Implementing network protocols as distributed logic programs

Declarative networking [2, 4, 3, 1] is an application of database query-language and processing techniques to the domain of networking. Declarative networking is based on the observation that network protocols deal at their core with computing and maintaining distributed state (e.g., routes, sessions, performance statistics) according to basic information locally available at each node (e.g., neighbor tables, link measurements, local clocks) while enforcing constraints such as local routing policies. Recursive query languages studied in the deductive database literature [6] are a natural fit for expressing the relationship between base data, derived data, and the associated constraints. Simple extensions to these languages and their implementations enable the natural expression and efficient execution of network protocols. Declarative networking aims to accelerate the process of specifying, implementing, experimenting with and evolving designs for network architectures. Declarative networking can reduce program sizes of distributed protocols by orders of magnitude relative to traditional approaches. In addition to serving as a platform for rapid prototyping of network protocols, declarative networking also open up opportunities for automatic protocol optimization and hybridization, program checking and debugging. This paper presents an introduction to declarative networking using a simple routing protocol example. For more details on declarative networking related projects, refer to th