NeTS: Small: Liquid Networking

信息技术基础设施在过去十年中的主要进步之一是使用了服务器虚拟化技术。通过将服务器软件与底层物理硬件分离，虚拟化帮助打开了新的业务模式，并带来了更高效的计算基础设施。借助虚拟化，(虚拟)服务器可以按需自由启动和停止，通过实时VM迁移，甚至可以在运行时更改物理服务器，而不会影响这些服务器上运行的操作系统或应用程序。服务器的这种动态重新定位用于整合服务器以节省能源、平衡负载、执行计划内维护和优化用户性能(以及其他好处)。不幸的是，网络仍然与物理资源捆绑在一起。这个研究项目引入了Liquid Networking，它提供了动态变形网络的能力，就像迁移在服务器空间提供动态变形一样。支持这一点提出了许多具有挑战性的研究问题，本研究项目将解决这些问题。首先，了解如何提供在不影响网络正确运行的情况下有效地转换网络的原语是一项重要的研究挑战。通过实施多个应用程序，我们将深入了解Liquid网络的局限性和能力。有了它，将需要开发新的算法和工具。其次，了解未来网络技术对Liquid网络，即软件定义网络的影响，以及Liquid网络将对未来网络技术的影响，是一个同样重要的挑战，将被解决。Broader影响：该项目将在计算基础设施的管理中开辟一组全新的可能性。有了流动网络，网络将拥有更大的灵活性、更低的IT成本和更好的安全性。该项目预计将对社会产生其他重要的更广泛影响，包括增强高级研究生课程的课程，并通过科罗拉多大学工程学院运营的发现学习学徒(DLA)计划和科罗拉多多样性倡议等计划，使本科生、代表性不足的少数族裔和女性能够参与该项目。

One of the major advances in information technology infrastructures in the past decade is the use of server virtualization technology. By decoupling the server software from the underlying physical hardware, virtualization helped open up new business models and bring about more efficient computing infrastructures. With virtualization, (virtual) servers are freely able to be started and stopped on demand, and, through live VM migration, even change physical servers at run time without affecting the operating system or applications running on those servers. This dynamic repositioning of servers is used to consolidate servers to save energy, balance load, perform planned maintenance, and optimize user performance (among other benefits). The network, unfortunately, is still tied to the physical resources.This research project introduces liquid networking, which provides the ability to morph a network dynamically, much like migration provided dynamic morphing in the server space. Supporting this raises many challenging research questions that this research project will address. First, understanding how to provide primitives that efficiently transform the network without affecting the correct operation of the network is an important research challenge. Through implementation of multiple applications, a deep understanding of the limitations and capabilities of liquid networking will be explored. With it, new algorithms and tools will need to be developed. Second, understanding the impact future network technology has on liquid networking, namely software-defined networking, and the impact liquid networking will have on future networking technology is an equally important challenge that will be addressed.Broader Impacts: This project will open up an entirely new set of possibilities in the management of a computing infrastructure. With a liquid network, networks will have greater flexibility, lower IT costs, and better security. Additional important broader impacts for society resulting from this project are expected to include enhancing the curriculum of advanced graduate systems courses and enabling undergraduate students, underrepresented minorities and women to participate in the project through programs such as the Discovery Learning Apprentice (DLA) program run by the college of engineering at the University of Colorado, and the Colorado Diversity Initiative.