An informal overview of formal protocol specification

A RAPIDLY GROWING area of research in computer communications is formal protocol specification. The importance of protocols arises from the fact that protocols form the nervous system of teleprocessing networks and, as such, are responsible for ensuring that the pieces of the system work as a harmonious whole. The complexity and size of today's systems and the fact that they are put together from subsystem components manufactured in different locations and even by different companies, virtually demand formal specification. And, there are many side benefits, as this tutorial points out.