Open Extensible Network Control



Herbert Bos
Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge, New Museums Site,
Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QG, United Kingdom
Email: herbertb_AT_liacs.nl



Abstract
Network control is decomposed in six parts: switch control, resource partitioning, virtual network building, virtual network control, generic services and data-path components. Each of these parts can benefit from support for dynamically loadable code, which allows users to extend and customise the basic functionality. This is related to active networks, except that dynamic code exercises control mostly at the granularity of connections (flows), rather than individual packets and all aspects of network control are explicitly considered. Network resources are recursively partitionable, so that dynamic code is able to control partitions of virtual networks in any way it sees fit. Policing these partitions may occur at varying levels of 'strictness'.

Keywords: Active networks, elastic control, open control, virtual networks, policing

JNSM: Vol. 8, No. 1, 2000 Open Extensible Network Control [Vol. 8, No. 1, 2000]



NOTE: only abstract of paper available on-line; please contact your library or the authors for the full paper

Back to JNSM main page