Large-datagram hop-by-hop delivery mechanism

I am seeking a mechanism for reliable delivery of large blobs through a
network of occasionally-connected hosts that can forward the blobs using
available transport protocols.

I can't find it, though. Most of the networking materials I can find
deal more with immediate-transmission networks, where the destination
host is reachable at the instant that the source host transmits. (This
isn't a catenet.)

If anyone knows of such a common or standardized system, please drop me
a note.

And if there's not already such a system, then we'll just have to make
one.

Sounds to me like UUCP.

"Mark R. Lindsey" wrote:

I am seeking a mechanism for reliable delivery of large blobs through a
network of occasionally-connected hosts that can forward the blobs using
available transport protocols.

I can't find it, though. Most of the networking materials I can find
deal more with immediate-transmission networks, where the destination
host is reachable at the instant that the source host transmits. (This
isn't a catenet.)

If anyone knows of such a common or standardized system, please drop me
a note.

sounds to me like email, where the sending host tries again and again
over a defined period of time to delivery data. no?

UUCP. It does exactly what you just described. If you want to run over an
existing IP network, use UUCP-over-TCP.

<DIV mode=digression>
You know, five years ago, we wouldn't have given a moment's thought to
this problem, since the solving technology was so blatantly obvious. Have
things really changed -that- much?
</DIV>

I am seeking a mechanism for reliable delivery of large blobs through a
network of occasionally-connected hosts that can forward the blobs using
available transport protocols.

(As I slowly try to hide in a corner so noone can see where this
suggestion came from..)

UUCP?

All kidding aside, I'd love to talk about your applicaton off-list.

- Forrest W. Christian (forrestc@imach.com) KD7EHZ