DMS message precedence in the GOSIP environment

The authors describe the implications of Defense Message System (DMS) message time-of-delivery requirements in the Government Open Systems Interconnection Profile (GOSIP) environment. DMS precedence/priority handling mechanisms and their implementation in the protocols in the GOSIP stack are examined. It is shown that there are precedence-related mechanisms available in the communications protocols mandated by GOSIP. However, to guarantee timely delivery of DMS messages, a US Department of Defense protocol profile should be developed that mandates and specifies the implementation of these mechanisms in all appropriate layers of the systems/networks that handle DMS messages