Scheduled Transfer Protocol (ST)

(ST is also being promoted as part of GSN.)

A partially completed ST FAQ (a list of Frequently Asked Questions)

Two new ST option codes in pdf format. These codes provide a method to pass IP addresses back and forth between communicating systems. Anyone with a need to exchange IP addresses within ST is encouraged to use this method. While these option codes are not yet an official part of ST, the T11.1 working group plans to add them into the standard at the next convenient opportunity.

ST Error Codes document, version 1.1 in pdf format. This document was reviewed at the April, 2000 meeting in San Diego, CA
This document should be read by everyone implementing ST or an API/Profile that uses ST in order to understand error code usage conventions. While using error codes is optional in ST, it is encouraged. In particular, those implementing APIs and/or Profiles over ST are strongly encouraged to require use of error codes as described herein.

Scheduled Transfer Rev 4.0 Maintenance, dated October 15, 2000 is here. This version reflects the final changes made by NCITS and ANSI after T11.1 completed its document work. If we make subsequent changes or modifications to the approved standard, this document will be the baseline.

Scheduled Transfer Rev 3.6, without change bars , dated January 31, 2000 is here. Except for the absence of change bars (done December 8, 1999) and updating of the title (done January 31, 2000), it is the same as the revision 3.6 document on the line below. This is the exact document version that will be used for the NCITS Public Review comment period.

Scheduled Transfer Rev 3.6, dated December 8, 1999, is here. It includes changes made and reviewed at the December 7-8 meeting in Reno, NV.

Scheduled Transfer Rev 3.5, dated October 7, 1999, is here. It includes the changes made at the August 1999, Ft. Lauderdale, FL meeting. We will review Rev 3.5 at the December 7-8 meeting in Reno, NV.

Scheduled Transfer Rev 3.4, dated August 9, 1999, is here. It includes the changes made at the August 1999, Rochester, MN meeting. We will review Rev 3.4 at the October 5-6 meeting in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

Scheduled Transfer Rev 3.3, dated July 27, 1999, is here. It includes the changes made at the July 1999, Seattle, WA meeting. We will review Rev 3.3 at the August 2-3 meeting in Rochester, MN.

Scheduled Transfer Rev 3.2, dated June 21, 1999, is here. It includes the changes made at the June 1999, Minneapolis, Minnesota meeting. We will review Rev 3.2 at the July 13-14 meeting in Seattle, WA.

A proposal from Don Tolmie for possible resolution of the variable Blocksize question in PDF format. We will review this at the June 8-9 meeting in Minneapolis.

Scheduled Transfer Rev 3.1, dated May 18, 1999, is here. It includes the changes made at the May 1999, Milwaukee, Wisconsin meeting. We will review Rev 3.1 at the June 8-9 meeting in Minneapolis, MN.

Scheduled Transfer Rev 3.0, dated April 28, 1999, is here. It includes the changes made at the April 1999, Palm Springs, California meeting. We will review Rev 3.0 at the May 13-14 meeting in Milwaukee, WI.

Scheduled Transfer Rev 2.9, dated March 12, 1999, is here. It includes the changes made at the March 1999, Richardson, Texas meeting. We will review Rev 2.9 at the April 13-14 meeting in Palm Springs, California.

Scheduled Transfer Rev 2.8, dated March 2, 1999, is here. It includes the changes made at the February, 1999, Huntington Beach, California meeting. We will review Rev 2.8 at the March 9-10 meeting in Richardson, Texas.

Scheduled Transfer Rev 2.7, dated February 1, 1999, is here. It includes the changes made at the January, 1999, Albuquerque, New Mexico meeting. We will review Rev 2.7 at the February 9-10 meeting in Huntington Beach, CA.

A proposal for adding a NOP command, dated January 26, 1999, is here. We will review this proposal at the February 9-10 meeting in Huntington Beach, CA.

Scheduled Transfer Rev 2.6, dated January 26, 1999, is here. It includes the changes made at the December 1998, Tucson, Arizona meeting. We will review Rev 2.6 at the January 12-13 meeting in Albuquerque, NM.

Scheduled Transfer Rev 2.5, dated December 9, 1998, is here. It includes the changes made at the November, 1998, Mountain View, CA, meeting. We will review Rev 2.5 at the December 15-16 meeting in Tucson, AZ.

Scheduled Transfer Rev 2.4, dated October 28, 1998, is here. It includes the changes made at the October, 1998, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, meeting. We reviewed Rev 2.4 at the November 17-18 meeting in Mountain View, CA.

Example C code for ST Tiling - Rev 1.0, dated September 21, 1998, in PDF format or in a "tar.gz" file format is here.

A Project Proposal for "Fibre Channel - Scheduled Transfer Mapping (FC-ST)" is here. It was reviewed at the June 11, 1998, T11.4 Plenary meeting, and voted down, mainly due to the lack of an editor. The intent was to remove the FC mapping from the ST document and give the project to Task Group T11.4. The Fibre Channel mapping material was in ST Annex A.5 for a while, and then moved to a separate document. It appears as though this is a "standard before its time" and should wait for implementations to happen before documentation. The April 24, 1998, ST over FC presentation to the T11.4 FC-AV (audio/visual) group by Don Tolmie is here.

Status as of September 23, 1998 -

Rev 2.3 is the current document. The basic protocol is stable, a few enhancements are being added. Most of the work now is concerned with adding explanatory annex material and cleaning up the text. The ST over Fibre Channel material has been deleted.

The Hamlyn patent .

The 1992 paper, "Hamlyn - an interface for sender-based communications" by John Wilkes.

The 1995 paper, "Hamlyn: a high-performance network interface with sender-based memory management" by Buzzard, Jacobson, Marovich, and Wilkes.

Scheduled Transfer Protocol (ST)

Abstract -

This standard specifies a data transfer protocol that uses small control messages to pre-arrange data movement. Buffers are allocated at each end before the data transmission, allowing full-rate, non-congesting data flow between the end devices. The control and data may use different physical media, or may share a single physical medium. Procedures are provided for moving data over HIPPI and other media.

Technical editor -

Don Tolmie - Formerly of Los Alamos National Laboratory
Now at Tolmie Enterprises
tolmie@concentric.net