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Attractive round-up of a complex area
Books operators, and telecommunications and information systems managers. It could be used in university courses in electronics, data communications and telecommunications. It is also useful for network
specialists, and for students as a reference manual on such university courses.
Dr Rita Pu~manovfi Czech Republic
Attractive round-up of a complex area Design and Validation of Computer Protocols by Gerard J Holzman. Published by Prentice Hall, 1992, £22.95, 500 pp This book integrates knowledge and experience from the 'grey' area of communication protocols design and validation. Significant issues are presented regarding designing, describing in an algorithmic method, and validating protocols. The author has made a successful attempt to summarize both the knowledge and experience available in the protocol design field; a large part of the book is based on the author's personal experience. The preface briefly and directly introduces the scope of the book: 'This text is intended as a guide to
protocol design and analysis, rather than as a guide to standards and formats'. The author takes us clearly through the various parts of the book: Part one gives an overview of the problems discussed. Part two covers the concept of a protocol validation model, and a new language called PROMELA for the description of protocol validation models is introduced. The specification of protocol correctness requirements is then given. Readers can also find the presentation of a number of standard design problems in the development of a sample file transfer protocol. The third part of the book presents protocol synthesis testing and validation techniques, and the
Initial source for less technical readers Integrated Computer Network Systems by Frank Welch, Marcel Dekker, New York, USA, 1992, $99.75, 284pp This book gives a technical overview of the main terms and concepts of computer networks. It is intended for computer technicians like general software engineers or technical managers who have some background knowledge on computer systems and wish to acquire additional skills in the networking area. The book attempts to close the gap between overly technical protocol specifications on the one hand and non-technical strategic
material about networks on the other. To some degree, it meets this goal, although it seems to be more oriented towards the latter, less technical area. The book might also serve as additional material for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in computer science with a special focus on networks, although it cannot be recommended as a primary textbook for networking and distributed systems classes. The book is written in an informal, easy-to-read style, sometimes even using rather personal sentence structures which is somewhat unusual in the
fourth part includes a detailed description of two protocol design tools based on PROMELA (an interpreter and an automated validator). The addition of the source code (appendices D and E), for those interested in the source code can be obtained in electronic form. The addition of lecture planning information and directives based on this book, and of exercises and bibliographic notes at the end of each chapter, together with adequate references, make the book attractive as a lecture supporting document. Concluding, the book attempts to cover a very 'grey" and complicated knowledge area - protocol design and validation. In this area the only 'safe' way to finally test your ideas is to create an object-oriented model and simulate. Artiticial intelligence tools will provide protocol designers with the capability to create fast and reliable protocol architectures in the near future.
Dr D J Mouzakis DEC Hellas SpA Greece
technical field. However, it is appealing that the author tries not only to describe networking approaches in a neutral way, but also often provides evaluations, background information about the usage of technology, and discussions of the economic impact of emerging approaches. Sometimes this leads to an undesirable mix of technical and strategic information, but in other instances it is interesting to learn more than just technological issues. The book starts with a brief introduction to network structures, network services, associated models, standards and strategic trends. The initial chapters also survey network design and cost issues, but do not provide concrete
computer communications volume 16 number 7 july 1993
453
specialists, and for students as a reference manual on such university courses.
Dr Rita Pu~manovfi Czech Republic
Attractive round-up of a complex area Design and Validation of Computer Protocols by Gerard J Holzman. Published by Prentice Hall, 1992, £22.95, 500 pp This book integrates knowledge and experience from the 'grey' area of communication protocols design and validation. Significant issues are presented regarding designing, describing in an algorithmic method, and validating protocols. The author has made a successful attempt to summarize both the knowledge and experience available in the protocol design field; a large part of the book is based on the author's personal experience. The preface briefly and directly introduces the scope of the book: 'This text is intended as a guide to
protocol design and analysis, rather than as a guide to standards and formats'. The author takes us clearly through the various parts of the book: Part one gives an overview of the problems discussed. Part two covers the concept of a protocol validation model, and a new language called PROMELA for the description of protocol validation models is introduced. The specification of protocol correctness requirements is then given. Readers can also find the presentation of a number of standard design problems in the development of a sample file transfer protocol. The third part of the book presents protocol synthesis testing and validation techniques, and the
Initial source for less technical readers Integrated Computer Network Systems by Frank Welch, Marcel Dekker, New York, USA, 1992, $99.75, 284pp This book gives a technical overview of the main terms and concepts of computer networks. It is intended for computer technicians like general software engineers or technical managers who have some background knowledge on computer systems and wish to acquire additional skills in the networking area. The book attempts to close the gap between overly technical protocol specifications on the one hand and non-technical strategic
material about networks on the other. To some degree, it meets this goal, although it seems to be more oriented towards the latter, less technical area. The book might also serve as additional material for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in computer science with a special focus on networks, although it cannot be recommended as a primary textbook for networking and distributed systems classes. The book is written in an informal, easy-to-read style, sometimes even using rather personal sentence structures which is somewhat unusual in the
fourth part includes a detailed description of two protocol design tools based on PROMELA (an interpreter and an automated validator). The addition of the source code (appendices D and E), for those interested in the source code can be obtained in electronic form. The addition of lecture planning information and directives based on this book, and of exercises and bibliographic notes at the end of each chapter, together with adequate references, make the book attractive as a lecture supporting document. Concluding, the book attempts to cover a very 'grey" and complicated knowledge area - protocol design and validation. In this area the only 'safe' way to finally test your ideas is to create an object-oriented model and simulate. Artiticial intelligence tools will provide protocol designers with the capability to create fast and reliable protocol architectures in the near future.
Dr D J Mouzakis DEC Hellas SpA Greece
technical field. However, it is appealing that the author tries not only to describe networking approaches in a neutral way, but also often provides evaluations, background information about the usage of technology, and discussions of the economic impact of emerging approaches. Sometimes this leads to an undesirable mix of technical and strategic information, but in other instances it is interesting to learn more than just technological issues. The book starts with a brief introduction to network structures, network services, associated models, standards and strategic trends. The initial chapters also survey network design and cost issues, but do not provide concrete
computer communications volume 16 number 7 july 1993
453