1Automatic Configuration of IP Networks and Routers

The ability to configure IP networks automatically would be advantageous in particular to the case where we cannot expect the user to be highly skilled like a network operator, typically in a home or SOHO (Small Office Home Office) environment. It would be labor-saving if we could use network devices such as wireless LAN access points for public access or residential routers without manual configuration, since they are being used in various places, and do not need detailed configuration in ordinary operation. Deployment of such auto-configurable networks and devices would be cost-effective in terms of efficient network operation and management. Some studies have investigated automatic configuration of IP networks and routers. As one of the most promising protocols, the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) Zerouter group has just begun the development and standardization of ARCP (Automatic Router Configuration Protocol). ARCP is based on a centralized architecture, in which a server called an ARCP server detects addition or deletion of routers, and adapts router settings to network changes, in conjunction with an ordinary DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server. The current status of ARCP; however, is too immature to implement, and requires additional elaboration before deployment in an operational network. In this paper, in order for ARCP to work on an operational network, we first present three requirements for automatic IP network configuration protocols, through a comparative study with other existing proposals. After identifying ARCP as a potential candidate, we address four problems of the current immature ARCP, and propose a new extended version of ARCP, providing solutions to each problem. Some works in progress are described, including the development of a simulator for evaluating the proposed solutions, and preliminary simulation results are presented