An autonomous Administrative Domain (AD) is a set of resources such as host computers, networks, and gateways, that is governed by a single administrative authority. Interconnections across ADs comes about through interconnection of private networks and by dividing an internet that has grown too large to manage. Common approaches to network interconnection create a fully connected internet out of the constituent networks. Network access control mechanisms have been designed for use in inter-AD gateways to control access to end-systems in interconnected networks. When networks are used for transit purposes as well as for access to end-systems, however, these network access control mechanisms are not adequate. In this project critical aspects of the design, specification, and prototype implementation of a first Inter-Domain Policy Routing protocol suite will be developed. Initial experimentation will carried out in the University of Southern California computer science laboratory and will subsequently be tested over actual, cross-country, multi-administrative domain facilities. Thus, by incorporating policy-related contraints on inter-AD communication into route computation, this research provides for essential maintenance and improvement of the research Internet and the research infrastructure it provides to scientists and engineers.***//
