Parallel TCP for high performance communication subsystems

Emerging applications and rapid advances in communication technology increasingly require high-performance communication subsystems. Parallelizing protocols in order to efficiently make use of multiprocessor platforms is one approach such systems. A function-based parallel structure of the widely used TCP protocol, applicable to a large variety of implementation platforms, is presented. An example of a multiprocessor implementation of the parallel TCP is discussed. General-purpose processors as well as specialized VLSI implementations of performance critical functions are considered as a basis for high-performance communication subsystems being able to sustain gigabit rates