New 3D graphical presentation of the ISO transport protocol

Abstract

A new graphical presentation of the ISO transport protocol is proposed in this paper. The states, events and actions are represented by a set of icons which give rise to a three-dimensional effect in the protocol structure. The emphasis is on the ability to demonstrate the end-to-end logical flow of establishing, maintaining and releasing transport connections between two transport entities. Compared with the conventional flat static display of the state diagram, the new presentation makes it easier to visualize and comprehend the abstract concept of the transport mechanism. The idea is implemented on an IBM PC AT using the GKS graphics system. The software provides not only program-controlled demonstrations on connection sequences, but also displays of dynamic reconfiguration of protocols through user interaction. © 1990.