[HECnet] Attaching to hecnet

[Paul Koning]

Paul Koning wrote:
... 
The routing message size isn't an issue in Phase IV because the data
can
be sent in pieces.   That was another important change from Phase
III,
which always sends the route data for all nodes (up to 255 of them)
whether there is a change or not.   255 nodes just barely fits into a
standard DDCMP packet, but 1023 nodes would not.   (Nor in a standard
Ethernet frame, for that matter.)   And it's wasteful to send data
that
hasn't changed.   So Phase IV has a way to send routing data for
selected
nodes.

Looking at traffic, I'd say that systems seems to be sending out
routing
packet updates although nothing is changing.

Oh right... I forgot one detail.

Routing updates are sent when something changes, and those (in Phase IV)
can be optimized to omit what hasn't changed.

In addition, full routing messages (all destinations) are sent
periodically.   That makes the system "self-stabilizing": if any node is
confused about the routing data, it will reasonably soon be straightened
out by a full update.

	paul