IBM's Systems Network Architecture

This document, dated December 15, 1980, provides a technical analysis of IBM's Systems Network Architecture (SNA) from the perspective of Digital Equipment Corporation. It outlines the fundamental differences between SNA and Digital's Distributed Network Architecture (DNA), emphasizing that while SNA is designed for centralized control and terminal-to-host access, DNA is focused on distributed processing. The report breaks down the SNA architecture into its five layers, compares it to DECnet functionality, and offers marketing strategies for Digital personnel to use when competing against IBM in network environments.