Cognitive Networking with Software Programmable Intelligent Networks for Wireless and Wireline Critical Communications

Abstract

Given all the plans to use slightly modified IP network architectures as a basis for critical communications infrastructures such as network centric warfare (NCW), joint tactical radio (JTRS), ForceNet, future combat systems (FCS), the global information grid (GIG), the warfighter information network tactical (WIN-T), and many other high profile, life-critical networks, the inherent weaknesses of IP networking must be examined. Major performance, audit-ability, and security shortcomings are intrinsic to the existing IP network architecture. These shortcomings represent inherent fundamental limitations of the IP architecture. These limitations cannot be overcome without a shift in the network paradigm. For this reason cognitive networks were designed. The software programmable intelligent network (SPIN), a cognitive network, takes the of Internet protocol (IP), the public switched telephone network (PSTN), the Internet, cellular, and ad-hoc architectures and combines selected fundamental attributes into one network architecture. With communication of network control and state information out-of-band/off-channel, software elements can securely affect the operation of the network in near-hard-real-time. Predictive and proactive information can be uploaded into the network elements to yield an infrastructure that implements responses to changing conditions tempered by situational awareness. This best of breed convergent architecture is incrementally deployable, backward compatible, more efficient, and has inherently lower deployment and operational costs