Attribute Description Service for Large-Scale Networks

An analysis of requesting resources from large-scale networks reveals a fundamental challenge. As the network grows, more and more resources become available, and so finding resources that fit experimental test criteria becomes difficult and time consuming. For example, the National Science Foundation sponsors GENI-an experimental network with a goal to gain enough resources to model the Internet at scale. Currently, GENI contains relatively few contributed resources donated from businesses and academia, and so matching resources to tests is rather simple. However, experimenters plan to conduct network experiments that are very complex and difficult to accurately model by using the vast numbers of resources expected in GENI. When GENI reaches its final state, finding the right resources that fit experimental test criteria out of many thousands of donated resources may be as difficult as conducting the experiment itself. This dilemma underscores the importance of establishing an attribute description service that promotes a standardized language for all interactions between the end users and the large-scale network.