Programmable networking is a technology that has been demonstrated to enable the rapid deployment of novel network services. This is achieved through the use of open interfaces that can be used to extend the functionality of a device by third-party service components. Some forms of programmable network allow such components to be deployed out-of-band on a suitable configuration of elements, but do not define mechanisms to determine the configuration. We present a mechanism to resolve arbitrary service-specific deployment constraints into a suitable node configuration. To focus constraint resolution, we arrange programmable elements into an overlay, and use this to interpolate/extrapolate more favourable locations. Programmable service components are used to evaluate the suitability of individual nodes.
In this paper we present a novel approach to determining a suitable set of devices on which to deploy services in a programmable networking environment; it uses a decentralised overlay network and open interfaces. These are likely to be critical mechanisms for future networks. Lancaster has played a key role in advancing programmable networking research, being at the forefront of the open signalling, open architectures and IWAN communities; these were pre-cursors to the EPSRC NGN activity, in which we are also leaders. This research has attracted much attention from industry, specifically with sponsorship from BT Labs, Telekom Austria, and ETRI. RAE_import_type : Journal article RAE_uoa_type : Computer Science and Informatics
