This project investigates the Next Generation Network Technology and Systems geared towards high-performance internetworking across heterogeneous networks. The proposed approach adopts an overarching architecture across the subnetwork boundaries while taking into account the the underlying technologies such as wireless, satellite, opti-cal, and electrical wireline networks. In particular, this project explores new networking protocols and programmable network elements for enhancing end-to-end performance, providing flexible programmability, and achieving intelligent network control and man-agement. We will investigate the following four key research topics: (1) design of seg-mented transport protocols, which can be aware of the underlying network technologies and be adaptive to various subnetwork domains; (2) design, simulation, and testing of intelligent programmable network elements (IPNEs), which are middle boxes that are lo-cated at the boundary of heterogeneous network domains to provide impedance matching between the diverse networks and to support segmented transport protocols; and (3) de-sign of intelligent network control and management (NC&M) system, which will conduct Observe-Analyze-Act to measure network status, analyze possible implications, and take proactive actions. This project will place special attentions to simulation studies of seg-mented transport protocols in heterogeneous networks, the functional design of IPNEs with programmable/adaptive features, and the development of NC&M system that works with IPNEs. By addressing these issues, this project will provide flexible protocols and programmable network elements for high-performance heterogeneous networks, and set a solid framework for the deployment of the next generation networking technologies and systems.
