Design and implementation of the node identity internetworking architecture

The Internet Protocol (IP) has been proven very flexible, being able to accommodate all kinds of link technologies and supporting a broad range of applications. The basic principles of the original Internet architecture include end-to-end addressing, global routeability and a single namespace of IP addresses that unintentionally serves both as locators and host identifiers. The commercial success and widespread use of the Internet have lead to new requirements, which include internetworking over business boundaries, mobility and multi-homing in an untrusted environment. Our approach to satisfy these new requirements is to introduce a new internetworking layer, the node identity layer. Such a layer runs on top of the different versions of IP, but could also run directly on top of other kinds of network technologies, such as MPLS and 2G/3G PDP contexts. This approach enables connectivity across different communication technologies, supports mobility, multi-homing, and security from ground up. This paper describes the Node Identity Architecture in detail and discusses the experiences from implementing and running a prototype

A QoS-Driven ISP Selection Mechanism for IPv6 Multi-homed Sites

A global solution for the provision of QoS in IPng sites must include ISP selection based on per-application requirements. In this article we present a new site-local architecture for QoS-driven ISP selection in multi-homed domains, performed in a per application basis. This architecture proposes the novel use of existent network services, a new type of routing header, and the modification of address selection mechanisms to take into account QoS requirements. This proposal is an evolution of current technology, and therefore precludes the addition of new protocols, enabling fast deployment. The sitelocal scope of the proposed solution results in ISP transparency and thus in ISP independency.This research was supported by the LONG (Laboratories Over the Next Generation Networks) project IST-1999-20393.Publicad

Multi-homing tunnel broker

A proper support for communications has to provide fault tolerance capabilities such as the preservation of established connections in case of failures. Multihoming addresses this issue, but the currently available solution based in massive BGP route injection presents serious scalability limitations, since it contributes to the exponential growth of the BGP table size. An alternative solution based on the configuration of tunnels between the multihomed site exit routers and the ISP border routers has been proposed for IPv6 in RFC 3178. However, the amount of manual configuration imposed by this solution on the ISP side prevents its wide adoption. In particular, this solution requires at the ISP the manual configuration of a tunnel endpoint per each multihomed client that it serves. We present a multihoming tunnel broker (MHTB) that provides automatic creation of the tunnel endpoint at the ISP side.This work was supported by the SAM (Advanced Servers with Mobility)project, funded by the Spanish National research and Development Programme as TIC2002-04531-C04-03.Publicad

A Survey on Handover Management in Mobility Architectures

This work presents a comprehensive and structured taxonomy of available techniques for managing the handover process in mobility architectures. Representative works from the existing literature have been divided into appropriate categories, based on their ability to support horizontal handovers, vertical handovers and multihoming. We describe approaches designed to work on the current Internet (i.e. IPv4-based networks), as well as those that have been devised for the "future" Internet (e.g. IPv6-based networks and extensions). Quantitative measures and qualitative indicators are also presented and used to evaluate and compare the examined approaches. This critical review provides some valuable guidelines and suggestions for designing and developing mobility architectures, including some practical expedients (e.g. those required in the current Internet environment), aimed to cope with the presence of NAT/firewalls and to provide support to legacy systems and several communication protocols working at the application layer

Considering Pigeons for Carrying Delay Tolerant Networking based Internet traffic in Developing Countries

There are many regions in the developing world that suffer from poor infrastructure and lack of connection to the Internet and Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN). Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) is a technology that has been advocated for providing store-and-forward network connectivity in these regions over the past few years. DTN often relies on human mobility in one form or another to support transportation of DTN data. This presents a socio-technical problem related to organizing how the data should be transported. In some situations the demand for DTN traffic can exceed that which is possible to support with human mobility, so alternative mechanisms are needed. In this paper we propose using live carrier pigeons (columba livia) to transport DTN data. Carrier pigeons have been used for transporting packets of information for a long time, but have not yet been seriously considered for transporting DTN traffic. We provide arguements that this mode of DTN data transport provides promise, and should receive attention from research and development projects. We provide an overview of pigeon characteristics to analyze the feasibility of using them for data transport, and present simulations of a DTN network that utilizes pigeon transport in order to provide an initial investigation into expected performance characteristics

Recursive internetwork architecture, investigating RINA as an alternative to TCP/IP (IRATI)

Driven by the requirements of the emerging applications and networks, the Internet has become an architectural patchwork of growing complexity which strains to cope with the changes. Moore’s law prevented us from recognising that the problem does not hide in the high demands of today’s applications but lies in the flaws of the Internet’s original design. The Internet needs to move beyond TCP/IP to prosper in the long term, TCP/IP has outlived its usefulness. The Recursive InterNetwork Architecture (RINA) is a new Internetwork architecture whose fundamental principle is that networking is only interprocess communication (IPC). RINA reconstructs the overall structure of the Internet, forming a model that comprises a single repeating layer, the DIF (Distributed IPC Facility), which is the minimal set of components required to allow distributed IPC between application processes. RINA supports inherently and without the need of extra mechanisms mobility, multi-homing and Quality of Service, provides a secure and configurable environment, motivates for a more competitive marketplace and allows for a seamless adoption. RINA is the best choice for the next generation networks due to its sound theory, simplicity and the features it enables. IRATI’s goal is to achieve further exploration of this new architecture. IRATI will advance the state of the art of RINA towards an architecture reference model and specifcations that are closer to enable implementations deployable in production scenarios. The design and implemention of a RINA prototype on top of Ethernet will permit the experimentation and evaluation of RINA in comparison to TCP/IP. IRATI will use the OFELIA testbed to carry on its experimental activities. Both projects will benefit from the collaboration. IRATI will gain access to a large-scale testbed with a controlled network while OFELIA will get a unique use-case to validate the facility: experimentation of a non-IP based Internet

Design of multi-homing architecture for mobile hosts

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.This thesis proposes a new multi-homing mobile architecture for future heterogeneous network environment. First, a new multi-homed mobile architecture called Multi Network Switching enabled Mobile IPv6 (MNS-MIP6) is proposed which enables a Mobile Node (MN) having multiple communication paths between itself and its Correspondent Node (CN) to take full advantage of being multi-homed. Multiple communication paths exist because MN, CN, or both are simultaneously attached to multiple access networks. A new sub layer is introduced within IP layer of the host’s protocol stack. A context is established between the MN and the CN. Through this context, additional IP addresses are exchanged between the two. Our MNS-MIP6 architecture allows one communication to smoothly switch from one interface/communication path to another. This switch remains transparent to other layers above IP. Second, to make communication more reliable in multi-homed mobile environments, a new failure detection and recovery mechanism called Mobile Reach ability Protocol (M-REAP) is designed within the proposed MNS-MIP6 architecture. The analysis shows that our new mechanism makes communication more reliable than the existing failure detection and recovery procedures in multi-homed mobile environments. Third, a new network selection mechanism is introduced in the proposed architecture which enables a multi-homed MN to choose the network best suited for particular application traffic. A Policy Engine is defined which takes parameters from iv the available networks, compares them according to application profiles and user preferences, and chooses the best network. The results show that in multi-homed mobile environment, load can be shared among different networks/interfaces through our proposed load sharing mechanism. Fourth, a seamless handover procedure is introduced in the system which enables multi-homed MN to seamlessly roam in a heterogeneous network environment. Layer 2 triggers are defined which assist in handover process. When Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) on a currently used active interface becomes low, a switch is made to a different active interface. We show through mathematical and simulation analysis that our proposed scheme outperforms the existing popular handover management enhancement scheme in MIPv6 networks namely Fast Handover for MIPv6 (FMIPv6). Finally, a mechanism is introduced to allow legacy hosts to communicate with MNS-MIP6 MNs and gain the benefits of reliability, load sharing and seamless handover. The mechanism involves introducing middle boxes in CN’s network. These boxes are called Proxy-MNS boxes. Context is established between the middle boxes and a multi-homed MN