Product Description

Radia Perlman's Interconnections is recognized as a leading text on networking theory and practice. It provides authoritative and comprehensive information on general networking concepts, routing algorithms and protocols, addressing, and the mechanics of bridges, routers, switches, and hubs. This Second Edition is expanded and updated to cover the newest developments in the field, including advances in switching and bridge technology, VLANs, Fast Ethernet, DHCP, ATM, and IPv6. Additional new topics include IPX, AppleTalk, and DECnet. You will gain a deeper understanding of the range of solutions possible and find valuable information on protocols for which documentation is not readily available elsewhere. Written by the inventor of many of the algorithms that make switching and routing robust and efficient, Interconnections, Second Edition offers an expert's insight into how and why networks operate as they do. Perlman describes all of the major networking algorithms and protocols in use today in clear and concise terms, while exploring the engineering trade-offs that the different approaches represent. The book contains extensive coverage of such topics as: *The spanning tree algorithm *The differences between bridges, routers, and switches *Virtual LANs (VLANs) and Fast Ethernet *Addressing and packet formats for IP, IPv6, IPX, CLNP, AppleTalk, and DECnet *Autoconfiguration of addresses; strategies in various protocol suites *Routing protocols, including RIP, IS-IS, OSPF, PNNI, NLSP, and BGP *Layer 3 multicast protocols, including IGMP, DVMRP, MOSPF, CBT, PIM, BGMP, Simple Multicast, and Express *Sabotage-proof routing *Protocol design folklore 0201634481B04062001

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #49467 in Books
• Published on: 1999-10-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 560 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
This latest release of Interconnections is a competent update of A networking classic. Radia Perlman explains hundreds of details about getting computers--and networks of them--to talk to one another smoothly, accurately and efficiently. Perlman, inventor of the spanning-tree bridging algorithm, covers the Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) reference model, bridges, switches, hubs, Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs), plus connection-based and connectionless networks. She also does a great job of explaining the underpinnings of internetworking protocols, including packet format, addressing, routing (both generically and in terms of RIP, RTMP, OSPF and other protocols) and security. There's plenty of IPv6 information here, mostly from a theoretical vantage point.

The best parts of Perlman's approach to her subject are the little thought experiments that explain why various aspects of internetworking behave the way they do. For example, Perlman talks about Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) discovery by presenting four different hypotheses for figuring out MTU. For each possible solution, she discusses strengths, weaknesses and real-life considerations. She applies this method to dozens of other problems and phenomena, making Interconnections a very close approximation of learning by experiment. --David Wall, Amazon.com

Topics covered: Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) reference model, bridges, switches, hubs, Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) and internetworking protocols.

From the Back Cover

Radia Perlman's Interconnections is recognized as a leading text on networking theory and practice. It provides authoritative and comprehensive information on general networking concepts, routing algorithms and protocols, addressing, and the mechanics of bridges, routers, switches, and hubs. This Second Edition is expanded and updated to cover the newest developments in the field, including advances in switching and bridge technology, VLANs, Fast Ethernet, DHCP, ATM, and IPv6. Additional new topics include IPX, AppleTalk, and DECnet. You will gain a deeper understanding of the range of solutions possible and find valuable information on protocols for which documentation is not readily available elsewhere.

Written by the inventor of many of the algorithms that make switching and routing robust and efficient, Interconnections, Second Edition offers an expert's insight into how and why networks operate as they do. Perlman describes all of the major networking algorithms and protocols in use today in clear and concise terms, while exploring the engineering trade-offs that the different approaches represent.

The book contains extensive coverage of such topics as:

• The spanning tree algorithm
• The differences between bridges, routers, and switches
• Virtual LANs (VLANs) and Fast Ethernet
• Addressing and packet formats for IP, IPv6, IPX, CLNP, AppleTalk, and DECnet
• Autoconfiguration of addresses; strategies in various protocol suites
• Routing protocols, including RIP, IS-IS, OSPF, PNNI, NLSP, and BGP
• Layer 3 multicast protocols, including IGMP, DVMRP, MOSPF, CBT, PIM, BGMP, Simple Multicast, and Express
• Sabotage-proof routing
• Protocol design folklore

0201634481B04062001

About the Author

Radia Perlman's work has had a profound impact on the field of networking. She was recently featured in the 25th anniversary edition of Data Communications magazine as one of the 25 people whose work has most influenced the industry. She is the creator of the spanning tree algorithm upon which bridges (switches) are based, and the algorithms that allow robust and efficient link state routing, upon which all modern link state routing protocols (such as IS-IS, OSPF, and PNNI) are based. Radia designed IS-IS, Simple Multicast, and sabotage-proof routing. She is also co-author of Network Security: Private Communication in a Public World. Both of her books were listed in the top 10 most useful networking reference books in the March, 1988 issue of Network Magazine. She is currently a Distinguished Engineer at Sun Microsystems, Inc. She holds about 50 patents and a Ph.D. from M.I.T.

0201634481AB04062001

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Customer Reviews

Very technical, a brilliant reference for all things comms
Phew! This book is very technical and the author certainly knows her subject inside out. The book details a huge range of protocols both old and new and describes how they're used in the real world. It goes into incredible detail and some sections are only really suited for the hardcore comms guru. If you want to know what all those protocols actually do, as well as how they've evolved over the years, then this book will give you all the information you'll need. Although the book gets a bit dry at times, this is lessened by the author's humorous and interesting asides about why certain protocols are designed the way they are (apparently the French didn't like the packet size for ATM!), as well as the kinds of debates that go on in those IEEE committees. A fascinating book for anyone with an interest in LAN and WAN technologies.

I must-read for all networkers
This book is just great, and IMHO it should be obligatory reading for all networkers.

Radia Perlman takes you thru' many of the basic subjects (802.?, layer 3 protocols, routing protocols), including how they were born/shaped by standards comittees, and pros and cons of the different protocols.

Being the author of so many different protocols she speaks with authority, and her humorous style and very frank opinions on anything from IEEE standards to link-state protocols makes this book both easy and fun to read.

I do NOT recommend !
This book has so many great reviews (generally only 5* marks) but I am completely disappointed! Maybe it was a good book in 2000/2001 but definitely not in 2008. It it is quite outdated. It is rather boring. The author is not happy with all protocols currently in use: IP, OSPF, BGP, etc..., seems that whole world is wrong and only the author's ideas was good. Maybe it can be good book for protocol designers - Are you?