Active networking

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Active networking is a communication pattern that allows packets flowing through a telecommunications network to dynamically modify the operation of the network.

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Active network architecture is composed of execution environments (similar to a unix shell that can execute active packets), a node operating system capable of supporting one or more execution environments. It also consists of active hardware, capable of routing or switching as well as executing code within active packets. This differs from the traditional network architecture which seeks robustness and stability by attempting to remove complexity and the ability to change its fundamental operation from underlying network components. Network processors are one means of implementing active networking concepts. Active networks have also been implemented as overlay networks.

What does it offer?

Active networking allows the possibility of highly tailored and rapid "real-time" changes to the underlying network operation. This enables such ideas as sending code along with packets of information allowing the data to change its form (code) to match the channel characteristics. The smallest program that can generate a sequence of data can be found in the definition of Kolmogorov complexity. The use of real-time genetic algorithms within the network to compose network services is also enabled by active networking.

How it relates to other networking paradigms

Active networking relates to other networking paradigms primarily based upon how computing and communication are partitioned in the architecture.

Active networking and software-defined networking

Active networking is an approach to network architecture with in-network programmability. The name derives from a comparison with network approaches advocating minimization of in-network processing, based on design advice such as the "end-to-end argument". Two major approaches were conceived: programmable network elements ("switches") and capsules, a programmability approach that places computation within packets traveling through the network. Treating packets as programs later became known as "active packets". Software-defined networking decouples the system that makes decisions about where traffic is sent (the control plane) from the underlying systems that forward traffic to the selected destination (the data plane). The concept of a programmable control plane originated at the University of Cambridge in the Systems Research Group, where (using virtual circuit identifiers available in Asynchronous Transfer Mode switches) multiple virtual control planes were made available on a single physical switch. Control Plane Technologies (CPT) was founded to commercialize this concept.

Fundamental challenges

Active network research addresses the nature of how best to incorporate extremely dynamic capability within networks. [1]

In order to do this, active network research must address the problem of optimally allocating computation versus communication within communication networks. [2] A similar problem related to the compression of code as a measure of complexity is addressed via algorithmic information theory.

One of the challenges of active networking has been the inability of information theory to mathematically model the active network paradigm and enable active network engineering. This is due to the active nature of the network in which communication packets contain code that dynamically change the operation of the network. Fundamental advances in information theory are required in order to understand such networks. [3]

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and a code portion
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An active network channel uses executable code in the packet to impact the channel controlling the relationship between the transmitted sequence and the received sequence . is composed of a data portion and a code portion . Upon incorporation of , the channel medium may change its operational state and capabilities.

Nanoscale active networks

As the limit in reduction of transistor size is reached with current technology, active networking concepts are being explored as a more efficient means accomplishing computation and communication. [5] [6] More on this can be found in nanoscale networking.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kolmogorov complexity</span> Measure of algorithmic complexity

In algorithmic information theory, the Kolmogorov complexity of an object, such as a piece of text, is the length of a shortest computer program that produces the object as output. It is a measure of the computational resources needed to specify the object, and is also known as algorithmic complexity, Solomonoff–Kolmogorov–Chaitin complexity, program-size complexity, descriptive complexity, or algorithmic entropy. It is named after Andrey Kolmogorov, who first published on the subject in 1963 and is a generalization of classical information theory.

Distributed computing is a field of computer science that studies distributed systems, defined as computer systems whose inter-communicating components are located on different networked computers.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">ARPANET</span> Early packet switching network (1969–1990)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theoretical computer science</span> Subfield of computer science and mathematics

Theoretical computer science is a subfield of computer science and mathematics that focuses on the abstract and mathematical foundations of computation.

Dataflow architecture is a dataflow-based computer architecture that directly contrasts the traditional von Neumann architecture or control flow architecture. Dataflow architectures have no program counter, in concept: the executability and execution of instructions is solely determined based on the availability of input arguments to the instructions, so that the order of instruction execution may be hard to predict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Network processor</span>

A network processor is an integrated circuit which has a feature set specifically targeted at the networking application domain.

Algorithmic information theory (AIT) is a branch of theoretical computer science that concerns itself with the relationship between computation and information of computably generated objects, such as strings or any other data structure. In other words, it is shown within algorithmic information theory that computational incompressibility "mimics" the relations or inequalities found in information theory. According to Gregory Chaitin, it is "the result of putting Shannon's information theory and Turing's computability theory into a cocktail shaker and shaking vigorously."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Network on a chip</span> Electronic communication subsystem on an integrated circuit

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Computer network</span> Network that allows computers to share resources and communicate with each other

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nanonetwork</span> A computing network of nanomachines, at nanoscale

A nanonetwork or nanoscale network is a set of interconnected nanomachines which are able to perform only very simple tasks such as computing, data storing, sensing and actuation. Nanonetworks are expected to expand the capabilities of single nanomachines both in terms of complexity and range of operation by allowing them to coordinate, share and fuse information. Nanonetworks enable new applications of nanotechnology in the biomedical field, environmental research, military technology and industrial and consumer goods applications. Nanoscale communication is defined in IEEE P1906.1.

A communication protocol is a system of rules that allows two or more entities of a communications system to transmit information via any variation of a physical quantity. The protocol defines the rules, syntax, semantics, and synchronization of communication and possible error recovery methods. Protocols may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of both.

Software-defined networking (SDN) is an approach to network management that uses abstraction to enable dynamic and programmatically efficient network configuration to create grouping and segmentation while improving network performance and monitoring in a manner more akin to cloud computing than to traditional network management. SDN is meant to improve the static architecture of traditional networks and may be employed to centralize network intelligence in one network component by disassociating the forwarding process of network packets from the routing process. The control plane consists of one or more controllers, which are considered the brains of the SDN network, where the whole intelligence is incorporated. However, centralization has certain drawbacks related to security, scalability and elasticity.

5G network slicing is a network architecture that enables the multiplexing of virtualized and independent logical networks on the same physical network infrastructure. Each network slice is an isolated end-to-end network tailored to fulfill diverse requirements requested by a particular application.

References

  1. Bush, S. F. (2005). "A Simple Metric for Ad Hoc Network Adaptation" (PDF). IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications. 23 (23): 2272–2287. doi:10.1109/JSAC.2005.857204. S2CID   17916856. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-11.
  2. Bush, S. F. (2002). "Active virtual network management prediction: Complexity as a framework for prediction, optimization, and assurance" (PDF). Proceedings DARPA Active Networks Conference and Exposition. IEEE Computer Society Press. pp. 534–553. arXiv: cs/0203014 . Bibcode:2002cs........3014B. doi:10.1109/DANCE.2002.1003518. ISBN   0-7695-1564-9. S2CID   1202234. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-11.
  3. Bush, Stephen F. (2011). "Toward in vivo nanoscale communication networks: utilizing an active network architecture". Front. Comput. Sci. 5 (3): 316–326. doi:10.1007/s11704-011-0116-9. S2CID   3436762.
  4. Bush, Stephen F. (2011). "Toward in vivo nanoscale communication networks: utilizing an active network architecture". Front. Comput. Sci. 5 (3): 316–326. doi:10.1007/s11704-011-0116-9. S2CID   3436762.
  5. ``NANA: A Nanoscale Active Network Architecture by Patwardhan, J. P.; Dwyer, C. L.; Lebeck, A. R. & Sorin, D. J., ACM Journal on Emerging Technologies in Computing Systems (JETC), ACM Journal on Emerging Technologies in Computing Systems) Vol. 2, No. 1, Pages 1–30, January 2006, 3, 1–31.
  6. Nanoscale Communication Networks, Bush, S. F., ISBN   978-1-60807-003-9, Artech House, 2010 https://www.amazon.com/Nanoscale-Communication-Networks-Stephen-Bush/dp/1608070034

Further reading