Routes and Interconnectivity: An Internet Trend and an Architectural Proposal

Abstract

The Internet is a diverse ecosystem where a multitude of networks interconnect to provide end users with a global reach. Interconnection agreements supply economic incentives for networks to deliver traffic along end-to-end paths. Driven by the rapid Internet adoption, unrelenting traffic growth, and increasing demands for performance and quality, Internet interconnections evolve and affect traffic routing.

In this seminar, we first explore an emerging phenomenon of remote peering, an interconnection where remote networks peer via a layer-2 provider. While our measurements reveal significant presence of remote peering at IXPs (Internet eXchange Points) worldwide and a substantial potential to offload transit traffic, we also discuss implications of remote peering for Internet topology modeling. Then, we propose Route Bazaar, a new architecture for flexible Internet connectivity. Inspired by cryptocurrencies, the use of a block chain in Route Bazaar enables multilateral contracts for end-to-end routing with QoS (Quality of Service), rich private policies, and public accountability.