The field of computer networking has evolved significantly over the past four
decades since the development of ARPANET, the first large-scale computer network.
The Internet has become a part and parcel of everyday life virtually worldwide,
and its influence on various fields is well recognized. The TCP/IP protocol
suite and packet switching constitute the core dominating Internet technologies
today. However, this paradigm is facing challenges as we move to next-generation
networking applications including multimedia transmissions (IPTV systems),
social networking, peer-to-peer networking and so on. The serious limitations
of the current Internet include its inability to provide Quality of Service, reliable
communication over periodically disconnected networks, and high bandwidth for
high-speed mobile devices.
Hence, there is an urgent question as to whether the Internet’s entire architecture
should be redesigned, from the bottom up, based on what we have learned
about computer networking in the past four decades. This is often referred to
as the “clean slate” approach to Internet design. In 2005, the US National Science
Foundation (www.nsf.gov) started a research program called Future Internet
Network Design (FIND) to focus the research community’s attention on
such activities. Similar funding activities are taking place in Europe (FIRE:
Future Internet Research and Experimentation), Asia, and other regions across
the globe. This book is an attempt to capture some of the pioneering efforts
in designing the next-generation Internet. The book is intended to serve as a
starting point for researchers, engineers, students, and practitioners who wish to
understand and contribute to the innovative architectures and protocols for the
next-generation Internet.