Active Networks

Summary

• Routing on the Internet
• How to Implement?
• ANTS Toolkit
  • ANTS Capsule + API
  • Capsule Implementation
• Potential Apps
• Pros and Cons
• Feasible

Routing on the Internet

Active routing means finding “next-hop” by executing code, rather than by looking it up in a table.

How can we write the code and distribute it over all hardware the Internet runs on? Who can write this code?

How to Implement?

ANTS Toolkit

Active Node Transfer System

Application level package, adds ANTS Header to payload (to make capsule)

Some routers have ANTS Hardware. If they do, they can process ANTS Header and do more advanced routing. If not, the regular IP header is processed normally.

Active networks are only at edges of network

ANTS Capsule + API

ANTS API

int getAddress();
ChannelObject getChannel();
Extension findExtension(String ext);
long time();

// Store code associated with "type"
Object put(Object key, Object val, int age);
Object get(Object key);
Object remove(Object key);

// Routing
void routeForNode(Capsule c, int n);
void deliverToApp(Capsule c, int a);
void log(String msg);

Capsule Implementation

Action on Capsule Arrival:

• type field
  • fingerprint
• demand load capsule from prev node by sending request
• save in soft store for future use
• drop capsule if code is not in soft store or prev node

Potential Apps

• Protocol independent multicast
• Reliable multicast
• Congestion notification
• Private IP
• Anycasting

Pros and Cons

• Pros
  • Flexibility from app perspective
• Cons
  • Protection threats
    • ANTS runtime safety
      • Java sandboxing
    • Code spoofing
      • Robust fingerprint
    • Soft state integrity
      • Restricted API
  • Resource Management threats
    • at each node
      • restricted API
    • Flooding the network
      • Internet already susceptile

Feasible

• Router makesrs loath to opening up the network
  • only feasible at the edge
• Software routing cannot match hardware routing
  • only feasible at the edge
• Social + Psychological reasons
  • Hard for user community to accept arbitrary code executing in the public routing fabric