[Mep-dev] Something to take a look at for a possible adaptation for Mep...?

[Timothy J. Salo]

James French wrote:
   <DTN Press Release>

I don't understand how the DTN protocols might be applicable
to the MEP (or the ACP).  I would really appreciate it if someone
could explain to me how they might be applicable.

The DTN protocols are useful when end-to-end connectivity is
often not available or is never available, or with the
delays associated with deep space (interplanetary) communications.
I don't think that the MEP (or the ACP) will operate in
these environments (although I suppose one could envision
using the MEP repeater as a store-and-forward device).
The DTN protocols place a burden on the intermediate nodes
(e.g., MEP repeater) to hold the data until, at some point
in the future, the node can forward the data towards the
destination.

Much of the original work was done in the Delay Tolerant
Networking Research Group (http://www.dtnrg.org/wiki).
("Delay" became "Disruption" later, largely as a result
of the naming of a DARPA research program, I think.)
The DTNRG is part of the Internet Research Task Force
(IRTF) a group associated with the Internet Engineering
Task Force (IETF) the group that maintains many of the
Internet protocol standards.

Several RFCs have been published.  For a list, see:

http://www.dtnrg.org/wiki/Docs#head-b872c64a421b2ce151ea1b26415028a9af6f67cd

If you want to understand what the protocols actually do, you
might want to look at the RFCs.

The DTN protocols are new protocols, (unlike IP, which
pretty much every device in the known universe implements).
As a result, the MEP project would have to either port the
protocols or implement them.

My feeling is the the DTN protocols aren't  particularly
applicable to the MEP (or the ACP).  They solve problems
that I don't think the MEP is trying to solve, namely
communications in the face of poor or no end-to-end
connectivity.  Beyond that, I think that including the
DTN protocols in the MEP project will substantially
complicate the MEP.  And, the DTN protocols don't
interoperate with existing IP devices.

I strongly suggest that the MEP project make the MEP work
with IP before tackling additional challenges, such as
implementing the DTN protocols.  Once an IP-based MEP works,
I think the DTN protocols would be a great topic to investigate.

But, perhaps I am confused.  Maybe the DTN protocols really
_are_ applicable to the MEP.  What am I missing?

-tjs