Protocols and Standards, Organizations, Forums

Network Protocols and Standards, that is what I will be describing in this article. First we define protocol, which is synonymous with "rule". Then we discuss standards, which are agreed-upon rules.

Protocols
In computer networks, communication occurs between entities in different systems. An entity is anything capable of sending or receiving information. However, two entities cannot simply send bit streams to each other and expect to be understood. For communication to occur, the entities must agree on a protocol.
A protocol is a set of  rules that governs data communication. A protocol defines what is communicated, how it is communicated and what is communicated. The Key elements of a protocol are syntax, semantics and timing.

• Syntax. Syntax refers to the structure or format of the data, meaning the order in which they are presented. For example, a simple protocol might expect the first 8 bits of data to be the address of the sender, the second 8 bits to the address of the receiver, and the rest of the stream to the message itself.
• Semantics. Semantics refers to the meaning of each section of bits. How is a particular pattern to be interpreted, and what action is to be taken based on that interpretation? For example, does an address identify the route to be taken or the final destination of the message?
• Timing. Timing refers to two characteristics: when data should be sent and how fast it can be sent. For example, if a sender produces data at 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) but the receiver can process data at only 1 Mbps, the transmission will overload the receiver and data will be largely lost.

Standards
Standards are essential in creating and maintaining an open and competitive market for equipment manufacturers and also in guaranteeing national and international interoperability of data and telecommunications technology and processes. They provide guidelines to manufacturers, vendors, government agencies, and other service providers to ensure the kind of interconnectivity necessary in today's marketplace and in international communication.
Data communication standards fall into two categories: de facto ( meaning "by fact" or "by convention") and de jure (meaning "by law" and "by regulation").

• De facto. Standards that have not been approved by an organized body but have been adopted as standards through widespread use are de facto standards. De facto standards are often established originally by manufacturers that seek to define the functionality of a new product or technology.
• De jure. De jure standards are those that have been legislated by an oficially recognized body.

Standards and Organizations
standards are developed through cooperation of standards creation committees, forums and government regulatory agencies. Some of the standards establishment Organizations are:

• International Standards Organisation (ISO) http://www.iso.org/
• International Telecommuniations Union-Telecommunication Standards Sector (ITU-T). http://www.itu.int/ITU-T  
• American National Standard Institute (ANSI).
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). http://www.ieee.gov/
• Electronic Industries Association (EIA).

Forums
Telecommunications technology development is moving faster than the ability of standards committee to ratify standards. Standards committees are procedural bodies and by nature slow moving. to accommodate the need fro working models and agreements  and to facilitate the standardization process, many special-interest groups have developed forums made up of representatives from interested corporations. The forums work with universities and users to test, evaluate and standardize new technologies.  By concentrating their efforts on a particular technology, the forums are able to speed acceptance and use of those technologies in the telecommunications community. The forums present their  conclusions to the standards bodies. Some important forums for the telecommunications industry include the following:

• Frame Relay Forum. The Frame Relay Forum was formed by digital equipment Corporation, Northern Telecom, Cisco, and StrataCom to promote the acceptance and implementation of frame relay. Today, it has around 40 members representing North America, Europe, and the Pacific rim. Issues under Review include flow control. encapsulation, translation, and multicasting. the forum's results are submitted to the ISO.
• ATM Forum. http://www.atmforum.com/ The ATM Forum provides acceptance and use of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) technology. The ATM Forum is made up of Customer Premises Equipment (e.g., PBX systems ) vendors and Central Office (e.g., telephone exchange) providers. It is concerned with the standardization of service to ensure interoperability.

Regulatory Agencies
All communications technology is subject to regulation by government agencies such as Federal Communication Commission in the United States. The purpose of these agencies is to protect the public interest by regulating radio, television, and wire/cable communications.

• Federal Communications Commission (FCC). http://www.fcc.gov/  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has authority over interstate and international commerce as it relates to communications.

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• Internet Standards