Virtual network stacks

Abstract

In this paper, we get inspiration from peer to peer file sharing networks to provide a new way of inter-networking. In our proposal, nodes having access to multiple network types can share their networking resources with other peers residing in networks with different protocols and (potentially) different addressing schemes. Such neighbor nodes will form a peer to peer overlay backbone; the purpose of it being to offer to applications and protocols access to remote network stacks that their running hosts do not implement or have no direct access to. This creates RPC-like access to foreign network stacks well in line with a federation approach that avoids introducing a global overlay for integrating heterogeneous networks. Copyright 2008 ACM.