OP1: Naming
In the current Internet, when a client wants to access some content, it first contacts DNS to obtain an IP address for a service that serves the desired content; only after this name lookup is complete can the client start communicating with the target service and accessing the target content.
Assuming we can change the Internet architecture, is it possible to remove the need for the client to do a separate name lookup in order to access the target content?
Assume you can change the Internet architecture any way you want, e.g., you can change the TCP/IP stack, the inter-domain routing protocol, the way packet switches and routers operate, etc.
Assume that a client names content using a bit string of bounded length. (For example, a DNS name or a URL is a bit string of bounded length.)
A good OP should:
- Summarize the key ideas of the proposed design.
- Describe the most important technical details. E.g., if the proposed design involves changing the way Internet routers operate, the OP should describe the most important aspects of the change.
- Discuss the properties of the proposed design. What are its pros and cons?
- How does it compare to the current Internet architecture in terms of scalability, fault tolerance, performance?
Obviously, you cannot do a complete analysis of each of these properties within a page. So, pick the level of abstraction of your writing such that you can communicate the most important elements of your proposal.
You can use a maximum of 500 words for the body of your writeup. OPs require in-depth consideration of the assigned materials, along with good technical writing. Spellcheck. Your submission must be in PDF and consist of one single-spaced A4 page, including all figures, tables, and references. References should have complete citations at the bottom of the OP, which in turn should be hyperlinked to electronic versions of the cited materials, whenever possible. The OP should be a single column and use Times Roman (or equivalent serif) font with 10-point type or greater. The title and references do not count toward the 500-word limit. Submit your OP through Moodle by the indicated due date and time. The submission’s title must be of the form “OP_n_: Title”, where n is the single-digit number of the OP, e.g., “OP1: Naming” for the first week’s OP. Do not write your name anywhere on the OP, to enable blind grading!
You are not allowed to discuss the topic of the OP with anyone else until after the submission deadline. The OP must be 100% your own work.