Virtualizing active networks for Telecom environments

The paper addresses the question on how the benefits of active networking, such as customized packet processing inside the network and flexible service management, can be realized in a telecom environment. More precisely, we ask: How can a network provider, whose infrastructure is based on active networking technology, support a large number of customers, all of which independently install and run their own customized active services in the providers domain? Our approach is based on network virtualization, and the goal of this paper is to demonstrate that virtualization of active networks can be achieved with considerable benefits for customers and providers and with limited costs. Our work uses the concept of the Virtual Active Network (VAN), a generic service that is offered by an active network provider to customers. We have realized the VAN concept and implemented a VAN provisioning and management architecture on ANET, an active networking platform we have developed. ANET is an all-software, functional prototype of an active network, which allows for experimentation with great flexibility. Further, we have worked out a design for a VAN-enabled node operating system for a high-performance active network node which is currently being built by our laboratory at ETH Zurich in collaboration with a group at Washington University in St. Louis