ASN.1 Communication Between Heterogeneous Systems is a book written for novices and experienced ASN.1 users alike. Inside, you'll find all the introduction you need to begin mastering ASN.1, followed by a detailed User's Guide and Reference Manual. Organized in order of increasing difficulty, this section teaches you ASN.1 syntax and semantics and the techniques you need to know to use the notation-whether to specify a new protocol or to apply an existing ASN.1 protocol in a new application.

More experienced users can move directly to complete coverage of ASN.1 encoding rules and transfer syntaxes. Additional advanced material focuses on questions/issues that commonly arise when implementing ASN.1 applications, ranging from automatic treatments of specifications to editing tools.

Features:

• Offers ASN.1 newcomers a helpful introduction to data communications, the role of this dominant notation, and all its key concepts and application domains.

• Provides a graduated, step-by-step instruction focused on using ASN.1 syntax and semantics in real-world protocol specifications.

• Introduces and explains the four standardized sets of encoding rules associated with ASN.1.

• Gives experienced users the advanced coverage required to solve special problems arising in specific ASN.1 applications.

• Discusses ASN.1 in the context of other formal languages (including SDL, TTCN, and GDMO) and compares it to other abstract syntax notations.

• Organized around detailed examples developed to ensure your complete understanding.

1 Prologue

2 Utilitarian Introduction to ASN.1

3 ASN.1 and the OSI Reference Model

4 Your First Steps with ASN.1

5 Basics of ASN.1

6 History

7 Protocols Specified in ASN.1

II User's Guide and Reference Manual

8 Introduction to the Reference Manual

9 Modules and Assignments

10 Basic Types

11 Character String Types

12 Constructed Types, Tagging, Extensibility Rules

13 Subtype Constraints

14 Presentation Context Switching Types

15 Information Object Classes, Objects, and Object Sets

16 Enough To Read Macros

17 Parameterization

III Encoding Rules and Transfer Syntaxes

18 Basic Encoding Rules (BER)

19 Canonical and Distinguished Encoding Rules (CER and DER)

20 Packed Encoding Rules (PER)

21 Other Encoding Rules

IV ASN.1 Applications

22 Tools

23 ASN.1 and the Formal Languages SDL, TTCN, GDMO

24 Other Abstract Syntax Notations

25 Epilogue

V Appendices

A Encoding/Decoding Simulations

B Combined Use of ASN.1 and SDL