Active Networking
Fast Path to QoS
Hilarie Orman
Advanced Development Group
Novell, Inc.
Many dimensions to QoS
• Service level cost: time, size, policy
• Might not be available
– Tbs pipe not built yet
– Might be sold out
• Enforcement points at any point in the
hierarchy:
– user machine, organization gateway, ISP, ISP
peering points, media provider
QoS Protocols
• Stateful vs. stateless
– Per-flow vs. service type indicator
– Edge vs. core
– Query/enforcement location
• Policy lookup, negotiation
• Signalling transport requirements
– reliable?
– multicast?
Going Active with QoS
• Fine-grained active networks, per packet
– capsules, caplets: executable content
• Per-flow or aggregate signalling on data
packets
• Edge-to-core signalling and enforcement
• Core service management
• Individualized policy per packet per hop:
– utility(available services) -> select service to
next hop; unique utility function per packet
Active Signalling Architecture
User/Edge
Inject Active
Code dispatch and
Code for QoS
Request/Negotiate interpret
Map to existing
services
Set any required state
Append new code
Forward
Code dispatch and
interpret
Set any required state
Deliver data
Attach code on
return path
Accelerators
• Signalling can be done along path that supports
services and active code interpretation
– allows partial deployment, mixed strategy
– next hop may be chosen to support best QoS options
• SCTP - loaded via active nets, used as main
transport
• Can mix protocol types on per packet basis
– Each active siglet can be interpreted in its own
connection context
Existing Work
• ISI’s ARP project
– Active service environment
• executes “siglets” for resource reservation
– RSVP signalling as active service
• UCL proposal for “proxylet” environment
– Application level routing
– Exchange of application level next hop metrics