Robustness in network protocols and distributed applications of the internet

Abstract

The Internet connects computers from all over the world for a fast and reliable exchange of data, e.g., from e-mail or Web applications. Considering its sheer size and heterogeneity, the Internet is the most complex computer system ever built. It has coped with a tremendous growth, has handled many critical situations, and, overall, does work quite well. This is because robustness was a major goal from the very beginning, which led to a network design that is self-regulatory, redundant, scalable, and updatable. In this chapter, we will discuss these design principles and the Internet's architecture, the core protocols IP and TCP, protocols for wireless communication, and applications such as the popular BitTorrent file exchange. © 2008 Springer-Verlag London.