Hosts connected to a DTM network communicate with each other on channels. To each channel network resources are associated. These resources are given to a channel when it is created, and they remain constant throughout the channel's lifetime. This implies that channels provide services with guarantees on real-time properties. In particular, a channel is isolated with guaranteed throughput and constant delay.
Channels are multicast, meaning that any number of hosts can communicate on a channel.
Senders and receivers can be associated with channels independently of each other, and independently of the allocation of network resources to channels. The intention is that channels should be so flexible that they can be used for most types of communications. DTM Slide Show List of Publications.