Page 135

OSI Network Layer Functions 111

The Story of Ted and Ting

Ted and Ting both work for the same company at a facility in Snellville, Georgia. They work in
the same department; their job is to make lots of widgets. (Widgets are imaginary products; the
term widget is used in the United States often to represent a product when the actual product is
not the topic of discussion.)

Ted worked quickly and was a hard worker. In fact, because he was a very intense person, Ted
tended to make more widgets than anyone else in Snellville, including Ting. Ted also liked to
have everything he needed instantly available when and where he wanted it so that he could
make the widgets more quickly.

Ting, on the other hand, also worked very hard but was much more of a planner. He tended to
think first and then act. Ting planned very well and had all supplies well stocked, including all
the instructions needed to make the different kinds of widgets. In fact, all the information about
how to build each type of widget was on a table by his door. He had a problem with the table
getting "reallocated" (that is, stolen), so he applied a nonremovable label with the words
"Ting's Table" to the surface so that he could find the table in case someone stole it.

It turns out that Ted's productivity was in part a result of sitting next to Ting. In fact, Ted often
was ready to make the next widget but needed something, such as the instruction sheet for a
particular unique widget. By swinging into Ting's office, Ted could be back at it in just a few
seconds. In fact, part of the reason Ting kept the instruction sheets on Ting's Table by the door
was that he was tired of Ted always interrupting him looking for something.

Well, Ted got lots of bonuses for being the most productive worker, and Ting did not. Being fair,
though, Ted realized that he would not be as successful without Ting, so Ted shared his bonuses
with Ting. (Hey, it's an imaginary story!)

Then one day the president decided to franchise the company because it was the best widget-
making company in the world. The president, Dr. Rou, decided to make a manual to be used by
all the franchisees to build their business. So, Dr. Rou went to the most productive widget-
maker, Ted, and asked him what he did every day. Along the way, Dr. Rou noticed that Ted went
next door a lot. So, being the bright guy that he was, Dr. Rou visited Ting next and asked him
what he did.

The next day Dr. Rou emerged with the franchise manual. Being an ex-computer networking
professional, he had called the manual "Protocols for Making Widgets." One part of the
protocol defined how Ted made widgets very fast. Another part described how Ting kept
everything needed by Ted at arm's length, including all the instructions Ted needed. It even
mentioned Ting's Table as the place to store the instruction sheets. To give credit where credit
was due--but not too much credit--the names of these protocols were:

The "Rou-Ted Protocol"--How to make widgets really fast

The "Rou-Ting Protocol"--How to plan so that the other guy can make widgets fast

The "Rou-Ting Table"--The place to store your widget-making instruction sheets

ch03.fm Page 111 Monday, March 20, 2000 4:58 PM