On Thu, 10 Jun 2010, RJ Atkinson wrote:
A1) A "node" is either a host or a router.
A2) A "router" is any device that forwards packets at the
Network Layer (e.g. IPv4, IPv6) of the Internet Architecture.
A3) A "host" is a device that can send/receive packets
to/from the network, but does not forward packets.
A4) A "bridge" is a device that forwards packets at the
Link Layer (e.g. Ethernet) of the Internet Architecture.
An Ethernet switch or Ethernet hub are examples of bridges.
I agree more or less with the above, though there are exceptions.
E.g. obviously there may be nodes which are both hosts and routers;
also there may be hosts which perform logical routing functions,
without being involved in forwarding.
C) A "Locator" is a structured topology-dependent name that
is not used for node identification, and is not a path.
Two related meanings are current, depending on the class
of things being named:
1) The topology-dependent name of a node's interface.
2) The topology-dependent name of a single subnetwork
OR topology-dependent name of a group of related
subnetworks that share a single aggregate. An
IP routing prefix is a current example of this last.
FWIW, to me the clarification of 1 and 2 are unneeded. Topological
naming implies the ability to aggregate - it follows from the
mathematical notions. Thus a topological name can identify 1 specific
entity, or any number of them.
D) An "Identifier" is a topology-independent name for a logical
node. Depending upon instantiation, a "logical node" might be
a single physical device, a cluster of devices acting as a
single node, or a single virtual partition of a single physical
device. An OSI End System Identifier (ESID) is an example of
an identifier. A Fully-Qualified Domain Name that precisely
names one logical node is another example. (Note well that not
all FQDNs meet this definition.)
I don't disagree with this, but I'm not sure about it either. :)
regards,
--
Paul Jakma [email protected] Key ID: 64A2FF6A
Fortune:
He who has the courage to laugh is almost as much a master of the world
as he who is ready to die.
-- Giacomo Leopardi
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