Cabletron Systems MMAC-5FNB Networking Manual

Also see for MMAC-5FNB: Overview and setup guide

Contents

Cabletron Systems MMAC-5FNB Networking Manual Manual pdf 27 page image

Interoperability and Standards Bodies2-13Overview of NetworkingInteroperability and Standards BodiesInteroperability, the Ideal of NetworkingIdeally, all devices placed on any network should be able to transfer informationin a usable fashion and understandable format to any other station. For sometime, however, this was not always the case. Different companies, even within thesame industry, have different ways of designing, developing, and constructingtheir products. Different views of how a network should operate led to radicallydifferent products and methods of networking. These early networkingimplementations were specific to one particular vendor, and would often onlywork in homogenous environments, where all components used in the networkwere produced by that single vendor. This method of networking lockedcustomers into relying on a single vendor for all of their networking needs,current and future, which could lead to problems if the network implementationwas unsatisfactory. Ripping out all of your present networking equipment inorder to use the proprietary solution of another vendor can become an extremelycostly proposition.To combat this, the idea of interoperability grew in popularity. Ideally,interoperability means that the networking devices of Vendor X cancommunicate, problem-free, with the networking devices of Vendor Y.Standards and ComplianceInteroperability requires the following of standards, distinct rules and finitemargins within which network operation and performance must be kept. If anetwork does not meet the minimums, or exceeds the maximums of thenetworking standard that the industry uses, it is said to be “out of specifications,”and may not operate at an acceptable level. For example, the Token Ring networkstandard specifies the maximum number of stations that may be placed on onenetwork, or “ring.” If this number of stations is exceeded, the network will suffererratic performance and may cease to function correctly. By providing a singledefinition for the maximum number of stations per ring, the Token Ring standardallows devices from multiple vendors to operate in the same fashion.Standards are defined by committee, through the operation of standardsinstitutes. Standards institutes are made up of personnel from several firms in theindustry who volunteer their time and effort. These volunteers work to composeand ratify an acceptable standard, which, when accepted and ratified, will need toat least be met by any product that refers to itself as “standards-compliant.”Products that are not standards-compliant may cause or experienceinteroperability problems when operating in a standards-based network. Ofcourse, even in a fully standards-based network, there may still be problems.Most vendors in the industry, realizing the importance of providing a flexible andopen network to all customers, seek to eliminate any interoperability problemsthey notice.