented protocol)
>
>   Therefore, the question of whether TCP/IP is connection-oriented or
> connectionless is itself not a good one.

Actually, I have to agree with your points, Qiwei. My position on this
would be, though, that the only "connection-oriented" stuff ATM does is
stuff required to set up a circuit. It's not between applications, at
least not typically. Since these handshakes are used to set up a circuit,
might as well call it that.

In addition, it's hard for me to accept the designation "connection
oriented" when the ATM net consists of nothing more than a mesh of PVCs.
Yes, the PVCs are circuits, but it's really stretching credulity to call
such a net "connection oriented." Whereas its obvious that such a mesh of
PVCs belong to a circuit-switched network.

Bert
manfredi@arl.bna.boeing.com

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