Diagrammatization of the Transmission Control Protocol
This work addresses the need for clearer protocol explanations for developers and users, though it is incremental as it builds on existing diagrammatic approaches without introducing new technical mechanisms.
The paper tackled the problem of understanding complex communication protocols by proposing a diagrammatic methodology to represent protocols, focusing on TCP and SSL, resulting in a systematic specification that facilitates comprehension for learning and communication purposes.
With the wide spread of Internet services, developers and users need a greater understanding of the technology of networking. Acquiring a clear understanding of communication protocols is an important step in understanding how a network functions; however, many protocols are complicated, and explaining them can be demanding. In addition, protocols are often explained in terms of traffic analysis and oriented toward technical staff and those already familiar with network protocols. This paper aims at proposing a diagrammatic methodology to represent protocols in general, with a focus on the Transmission Control Protocol and Secure Sockets Layer in particular. The purpose is to facilitate understanding of protocols for learning and communication purposes. The methodology is based on the notion of flow of primitive things in a system with six stages: creation, release, transfer, arrival, acceptance, and processing. Though the method presents a basic description of protocols without in-depth analysis of all aspects and mechanisms, the resultant conceptual description is a systematic specification that utilizes a few basic notions that assist in illustrating functionality and support comprehension.