In today's networks, the evolution of wide-area services is constrained by standardization and compatibility concerns. The result is that the introduction of a new service occurs much more slowly than the emergence of new applications and technologies that benefit from it. To ameliorate this problem, an active network exploits mobile code and programmable infrastructure to provide rapid and specialized service introduction. A viable active network has the potential to change the way network protocols are designed and used, stimulating innovation and hastening the arrival of new functionality. There are, however, a number of challenges that must be overcome in the design of an active network. Chief among them are how to express new services as network programs, and how to execute these programs efficiently and securely
To submit an update or takedown request for this paper, please submit an Update/Correction/Removal Request.