RFC 1707 (rfc1707) - Page 2 of 16

CATNIP: Common Architecture for the Internet

RFC 1707                         CATNIP                     October 1994


   The cache handles are either provided by feedback from the downstream
   router in response to offered traffic, or explicitly provided as part
   of the establishment of a circuit or flow through the network. When
   used for flows, the handle is the locally significant flow
   identifier.

   When used for circuits, the handle is the layer 3 peer-to-peer
   logical channel identifier, and permits a full implementation of
   network-layer connection-oriented service if the routers along the
   path provide sufficient features. At the same time, the packet format
   of the connectionless service is retained, and hop by hop fully
   addressed datagrams can be used at the same time. Any intermediate
   model between the connection oriented and the connectionless service
   can thus be provided over cooperating routers.

CATNIP Objectives

   The first objective of the CATNIP is a practical recognition of the
   existing state of internetworking, and an understanding that any
   approach must encompass the entire problem. While it is common in the
   IP Internet to dismiss the ISO with various amusing phrases, it is
   hardly realistic. As the Internet moves into the realm of providing
   real commercial infrastructure, for telephone, cable television, and
   the myriad other mundane uses, compliance with international
   standards is an imperative.

   The argument that the IETF need not (or should not) follow existing
   ISO standards will not hold. The ISO is the legal standards
   organization for the planet. Every other industry develops and
   follows ISO standards. There is (no longer) anything special about
   computer software or data networking.

   ISO convergence is both necessary and sufficient to gain
   international acceptance and deployment of IPng. Non-convergence will
   effectively preclude deployment.

   The CATNIP integrates CLNP, IP, and IPX. The CATNIP design provides
   for any of the transport layer protocols in use, for example TP4,
   CLTP, TCP, UDP, IPX and SPX to run over any of the network layer
   protocol formats: CLNP, IP (version 4), IPX, and the CATNIP.

Incremental Infrastructure Deployment

   The best use of the CATNIP is to begin to build a common Internet
   infrastructure. The routers and other components of the common system
   are able to use a single consistent addressing method, and common
   terms of reference for other aspects of the system.




McGovern & Ullmann