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Open Transport

Definition

Open Transport is a networking application program interface (API) developed by Apple Inc. for its Mac OS. Introduced in 1995, Open Transport was designed to provide a universal network communication system that supports both AppleTalk and TCP/IP protocols, facilitating data sharing and communication between different devices and networks.

Phonetic

The phonetic representation of “Open Transport” would be:/’oÊŠpÉ™n træns’pÉ”:rt/

Key Takeaways

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  1. Open Transport is a movement advocating for open standards and open data in transportation. It aims to make transportation data freely available to the public, promoting transparency and enabling innovative solutions in the transportation sector.
  2. This initiative not only facilitates better integration of transport networks but also powers up a broad range of applications – from smart navigation apps to systems for better urban planning, thus providing a foundation for smarter cities.
  3. By allowing access to real-time data, Open Transport encourages competition and fosters innovation among service providers, paving the way for more efficient and customizable transportation services for the users.

“`This gives a snapshot of what the Open Transport initiative is about.

Importance

Open Transport is a vital technological term as it refers to the networking infrastructure of Apple Macintosh. Introduced in 1995 and released as part of System 7, it plays an essential role in the seamless internal communication between applications and network services in Apple devices. It replaced the older MacTCP system, offering increased efficiency and features for developers and users. Its adoption paved the way for greater compatibility and communication between various networking protocols. Although Apple has since replaced it with newer systems, Open Transport was a significant milestone in streamlining network communications and improving functionality, thereby enhancing the overall user experience.

Explanation

Open Transport refers to a technology which serves as a critical framework for network communication and data transmission. Introduced by Apple Inc., it was originally designed to provide a single, unified architecture that simplifies the integration, control and handling of a multitude of different types of network protocols, such as IPX, AppleTalk and TCP/IP. It integrates these protocols into the Mac OS system, making it easier for developers and users to manage and utilize network services.The primary purpose of Open Transport is to offer an efficient and flexible way of managing network communications. It’s used to enable interoperability between different networking services and protocols, which aids in creating a smoother and more streamlined user-interface, improving usability and, in turn, productivity. By providing a consistent API for software developers, it allows them to create applications that work seamlessly on any network. Overall, Open Transport’s functionality makes it a vital tool in network communication and data transmission.

Examples

1. Open Transit Data: Many cities around the world provide open access to transportation data including real-time bus and train schedules, routes, and GPS locations. For example, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority provides APIs and data feeds for developers to use in creating transit apps. This openness allows third-party applications to offer customized travel information to users and improve urban mobility.2. Open Container Initiative: This is a lightweight, open, and universal standard created to help technology companies standardize the way containers—used for building, packaging, and promoting an application—are managed and transported. Key players like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure support this open source project that improves interoperability in cloud-native environments.3. Open Transport Protocol in Apple Systems: Before MacOSX, Open Transport was a networking API introduced by Apple to replace MacTCP in System 7.x. It was a comprehensive networking framework that supported Transport Layer Interface (TLI)-style port and queue-based networking. The Open Transport’s model allowed the efficient networking services, provided (slightly) modern security standards, and supported network protocols other than AppleTalk.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)

Sure, here is a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section about the technology term “Open Transport”.**Q1: What is Open Transport?**A: Open Transport refers to an API (Application Programming Interface) that was developed by Apple Inc. to allow applications to access network services. This was used in Mac OS operating systems but was later replaced by other technologies.**Q2: What type of technology is Open Transport?**A: Open Transport is networking technology. It was specifically developed as a modern and extensible networking architecture to handle network devices and services.**Q:3: What applications used Open Transport?**A: Open Transport was primarily used in Mac OS operating systems. Applications running in these systems that needed access to network services utilized Open Transport for that purpose.**Q4: Has Open Transport been succeeded by another technology?**A: Yes, Open Transport was largely replaced by BSD sockets-based technology in Mac OS X, and it is no longer included in modern Mac OS versions.**Q5: What were some other features of Open Transport?**A: Open Transport made network configuration simpler, supported a wider range of network protocols, and provided a more reliable and efficient service. It also provided dynamic load balancing to improve performance.**Q6: Was Open Transport platform-independent?**A: Open Transport was mainly developed for Mac OS. However, the aim of its architecture was to be as platform-independent as possible, meaning it could theoretically be implemented on other platforms.**Q7: How did Open Transport impact the IT networking landscape?**A: Open Transport played a significant role in creating a high-level, robust API for connecting to network services in its time. Today, although it is no longer in use, its impacts can still be seen in the design of similar modern technologies.**Q8: What do you mean by ‘extensible’ with regards to Open Transport’s networking architecture?**A: By extensible, we mean that the architecture of Open Transport was designed in a manner that allowed it to be easily expanded or adapted to include and support new network protocols or functionalities as required. **Q9: How is Open Transport different from BSD sockets?**A: The main difference is that Open Transport was Mac-specific and used a high-level API, while BSD sockets are a low-level API used across different operating systems. Moreover, BSD sockets have a more widespread usage and are still in use today, unlike Open Transport.**Q10: Is Open Transport still relevant today?**A: While Open Transport itself has become obsolete and is no longer used, the basic concepts and principles behind it still hold relevance in how network services are accessed and managed today.

Related Tech Terms

  • TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
  • Network Protocols
  • Data Transmission
  • Routing
  • API (Application Programming Interface)

Sources for More Information

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