A Two-Level Architecture for Internet Signaling
USC/ISI
USC/ISI
This memo defines an architectural framework for a wide variety of Internet signaling protocols. This framework has a two-level organization: a common lower layer 'transport' protocol together with a suite of upper-level signaling protocols. The common lower level protocol CSTP (Common Signaling Transport Protocol) provides a transport-like service that may include reliable delivery and soft state management. The upper layer protocols, which implement algorithms and data structures specific to particular signaling applications, are generically called ULSPs (Upper-layer Signaling Protocols). This memo motivates the two-level design and describes the service model, API, and operation of the lower level CSTP.