Active network—a programmable high performance packet switch network
Li Wei Hong · Jounal of Xidian University · 2000
An active network is a novel programmable packet switched network, in which customized program code can be injected into the switches of the network by the users or packets can contain code fragments that are executed on the intermediary network nodes. The code carried by a packet and the customized program injected into the switches may extend and odify the network infrastructure and the switches of the network perform customizd computations on the packets flowing through them. So active networks represent a significant step in the evolution of packet switched networks, from traditional packet forwarding engines to more general functionality supporting dynamic control and modification of network behavior. The potential advantages of active network the traditional network are faster deployment, customization of netowrk services, improvement of the network performance, and great flexibility and scalability of the network.