A network architecture providing host migration transparency

Abstract

The continued expansion of computer networks and the miniaturization of computers increase the desire to use one’s computer in a consistent computational environment, regardless of location and time. In this situation, host migration transparency is very important. This paper introduces a new network architecture which provides host migration transparency in large interconnected networks and proposes a protocol based on the propagating cache method. We introduce the concept virtual network and divide the conventional network layer into two sublayers to realize host migration transparency. Virtual Internet Protocol, or VIP for short, is derived from DARPA-IP as an example of the architecture. We estimate the overhead of VIP. Host migration transparency can be realized without significant processing and traffic overhead. This architecture also preserves host migration transparency across virtual circuits in radio networks.