Function-oriented protocols for the ARPA computer network

Abstract

Much has been said about the mechanics of the ARPA Computer Network (ARPANET) and especially about the organization of its communications subnet. Until recently the main effort has gone into the implementation of an ARPANET user-level communications interface. Operating just above the communications subnet in ARPANET HOST Computers, this ARPANET interface is intended to serve as a foundation for the organization of function-oriented communications. See Figures 1 and 2 for our view of a computer system and the scheme for user-level process-to-process communications. It is now appropriate to review the development of protocols which have been constructed to promote particular substantive uses of the ARPANET, namely function-oriented protocols.