RFC 1560 (rfc1560) - Page 2 of 7
The MultiProtocol Internet
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
RFC 1560 The MultiProtocol Internet December 1993
over different protocols.
The issue of multiprotocol Internet is multidimensional and should be
analyzed with respect to two simultaneous principles:
- It is desirable to have a single protocol stack. The community
should try to avoid unconstrained proliferation of various
protocol stacks.
- In reality there will always be more than one protocol stack.
Presence of multiple network layers is just one of the
corollaries of this observation, as even within a single
protocol stack, forces of evolution of that stack will lead
to periods of multiple protocols. We need to develop
mechanisms that maximize the services that can be provided
across all the protocol stacks (multiprotocol Internet).
2. Background and Context
2.1. The MultiProtocol Evolutionary Process
In an IAB architectural retreat held in 1991 [Cla91], a dynamic view
of the process of multiprotocol integration and accommodation was
described, based on the figure below.
--------------- --------------
! ! ! !
! ! ! Interop- !
! Primary ! >>>>>>>>>>> ! erability !>>>>>
! Protocol ! ! ! v
! Suite ! -------------- v
! ! v
! ! v
! ! -------------- v
! ! ! ! v
! ! >>>>>>>>>>> ! Resource ! v
! ! ! Sharing !>>>>v
! ! ! ! v
--------------- -------------- v
^ v
^ -------------- v
^ ! ! v
