Matthias Bossardt

Chameleon: Realizing Automatic Service Composition for Extensible Active Routers

Complex network services can be constructed by composing simpler service components in a well defined way. To benefit most from such an approach, service components should be reusable for different services. Furthermore the composition must be performed automatically and customized to the service execution platform.

Integrated Service Deployment for Active Networks

A key feature of active networks is the capability to dynamically deploy services. In this paper, we present a scheme to classify service deployment mechanisms of existing or future active network architectures. Distributed algorithms (services), as being implemented in active networks, can be described based on active packets or as distributed programs running on active nodes. Although both programming models are basically equivalent, some services are more naturally implemented in either way. This paper proposes an active node architecture that supports the implementation and deployment of services according to both programming models. We point out that a combination of in-band and out-of-band service deployment is needed to dynamically deploy services implemented in either model. Furthermore, we argue that composing services from service logic implemented in either programming model is beneficial for the design of efficient and flexible services. We reason that a service abstraction in the form of a service description language is necessary to cope with real world scenarios.

A Service Deployment Architecture for Heterogenous Active Networks Nodes

In order to realise service deployment on high-performance active nodes, the problem of installing and configuring software components in complex, heterogeneous node environments must be addressed. The paper presents our approach to this problem, called Chameleon. The service specification is kept independent of any particular node architecture. During the service deployment phase, the service specification is resolved recursively on each node offering the service and is driven by node-specific parameters. The result of this resolution is a tree of service components, which can differ among different types of nodes. Our solution allows a service to take full advantage of specific node features, such as those related to performance or security. The design is illustrated using a video scaling service.

Deployment and management of component-based services in active networks

This paper describes an integrated architecture for deployment and management of component-based services on heterogeneous programmable and active network nodes. The approach allows for flexible handling of active services on a fine-grained level thanks to the full component orientation and the application of mature concepts commonly used in enterprise software systems. The main features of the proposed solution are: a hierarchical component service model, two-tiered service deployment architecture with separated network-level and node-level deployment requirement resolution engines, out-of-band node-level-controlled code distribution on demand, as well as deployment and management support for heterogeneous multi-plane distributed active services. The architecture has been implemented and experimentally evaluated within the FAIN project.

Automated Pattern-Based Service Deployment in Programmable Networks

This paper presents a flexible service deployment architecture for the automated, on-demand deployment of distributed services in programmable networks. The novelty of our approach is (a) the customization of the deployment protocol by utilizing modular building blocks, namely navigation patterns, aggregation patterns, and capability functions, and (b) the definition of a corresponding service descriptor. A customizable deployment protocol has several important advantages: It supports a multitude of services, and it allows for an ad hoc optimization of the protocol according to the specific needs of a service and the current network conditions. Moreover, our architecture provides an environment for studying new patterns which aim at reducing deployment latency and bandwidth for certain services. We demonstrate how the developed architecture can be used to setup a virtual private network, and we present measurements conducted with our prototype in the PlanetLab test network. Furthermore, a comparison of a distributed pattern with a centralized pattern illustrates the performance trade-off for different deployment strategies.