[e2e] Perils of TSO

[Bob Braden]

  *> 
  *> Regarding TSO offload of TCP, early binding has benefits, but also 
  *> costs.   One would hope that the offload engine could be upgraded to 
  *> incorporate better practices.   Not being able to upgrade will indeed 
  *> enhance the ossification of infrastructure in the Internet, shortening 
  *> the time to its obsolescence.

Sometime around 1983, some chip manufacturer came out with a "TCP chip".
It scared the IAB quite a lot, since we were well aware that we did not
yet have enough experience with TCP design.  Indeed, Van Jacobson had
not come along yet.  It is scary to think what what have happened if
TCP of 1983 had been cast into silicon at the time, significantly
retarding the introduction of the VJ congestion algorithms.  Fortunately,
their marketing effort failed ("'TCP'? What is that, a mouth wash?").

Bob Braden

  *> 
  *> If you design for the past, you get locked into the past.   Optimal in 
  *> the short term, but discounting the value of flexibility in the long term.
  *> 
  *> Need I repeat my rant about designing hot rods rather than family cars?  
  *> Who cares about setting I2 speed records?
  *>