🚀 go-pugleaf

> > >Not true!  Standard protocols exist for layers 4 and 5.  Layers 6 and
> > >7 have gone to DIS form (Draft International Standard) and are
> > >supposed to go for 6 month ballot in June.  There should be
> > >International Standards at all 7 layers by the end of 1986....
> > >Doug McCallum

Can someone clarify for me how layer 7 can be standardized without
knowing the application?   I think the difficulty in making higher
layer protocols is that you can't optimize them for a variety of
services.  I'm working from a context of metropolitan area networks
(basically grown from LANs) where one hopes to have integrated
services (data, voice, video - the usual catch-words).  You can't
even run these all through the same MAC (physical/data-link) level
never mind transport and session layers.

What do these proposed layer 4-7 protocols do, and what kinds of traffic
do they apply to?

-Mark Garrett
Bellcore