Network diversification - enabling innovation in network architecture ecture and services
Jon S. Turner · 2006
The rise and growth of the Internet is one of the great technology success stories of the twentieth century. Unfortunately, the size and scope of the public Internet now makes the introduction and deployment of new network innovations very difficult, leading many to observe that the core technology at the heart of the Internet has become ossified. While solutions too many of the IP protocol's limitations are well-understood, there has been remarkably little progress towards deployment of new capabilities. New network technologies face insurmountable barriers to entry, stifling the competitive forces that allow progress in other technology domains. At the same time, advances in electronics now make it both feasible and practical to deploy high performance network components with unprecedented flexibility and programmability. These capabilities can be used to enable a diverse collection of meta-networks to co-exist within a common physical infrastructure. Diversified networking can enable new network technologies to be developed and deployed on a large scale, stimulating innovation in both core network protocols and advanced services that combine computing and communication in creative new ways. It makes it possible for new network innovations to compete on an equal footing with legacy technologies, stimulating innovation and leading to a broad range of new services.