The current status of MAP
Jeff Foley, Y Weon-Yoon · ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review · 1986
MAP is a standard computer networking discipline and a unified set of communications protocols which make it possible to implement a vendor independent network of computers. MAP provides a complete service to the user or application program. The major facilities, file transfer, process to process messaging, inter-machine messaging, and directory service are supported. Virtual terminal protocol support is planned for the near future. MAP is a subset of the internationally agreed Open Systems Interconnection computer networking architecture, protocols and supporting standards. The MAP subset of OSI Protocols was originally selected by General Motors and has been agreed by a MAP Task Force comprised of nearly 100 user and vendor corporations. MAP specifications are also agreed by the NBS/OSI Implementor's Workshop, indicating that the MAP specifications are OSI compatible. The MAP System and Protocols are described here in sufficient detail to permit the reader to gain a general understanding of MAP against a background of OSI fundamentals. The future growth trends for MAP conclude this paper.