Towards a Platform for
Intelligent Activity at the Edge
Hilarie Orman
Advanced Development Group
Novell, Inc.
Network Service Bread and
Butter: the Stateless Call
Client
Server
Request
Reply
Messages through the Internet
Request
Processing
Proxies: Semantic Parasites
Client
Proxy
Request
Reply
Cached
Reply
Reduced Latency:
Network Transit
Server Load
First
Time
Request
Reply
Server
New Infrastructure:
Caching at the Edge
Client Cache
Big, Overburdened
ISP cache
Networks
Server Cache
What’s in a Proxy Cache?
RAM
CPU Cycles
(mostly unused)
cached objects
DNS objects
Cache Mgmt
Strategy
Disk Space
Protocol Client
Protocol Server
cached objects
Network Stack
Even More Parasitic Semantics
Client
Proxy
Request
Reply
Proxy
Computed
Reply
Servlet
Execution
Env
First
Time
Request
Server
Servlet
Reply
Servlet
Data
Data
Application and Protocol
Semantic Hooks




Redirect (instructs client to issue a new
request
Add auxiliary data to context (the infamous
cookie)
Embed requests in content (embedded
URL’s)
Executable content
Implicit Service Invocation
Client
Request
Data Proxy
Request
Reply
Server
Request
F(req)=
Reply
Proxy
Computed
Reply
G(rep)=
Reply
Data
Request
Client Data
Proxy
Request
Request
Reply
Proxy Request Server
F(req)=
F(req)=
Reply
Proxy
Computed
Reply
G(rep)=
Content
Adaptation
G(rep)= Reply
Reply
Data
Content
Transducer
What Should Be in an
Edge Services Box?
Affinity
Service
Name
Resolution
Persona
Mgmt
Ad
Barter
Extensible Execution Environment
Service
Loader
Library
Session
Control
RAM
cached objects
DNS objects
CPU Cycles
Cache Mgmt
Strategy
Disk Space
Protocol Client
Protocol Server
cached objects
Network Stack
Example: Content Fast Path
No DNS, no redirection
Request Data
rtp://www.blockbuster.com/toystory3.mpg
$5
FAST PROXY
Begin fill
from cache
Service type
Stateless data
Cost function
Continue fill
by real-time redirection
to lowest latency content server
with $5 QoS
Example: Security Services
Http://f/r.htm
Proxy
Https://f/r.htm
Access
Control
List
SSL mutual
authentication
“joe”
Encrypted Content
//f/r.htm
Content
Authority
r.htm - joe
Content
Cache
Authn
Enforce
joe
Authentication
Authority
Service Injection at the Edge

Scalable: log(n) edge devices
• Fewer nodes to upgrade
• Fewer organizations to agree to standards
• Minimizes compatibility problems

Closer to provisioned services
• Bandwidth SLA’s
• Switches (levels 3 through 6)

Location independent security