Network Working Group M-K. Shin Internet-Draft ETRI Intended status: Informational E. Paik Expires: January 8, 2009 KT JH. Choi INRIA/Samsung AIT July 7, 2008 Meta-Architecture : A Common Means to Accommodate Heterogeneous Network Architectures draft-shin-virtualization-meta-arch-00 Status of this Memo By submitting this Internet-Draft, each author represents that any applicable patent or other IPR claims of which he or she is aware have been or will be disclosed, and any of which he or she becomes aware will be disclosed, in accordance with Section 6 of BCP 79. Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), its areas, and its working groups. Note that other groups may also distribute working documents as Internet- Drafts. Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference material or to cite them other than as "work in progress." The list of current Internet-Drafts can be accessed at http://www.ietf.org/ietf/1id-abstracts.txt. The list of Internet-Draft Shadow Directories can be accessed at http://www.ietf.org/shadow.html. This Internet-Draft will expire on January 8, 2009. Abstract The today's Internet architecture is under serious reconsideration and people started thinking about alternatives. Redefining Internet architecture requires many challenged works and a lot of new heterogeneous architectures suited to the future of the Internet would be considered. It is necessary to support a variety of the new different architectures to accommodate the heterogeneity of Future Internet. So, a common means should be provided to accommodate the new heterogeneous architectures. This document presents Meta- Shin, et al. Expires January 8, 2009 [Page 1] Internet-Draft Meta-Architecture July 2008 Architecture to accommodate heterogeneous and diverse multiple network architecture and user services, for example, heterogeneous wireless, mobile, sensor, vehicular and/or ad-hoc architectures and services. Table of Contents 1. Motivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2. Meta-Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2.1. Network virtualization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2.2. Cross-layer communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2.3. Diverse end-to-end arguments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 3. Benefiting from Meta-Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 3.1. Building up a single shared infrastructure for future networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 3.2. Deploying unconventional network architectures . . . . . . 6 3.3. Deploying new emerging technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3.4. The advent of new generation service provider . . . . . . . 6 4. Conclusion and Further Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 5. Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6. Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 7. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 7.1. Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 7.2. Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Authors' Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Intellectual Property and Copyright Statements . . . . . . . . . . 8 Shin, et al. Expires January 8, 2009 [Page 2] Internet-Draft Meta-Architecture July 2008 1. Motivation Future Internet researches revolve around the notion "Architecture". Architecture can be defined as the set of principles and basic mechanisms that guide network engineering. It's bounded from above by requirements and from below by engineering but sometimes boundaries are fuzzy, especially the boundary between architecture and mechanism. Historically, informal architectural ideas guided design of the Internet protocols, but the architecture was formalized later [1]. The today's Internet architecture is under serious reconsideration and people started thinking about alternatives. Further, the concerns are drastically increasing now that shortcomings would not be resolved by the conventional incremental and backward-compatible style of current research efforts. That is the reason why "Clean-Slate Design for the New Internet's Architecture" [2, 3] is required for the Future Internet research. Redefining Internet architecture requires many challenged works and a lot of new heterogeneous architectures suited to the future of the Internet would be considered. It is necessary to support a variety of the new different architectures to accommodate the heterogeneity of Future Internet. So, a common means should be provided to accommodate the new heterogeneous architectures. 2. Meta-Architecture In this position paper, we present Meta-Architecture to accommodate heterogeneous and diverse multiple network architecture and user services, for example, heterogeneous wireless, mobile, sensor, vehicular and/or ad-hoc architectures and services. Meta- Architecture is an engineering reflection and knowledge about architecture similar to metaphysics or metamathematics. It investigates the meaning, usage and desirability of architecture. Traditional concept of architecture may change because of virtualization. Network virtualization refers to the abstraction of network resources. With programmable network elements, we can realize virtual link, switch and servers to form virtual network over shared physical infrastructure. Network virtualization plays the key role in Future Internet research facility. It allows multiple architectures to share the same resources to realize different networks. Network virtualization brings forth a debate on the importance of traditional architecture and there appear several different opinions [4]. First there are purists who believe in a single universal architecture. There needs to be a common architecture around which network world interoperates. Currently that universal architecture is IP and Future Internet research would replace it with a new and Shin, et al. Expires January 8, 2009 [Page 3] Internet-Draft Meta-Architecture July 2008 better one. Second there are pluralists who believe in multiple architectures. Instead of single architecture which fits all, it would be better to have different architecture for different occasions and virtualization would enable multiple architectures to coexist over the same physical resources. Third there are even anarchists who don't believe in architecture at all. Architecture in traditional sense is no longer needed. Conceptually network applications or services deal with physical resources sliced as low a level of abstraction as possible. The Meta-Architecture is designed to provide narrowly defined following three design principles: a) network virtualization, b) cross-layer communications, and c) diverse end-to-end arguments that enable co-existence of multiple, diverse heterogeneous networks within the common shared infra-structure. It defines the "new narrow waist" for Future Internet hourglass. It can be also called as a new common layer for Future Internet. 2.1. Network virtualization The purpose of network virtualization is to de-ossify the Today's Internet. It could realize virtual network with programmable network elements and support the architecture of multiple architectures. Different virtual networks can provide alternate end-to-end packet delivery systems and may use different protocols and packet formats. The requirements of network virtualization implementation are a) multiple network architecture support, b) common control and distributed management, c) resource federation, d) programmability support, and e) domain federation. In this principle, for example, a new future service provider who doesn't have its own physical infrastructure just chooses a new particular architecture and to construct an overlay supporting the architecture that the new service provider needs to do. The new future service provider then distributes softwares or codes that let anyone, anywhere, access its overlay [4]. Also, all the resources within the infrastructure could be uniquely defined and shared. The example for wireless sensor network using network virtualization is illustrated in Figure 3. For the first steps of network virtualization experiments, a) bandwidth virtualization with optical networks, b) security virtualization, and c) wireless/mobility virtualization are being designed for our Meta- Architecture. 2.2. Cross-layer communications Basically, layering was one of important characteristics of Today's Internet technologies, but recently, it is also reported that it has sometimes inevitable inefficiencies. Therefore, we choose cross- layer communication as the second design principle for the Meta- Shin, et al. Expires January 8, 2009 [Page 4] Internet-Draft Meta-Architecture July 2008 Architecture. To achieve this, first thing is to exploit the dependency between protocol layers to obtain performance gains and then create new interfaces between layers, redefine the layer boundaries, design protocol at a layer based on the details of how another layer is designed, joint tuning of parameters across layers, or create complete new abstraction. The purpose of cross-layer communications is to provide a way direct communication between protocols at nonadjacent layers or sharing variables between layers. We adopt this principle only within mobile, wireless, sensor sub- networks, since there is a tradeoff between optimization and complexity (abstraction). Thus, measurement and monitoring should be given in advanced. Also, it is designed to support at any layer (e.g., physical layer to application layer) and implemented through network virtualization to support flexibility and programmability. Our first (vertical) target areas for performance enhancement using cross-layer communications would be a) mobility handover, b) QoS, c) security, and d) sensor routing. 2.3. Diverse end-to-end arguments Finally, we adopt diverse end-to-end argument principle. The original model of Internet's end-to-end principle has been progressively eroded. While still end-to-end in many ways, connection establishment in the Internet today involves state and functionality in the middle as the form of NATs, firewalls, proxies and so on. The current Internet architecture does not reflect this resulting in a mismatch between design and practice. Therefore, diverse end-to-end argument (e.g., end-middle-end (EME) argument, intermittent connectivity, and so on) principle is provided within our Meta-Architecture. The diverse end-to-end argument principle is also implemented through network virtualization, since different virtual networks can easily provide alternate end-to-end delivery systems and use different type of connection (e.g., IP or non-IP). 3. Benefiting from Meta-Architecture Meta-Architecture provides a common means to accommodate the new heterogeneous architectures and facilitate architecture revolution. Benefits from Meta-Architecture are listed below : the conceptual benefits from Meta-Architecture are illustrated in Figure 3. 3.1. Building up a single shared infrastructure for future networks Meta-Architecture can play a central role to build up a shared common infrastructure for Future Internet. The functionalities to support the Meta-Architecture (network virtualization, cross-layer communication, and diverse end-to-end arguments) could become the Shin, et al. Expires January 8, 2009 [Page 5] Internet-Draft Meta-Architecture July 2008 architecture's core functionalities, its narrow waist. So, in this assumption, a lot of different networks can be built on a single shared infrastructure for future experiments. 3.2. Deploying unconventional network architectures New heterogeneous architectures as well as today's Internet architecture can co-exist on top of a shared infrastructure. Also, different virtual networks (e.g., DTN (Delay-tolerant network), I3 (Internet Indirection Infrastructure) may provide alternate end-to- end packet delivery systems and may use different protocols and packet formats. Meta-Architecture has the flexibility to support a broad range of experiments, services and users. It can support various clean slate-based and disruptive technologies experiments. 3.3. Deploying new emerging technologies To deploy new emerging technologies and services such as IPv6, mobile IPTV, wireless mesh (e.g., IEEE 802.11s), etc. each networks should be isolated and distinct path for new services. Meta-Architecture can easily support these kinds of new technologies and services. 3.4. The advent of new generation service provider In this Meta-architecture scenario, a new generation service provider will appear for Future Internet services. A new generation service provider chooses a particular new architecture, then constructs a virtual network supporting architecture [4]. The new generation service provider could easily support new architecture natively. 4. Conclusion and Further Works In this documenrt, we introduce Meta-Architecture for Future Internet, which are provided through network virtualization, cross- layer communications, and diverse end-to-end arguments. For the further works, details on how to build up Meta-Architecture and how to integrate new research works and experiments with regard to heterogeneous networks and architectures through our Meta- Architecture will be discussed. 5. Security Considerations TBD Shin, et al. Expires January 8, 2009 [Page 6] Internet-Draft Meta-Architecture July 2008 6. Acknowledgements TBD 7. References 7.1. Normative References 7.2. Informative References [1] Clark, D., "The Design Philosophy of the DARPA Internet Protocols, ACM SIGCOMM", 1998. [2] Standford Univ, "Clean Slate Designs for the Internet, http://cleanslate.stanford.edu". [3] Feldmann, A., "Internet Clean-Slate Design : What and Why ?, ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review", 2007. [4] Anderson, T., "Overcoming the Internet Impasse through Virtualization, IEEE Computer", 2005. [5] IRTF, "http://www.irtf.org". Authors' Addresses Myung-Ki Shin ETRI Email: myungki.shin@gmail.com Eun Kyoung Paik KT Email: euna@kt.com JinHyeock Choi INRIA/Samsung AIT Email: jinchoe@gmail.com Shin, et al. Expires January 8, 2009 [Page 7] Internet-Draft Meta-Architecture July 2008 Full Copyright Statement Copyright (C) The IETF Trust (2008). This document is subject to the rights, licenses and restrictions contained in BCP 78, and except as set forth therein, the authors retain all their rights. 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