Network protocol textbook is an asset [Book Review]

The main contribution of this textbook on network protocol design is its development of an abstract protocol specification language, referred to as AP. After defining the AP syntax and semantics, Mohamed G. Gouda uses it to present the basic communication protocols. He then builds on the basic concepts to discuss more advanced topics such as routing, internetworking, security, compression, and client–server applications. Throughout, he uses AP to give clear and unambiguous definitions of network protocols. Gouda begins by considering several traditional methods for specifying network protocols—including the English language, time charts, and the C programming language. According to Gouda, English is inadequate because of its inherent ambiguity, time charts are too unwieldy for complex protocols, and the C language introduces semantics—such as nonzero message propagation delay—that violate the desired semantics for a network protocol language. To overcome these deficiencies, he takes several examples and introduces AP. First, Gouda gives a specification for a vending machine. He then presents a simple message-transfer protocol and defines Manchester encoding. Rapidly, he applies his protocol concepts to the Internet. A pattern Gouda repeats throughout the book is to introduce protocols in simple terms before modifying and extending them. He also usually explains how to implement the protocols on the Internet. The intended audience is undergraduate and first-year graduate students. The material is appropriate for two one-semester courses. There are 25 chapters in the book, and a set of exercises follows each chapter, typically asking students to modify protocols from the text or design new protocols. Overall, Gouda does a good job of presenting network protocols. The AP language is proven to be a useful vehicle for unambiguous network protocol specification. In addition, Gouda includes specifications for a wide variety of useful protocols and describes how to implement them on the Internet. This makes the book essential reading for anyone teaching network protocol design and also for all serious students. Elements of Network Protocol Design Mohamed G. Gouda 506 pages $86.95 John Wiley & Sons New York 1998 0-471-19744-0 Sandy Aijala , 10662 Los Vaqueros Circle, Los Alamitos, California 90720-1314; Phone: +1 714 821 8380; Fax: +1 714 821 4010; saijala@ computer.org.