DECnet Transport Architecture

This document describes the design rationale and technical architecture of the DECnet Network Process (DNP) transport component, specifically for the PATHWORKS version 4.1 client software. The authors discuss the challenges of integrating Intel-based personal computers into a Digital network environment, emphasizing the goals of doubling performance for small data transfers, reducing memory usage by 50 percent, and lowering maintenance costs. The paper details the DNP internal structure, including its reliance on assembly language, the executive queuing system for managing asynchronous events, and the use of request (REQ), link status block (LSB), and large data buffer (LDB) data structures. It also explains the integration of the data link control (DLC), network services protocol (NSP), and session layer modules like NetBIOS and the I/O control block (IOCB) interface.