Using virtual topologies to manage inter-domain QoS in next-generation networks

Recently, several computer fields have turned to virtualization as a way to simplify complex problems. In this context, the Virtual Topology Service (VTS) was created to manage the advertisement and acquisition of virtual topologies (ions of the network status of a domain) and their use in inter‐domain resource reservation to provide end‐to‐end quality of service (QoS). As an effort to create new network architectures which could attend current requirements like mobility and context‐aware applications and support autonomous, heterogeneous and mobile domains next‐generation networks (NGNs) emerged, with Ambient Networks (AN) as one of its instances. With an ever increasing multitude of online applications, end‐to‐end QoS has become increasingly important, especially for media and real‐time uses. In this context, in order to better manage inter‐domain QoS in these new networks, better coping with mobile nodes and domains, this work presents a new design and implementation of the VTS, adapted to the AN environment. The new VTS stores resource reservation information to enable the reuse of these reservations when re‐establishing QoS after a node/domain movement. This implementation was tested on a real NGN prototype and showed considerable time saving when compared to QoS re‐establishment without reusing the reservations. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.