Network-supported applications

Abstract

As network-based applications become more popular and varied in terms of the support they require from the underlying network infrastructure, understanding the relationship between applications and the network is crucial in determining what network equipment to build, what capabilities are needed, and when they are needed. Analysis shows that there are three basic types of content delivery applications. The first type is hosted applications, where individual clients make requests of servers in data centers. It includes basic Web services, video-on-demand, and digital media downloads. The second type is broadcast applications, where channels of digital content are sent from a data center simultaneously to multiple clients. Examples include video, music, and data channels. The third type is peer-to-peer applications, where the network provider provides the connectivity between its customers. It includes AOL Instant Messenger, <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">∗</sup> Microsoft's NetMeeting, <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">∗</sup> and file-sharing and virtual classroom applications. Each of these three types demands different solutions from the network in the areas of infrastructure, efficiency, performance, reliability, measurements, security, and application features. This paper proposes a framework for planning, building, integrating, and growing network support for today's networked applications and those of the future.3