Transport access control: a communication scheme between hosts and transport layer front end processors

The front-end processor (FEP) approach, an efficient method for host computers to access a communication networks, is considered. The transport access control method, which is used for communications between network hosts and their FEPs in an Open System Interconnection environment, is introduced. It has been developed to support communications between the transmission control protocol (TCP) of an FEP and the upper level protocols of a host in a reliable and transparent manner. Two key issues in designing and implementing a network are the layer distribution between the hosts and their FEPs, and the interlayer communications schemes. The focus in this paper, with respect to the former issue, is on the case in which the FEPs contain the three bottom layers and the transport layer. With regard to the latter, the focus is on the communications between the transport layer and the upper layer