NeTS: Small: Inter-Domain Traffic Engineering though ISP Cooperation and Competition

该项目全面研究了域间流量工程，以及如何通过互联网服务提供商（ISP）之间的合作和竞争在不同的时间尺度上有效地完成。利用网络流量分解和单独的凸优化技术，该项目旨在设计分布式域间流量工程解决方案，沿着有效的域内流量工程，收敛到整个互联网的最佳流量。该项目还涉及建模的流量工程-下竞争性定价的域间转发的ISP-作为一个两个时标的定价转发游戏，并研究存在性，可计算性和效率的均衡。该项目探讨了ISP分布式定价更新的动态和收敛性，并比较了不同的定价策略和模型，如点到目的地定价与点到任何地方定价，线性与非线性定价，以及级联与非级联定价。该项目考虑了多个时间尺度上涉及流量转发的ISP间交互和决策（快时标）和定价更新（慢时标），其中在较慢时标上的决策可能取决于在较快时标上的决策。此外，该项目考虑了合作和竞争的方法，通过这些方法可以有效地利用整个互联网（而不是单个ISP网络或自治系统）。所考虑的模式和方法考虑到互联网的控制和运营结构，其中包括寻求最大限度地提高各自利益的多个供应商，并相应地考虑到竞争效率等相关问题。利用这些模型，该项目寻求开发有竞争力的定价转发解决方案，这些解决方案可以汇聚到整个网络（互联网）中的高效和稳定的流量。更广泛的影响：该项目调查的问题是及时的，对互联网的长期有效运作和经济可行性至关重要。该项目正在开发的解决方案将通过互联网中的最佳/接近最佳流量跨供应商工程来改善互联网带宽资源的总体使用。本项目中制定和研究的定价战略将通过ISP之间的竞争提高互联网的经济效率和生存能力。对于供应商来说，这意味着更有效和灵活地管理其可用资源，更好地投资于基础设施，以及更高的整体收入。对最终用户来说，这意味着以较低的成本获得更好的服务。研究成果将用于网络优化和算法博弈论的高级研究生课程。 PI还将通过监督本科生研究项目来增强本科生的研究和教育经验。

This project takes a comprehensive look at inter-domain traffic engineering, and how it can be done efficiently through cooperation as well as competition between Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and at different timescales. Using network flow decomposition and separate convex optimization techniques, the project seeks to design distributed inter-domain traffic engineering solutions that, along with effective intra-domain traffic engineering, converge to optimal traffic flows in the entire Internet. The project also involves modeling of traffic engineering - under competitive pricing of inter-domain forwarding by ISPs - as a two-timescale pricing-forwarding game, and the study of existence, computability, and efficiency of the equilibrium. The project explores dynamics and convergence of distributed pricing updates by ISPs, and compare different pricing strategies and models like point-to-destination pricing vs. point-to-anywhere pricing, linear vs. non-linear pricing, and cascaded vs. non-cascaded pricing.The project considers inter-ISP interactions and decision-making at multiple timescales that involve traffic forwarding (fast timescale) and pricing updates (slow timescale), where decision-making on a slower timescale may depend on that at a faster timescale. Furthermore, the project considers both cooperative and competitive approaches through which the Internet as a whole (and not individual ISP networks or Autonomous Systems) can be utilized efficiently. The models and approaches considered take into account the control and operational structure of the Internet that consists of multiple providers seeking to maximize their individual benefits, and accordingly considers the relevant issues like competitive efficiency. Using these models, the project seeks to develop competitive pricing-forwarding solutions that can converge to efficient and stable traffic flows in the entire network (Internet.Broader impact: The issues that the project investigates are timely, and fundamental to the efficient operation and economic viability of the Internet in the long run. Solutions that the project is developing will improve the overall use of the Internet bandwidth resources through optimal/near-optimal traffic cross-provider engineering in the Internet. Pricing strategies developed and investigated in this project will improve the Internet's economic efficiency and viability through inter-ISP competition. For providers, this would imply more efficient and flexible management of their available resources, better investment in infrastructure, and higher revenue overall. For end-users, it would imply better service at lower cost. Research results will be used in advanced graduate coursework on network optimization and algorithmic game theory. The PIs will also enhance the research and educational experience of undergraduate students, by supervising undergraduate research projects.