Netstation Project

The goal of this project is to demonstrate that gigabit LANs can effectively replace the system bus in conventional workstations. By rearchitecting around a network, processors and device resources all reside in cyberspace.

Reaching a Watershed - Fundamental Shift in Scale

Sub-chip gigabit network interface
Allows use of the Internet inside as well as outside computer architectures
Allows direct Internet-wide access to major devices

Project Objectives

Interface major device subsystems to a gigabit network rather than to a system bus
Logically interface those subsystems via protocols

Devices Become Internet Hosts

Devices are not tied to a chassis, but to a network
Not memory-mapped, but network-mapped
Not physically, but logically interfaced

Project Investigations

Gigabit physical interface design
Device security and control
Very high-rate transport protocol and protocol stack design issues
- Eliminating the cost of embedded transport-layer checksumming
  A Zero-Pass End-to-End Checksum Mechanism for IPv6
  full paper in postscript full paper in pdf

Publications, Papers, Presentations and Working Drafts

BibTeX entries for all Netstation publications.

Papers & Presentations, 1991-1994
- Gregory G. Finn,
  An Integration of Network Communication with Workstation Architecture
  ACM Computer Communication Review Oct. 1991,
  the seminal Netstation paper
  abstract/ full paper in postscript full paper in pdf
- Danny Cohen, Gregory G. Finn, Robert Felderman and Annette Deschon,
  The Use of Message-Based Multicomputer Components to Construct Gigabit Networks
  ACM Computer Communication Review, July 1993,
  abstract/ full paper in postscript full paper in pdf
- Gregory G. Finn and Paul Mockapetris,
  Netstation Architecture: Multi-Gigabit Workstation Network Fabric
  InterOp 1994
  abstract/ full paper in postscript/ full paper in pdf
  accompanying slides in postscript accompanying slides in pdf
Papers & Drafts 1995
- Interfacing High-Definition Displays via the Internet
  August 1995 white paper
  paper in postscript paper in pdf
- NVD Research Issues & Preliminary Models
  March 1995 white paper, updated September 1995
  paper in postscript paper in pdf
- Netstation Project
  presented to the National Storage Industry Consortium's working group on Network Attached Storage Devices, at Santa Clara University, Sept. 1, 1995.
Papers, Presentations & Drafts 1996
- ATOMIC-2 & Netstation Projects
  1996 ARPA ITO Meeting Presentation
  slides in postscript slides in pdf
- Rodney Van Meter,
  A Brief Survey of Current Work on Network-Attached Peripherals
  ACM Operating Systems Review, January '96.
  paper in postscript paper in pdf
- Rodney Van Meter, Steve Hotz and Gregory Finn,
  Derived Virtual Devices: A Secure Distributed File System Mechanism
  Proc. Fifth NASA Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies Sept. 1996.
  also presented at the 1996 Carnegie Mellon University Parallel Data Systems Workshop and Retreat, at Wisp Resort, Deep Creek, MD., Sept. 24, 1996.
  abstract/ paper in postscript paper in pdf
  presentation slides in postscript presentation slides in pdf
- Gregory Finn, Steve Hotz and Rodney Van Meter,
  The Impact of a Zero-Scan Internet Checksumming Mechanism
  ACM Computer Communication Review, Oct. 1996.
  abstract/ paper in postscript paper in pdf
Papers, Presentations & Drafts 1997
- Rodney Van Meter,
  Observing the Effects of Multi-Zone Disks
  Proc. Usenix 1997 Annual Technical Conference, Anaheim, Jan. 1997
  abstract, paper and source available here
- Rodney Van Meter, Steve Hotz and Gregory G. Finn,
  Task Force on Network Storage Architecture: Internet-attached storage devices
  Proc. Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Jan. 1997.
  Position paper for the task force that met in conjunction with the conference.
  abstract/ one-page PostScript one-page pdf
- Gregory Finn, Craig Milo Rogers and Rodney Van Meter,
  Datagram Forwarding via Stateless Internetwork Switching
  IEEE Communications Society and NetWorld+Interop '97, Engineers Conference on Broadband Access - Technologies, Systems and Services, 7-8 May, 1997, Las Vegas, NV.
  abstract paper in postscript format paper in pdf foramt
  presentation slides
- "VISA: Netstation's Virtual Internet SCSI Adapter"
  Rod Van Meter, presentation at HP Labs, July 15, 1997
  abstract presentation slides in postscript presentation slides in pdf
  4 per page slides in postscript 4 per page slides in pdf
- Rodney Van Meter, Greg Finn, Steve Hotz and Dave Dyer,
  Response to the Collapsed LAN
  letter to the editor in ACM Computer Architecture News, Sept. 1997.
  in postscript in pdf
- "System Architectures Using Network Attached Peripherals"
  Rod Van Meter, presentation at USC Integrated Media Systems Center, October 30, 1997
  abstract / presentation slides in postscript / presentation slides in pdf /
  4 per page slides in ostscript 4 per page slides in pdf
Papers, Presentations & Drafts 1998
- Steve Hotz, Rodney Van Meter, and Gregory Finn,
  Internet Protocols for Network-Attached Peripherals
  Sixth NASA Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies in conjunction with 15th IEEE Symposium on Mass Storage Systems, March 1998.
  full paper in postscript full paper in pdf
- Rodney Van Meter, Gregory G. Finn and Steve Hotz,
  VISA: Netstation's Virtual Internet SCSI Adapter
  ASPLOS VIII, October 1998.
  presentation slides in postscript presentation slides in pdf
  full paper in postscript full paper in pdf
Project Personnel
- Greg Finn, Project Leader
- Steven Hotz
- Rodney Van Meter
- Bruce Parham
- ReZa Rejaie, GRA
Netstation Grew Out of the ATOMIC Project
- ATOMIC Project
- ATOMIC-2 Project
Related Work at Other Institutions

DAN effort at Cambridge University
Hayter, M., McAuley, D.
The Desk Area Network
ACM Transactions on Operating Systems, Oct. 1991.
Barham, P., Hayter, M., McAuley, D., Pratt, I.
Devices on the Desk Area Network
IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, May 1995.

Viewstation effort at MIT
Telemedia, Networks, and Systems Group
Houh, H., Adam, J., Ismert, M., Lindblad, C., Tennenhouse, D.
The VuNet Desk Area Network: Architecture, Implementation, and Experience
IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, May 1995.

Copyright 1995,1996,1997 by USC/Information Sciences Institute
This page maintained by
[email protected]
Last modified: Thu Aug 9 10:48:56 PDT 2001

Netstation Project

Reaching a Watershed - Fundamental Shift in Scale

Project Objectives

Devices Become Internet Hosts

Project Investigations

Publications, Papers, Presentations and Working Drafts

Project Personnel

Netstation Grew Out of the ATOMIC Project

Related Work at Other Institutions