Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!bellcore!rutgers!cmcl2!nrl-cmf!ames!lll-lcc!unisoft!hoptoad!cfcl!dwh
From: dwh@cfcl.UUCP (Dave Hamaker)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.misc
Subject: Re: About Protocols for File Transfer
Message-ID: <306@cfcl.UUCP>
Date: 5 Jun 88 07:58:10 GMT
References: <8806031410.AA26679@gauss.ece.cmu.edu>
Reply-To: dwh@cfcl.UUCP (Dave Hamaker)
Organization: Canta Forda Computer Laboratory, Pacifica, CA
Lines: 21

In article <8806031410.AA26679@gauss.ece.cmu.edu> sirbu@GAUSS.ECE.CMU.EDU
(Marvin Sirbu) asserts that the at most 10% improvement in performance that
a "100%" protocol offers over HDLC is not interesting from a practical point
of view.

I am not aware of any significant penetration into the asynchronous RS-232
realm by HDLC, mostly due to cost and complexity factors.  My design efforts
have not been at all targeted at the areas where HDLC use is significant
(although it doesn't follow that some of the ideas might not be fruitfully
applied there).

But I don't want to duck the real question about the practical significance
of the theoretical result.  By itself, it's not all that significant now,
really.  But, if it isn't forgotten, it may help make future protocols better.
And remember, while I have designed a protocol which incorporates the insight,
it does not follow that that is the only thing my protocol has going for it.
If you want to consider the significance of the whole, you should probably
send for the specs.

-Dave Hamaker
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