M.I.T. Laboratory for Computer Science
    
    Computer Systems and Communications Group
    
                                                                    April 2, 1981
    
    Current research activities
    by J. H. Saltzer
    
    The activities of this group coordinate closely with those of several
    other M.I.T. L.C.S. groups as part of a larger project to understand
    how to design systems for distributed applications.  This group concen-
    trates mostly on the communications substrate.  Current projects include:
    
    1.   A ten Mbit/sec. token access ring network, to find out whether this
         technology (which is attractive because it can be scaled up in speed
         and distance) is equal or superior to the Ethernet on issues such as
         ease of installation, trouble isolation, and administration.
    
    2.   High bandwidth (1 Mbit/sec.) data communication to home computers
         located in low density suburban areas, via two-way community cable
         television facilities.
    
    3.   Local network interconnection with gateways, with exploration of
         internet naming and routing, flow and congestion control, and protocol
         "effectiveness", that is, what protocol features lead to efficient
         integration with host operating systems.
    
    4.   Design of a campus-wide data communication network that can expand,
         in ten years, to allow several thousand desk-top computers to
         communicate with one another, several hundred specialized service
         computers, and gateways to outside networks and services.
    
    5.   Protocol for random file access, transaction-oriented file update,
         and mail exchange, with emphasis on discovering performance bottle-
         necks and making functions more natural to a user or programmer of a
         distributed application.