ABSTRACT
This chapter explores an architectural framework that categorizes and defines the services that are provided by the network and discusses areas in which these services are evolving. It focuses on a description of the communication services and the communications fabric portions of the Netcentric Execution Architecture. Netcentric computing is an outgrowth of the increased importance and capabilities of the network as well as the associated communications that the network enables between computing environments and access devices. The physical network infrastructure is shifting to support more dynamic human-to-human communications styles instead of the traditional, precise computer-to-computer communications. Selecting the appropriate Communication Services, services that meet the business and applications requirements, is a key step to ensuring a successful Communications Architecture. Transport Services are the portion of the Communications Architecture that provides the movement of information across a network. Multicasting allows a sender to transfer a single copy of the message to the communications fabric.
