A distributed multiple media network architecture

The Media Resource Controller (MRC) project was initiated to develop an advanced development model (ADM) testbed to be used in the evaluation of reconstitutable network control techniques using multiple-media point-to-point radio links. The planned operational application of this technology is to the 21st century tactical air control system. The ADM MRC was required to integrate three distinct point-to-point radios (two specific VHF and EHF radios and a generic X.25 interface for future definition), a vocoder port for voice capability, and an X.25 interface for host traffic. Also included in the testbed development were an operator interface for the system control and evaluation, a host simulator to generate user datagram and virtual circuit traffic in the absence of an actual host connection, and a network simulator that can emulate the presence and operation of up to 20 pseudonodes. The authors present a functional description of the MRC architecture and describe the distributed algorithms used for network monitoring and control