International Workshop on Collaobration and Cognition in Next Generation Networks

Research Article

Towards a Framework for Evolvable Network Design

Download
438 downloads
  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.1007/978-3-642-03354-4_29,
        author={Hoda Hassan and Ramy Eltarras and Mohamed Eltoweissy},
        title={Towards a Framework for Evolvable Network Design},
        proceedings={International Workshop on Collaobration and Cognition in Next Generation Networks},
        proceedings_a={CONGN},
        year={2012},
        month={5},
        keywords={},
        doi={10.1007/978-3-642-03354-4_29}
    }
    
  • Hoda Hassan
    Ramy Eltarras
    Mohamed Eltoweissy
    Year: 2012
    Towards a Framework for Evolvable Network Design
    CONGN
    Springer
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-03354-4_29
Hoda Hassan1,*, Ramy Eltarras1,*, Mohamed Eltoweissy1,*
  • 1: Virginia Tech
*Contact email: hmhassan@vt.edu, ramy@vt.edu, toweissy@vt.edu

Abstract

The layered Internet architecture that had long guided network design and protocol engineering was an “interconnection architecture” defining a framework for interconnecting networks rather than a model for generic network structuring and engineering. We claim that the approach of abstracting the network in terms of an internetwork hinders the thorough understanding of the network salient characteristics and emergent behavior resulting in impeding design evolution required to address extreme scale, heterogeneity, and complexity. This paper reports on our work in progress that aims to: 1) Investigate the problem space in terms of the factors and decisions that influenced the design and development of computer networks; 2) Sketch the core principles for designing complex computer networks; and 3) Propose a model and related framework for building evolvable, adaptable and self organizing networks We will adopt a bottom up strategy primarily focusing on the building unit of the network model, which we call the “network cell”. The model is inspired by natural complex systems. A network cell is intrinsically capable of specialization, adaptation and evolution. Subsequently, we propose CellNet; a framework for evolvable network design. We outline scenarios for using the CellNet framework to enhance legacy Internet protocol stack.