| Document: FSC-0080
| Version: 002
| Date: 01 Jun 1996
|
| Mikael St�ldal, 2:201/337
Describing FidoNet with a layered model
Mikael St�ldal, 2:201/505.337@FidoNet
revision 2
Introduction
============
FTS-1 tries to describe FidoNet with the OSI model. I think that the FTS-1
description is rather impractical and not very useful, it gives few of the
advantages that a layered model could give.
Instead I made my own layered model. My model has nothing to do with OSI.
Why this model?
===============
The main goal with this model is to make FidoNet more flexible make it
easier to change into newer and better protocols and data structures.
It should be possible to change one layer without affecting the others.
Description of the layers
=========================
Transmission layer
------------------
This is the hardware that preforms the actual communication between
computers. It may be fully reliable, but it isn't always so upper layers
must be able to deal with errors.
Today, this is often the telephone network (PSTN), a modem (with protocols
like V.22 and V.32) and an asynchronous serial port (such as RS-232C). This
layer also includes any real-time error correction (V.42, MNP4) and data
compression (V.42bis, MNP5) in the modem, but it's not always present.
A replacement could be ISDN with ISDN-adapter and a parallel port to allow
higher data transfer rates.
Transfer layer
--------------
File transfer protocols (such as Zmodem).
The file transfer protocol must provide error correction and be fully
reliable.
Note that this layer may be bypassed, the Session layer may (and does)
communicate directly.
Session layer
-------------
Session handshake protocols (YooHoo, EMSI) implemented in mailers. This
layer can reliably send files directly between two systems. It doesn't
perform any routing. It doesn't know about NetMail, EchoMail etc.
The upper layers uses logical addresses (node numbers), this layer performs
address resolution (often by using a nodelist) to obtain the physical
address (e.g. telephone number) necessary to establish a connection.
The upper layers can tell if a file should be sent immediately, when
appropriate or be placed on hold.
When files are received, this layer tells the upper layers.
Note that unlike OSI and other models, sessions in this model are physical
connections rather than logical connections.
Transport layer
---------------
This layer handles routing and transport of NetMail, EchoMail and other
files. The format of mail packets is defined in this layer, except the
internal structure of a packed message.
A mail processor takes received NetMail and EchoMail and places it in the
local message base. It also looks there for messages to send.
Presentation layer
------------------
Here is the internal structure of a packed message defined.
In TYPE-2, this layer is totally mixed up with the Transport layer. In new
packet formats, they will hopefully be separated.
Application layer
-----------------
Here is the local message base (stored messages) defined.
Interaction between layers
==========================
Interaction between Session layer and Transport layer
-----------------------------------------------------
The Session and Transport layers does only interact between sessions, not
during them. The reason is that is should be possible to keep them in
different programs and implement it in single tasking operating systems like
MS-DOS. This doesn't prevent the Session and Transport layers from running
simultaneously in a multitasking system.
Comments
========
There is one problem with this model, how to describe the File Request
server function (and other similar server functions). Sending Requests are
no problems, that's just sending a *.REQ file. The server function have to
be implemented directly in the Session layer.
