Cornell University, Summer 1999
Contents
General Overview
The Tron library is designed to be a general purpose protocol stack. In its current form, it provides a
sockets-based network layer, a network simulation layer, a simple debugging layer, and a probabilistic
broadcast layer based on pbcast (See the Papers section of Links). A protocl stack
provides a simple way of putting together simple network protocols to provide a powerful network layer,
all the while maintaining the simple interface of the protocol stack. For example, an application can
use a protocol stack with a network layer and pbcast layer. It can then add a "compression layer" at a later
point and all packets would be "compressed" without having to change a thing. The application sends through
the top of the protocol stack and receives in a "Deliver" callback. The protocol stack provides a convenient
interface and the layers provide services.
The Tron library is a programming tool. Although the layers it currently provides can be used to solve many
networking and reliability problems, the framework that it provides is far more useful. It is quite simple
to make new layers and stack them together to solve almost any problem. The tron distribution contains the
entire tron library, as well as three example programs. The bcast program can be used to test whether
directed broadcast is working on a network, but it is also an example of using the protocol stack with only
the network layer. The trontest application is another example of using the protocol stack and uses the
pbcast and debug layers as well. Finally, the tronsim application uses the simulation layer instead of the
network layer, and shows that to an application that makes correct use of the protocol stack interface, whether
or not data is sent on a simulated or actual network does not matter.
Tron was created as an M.Eng project. Its name is from the tron command (tron, troff), or perhaps a
certain Disney movie that inspired many to become computer science students. The name really has nothing
to do with protocol stacks or building reliable network applications.
Distribution
Papers
Readme File - Installation, known issues, how to set up project workspaces, etc.
Tron Distribution - .zip format.