The MultiStream protocol: a highly flexible high-speed transport protocol

A transport layer protocol designed to meet the wide-ranging needs of high-speed applications is described. A unique feature of this protocol is that its behavior, defined by a set of functions, may be modified dynamically over the life of a connection without loss of reliable data transfer. This property makes the protocol attractive for supporting applications, such as multimedia applications that require different protocol support for different portions of their traffic streams. The protocol has been verified to reliably deliver data and manage connections and to contain no deadlocks or loops. A parallel architecture for implementing the protocol has also been verified. Analysis of a skeleton implementation shows that the protocol has the potential to receive data at a rate of over 150 kpackets/s if 10-MIPS processors are used in the implementation