PANTS - Programmable, Active Network Toolkit and Simulator

PANTS is a research project with the goal of defining a simple yet powerful active/programmable network. Through an operating system, virtual machine and language, a complete system is provided both for modeling and actually implementing a dynamic network.

Available Papers:

• Download my Thesis Paper (ps) (pdf)
• The proposal paper
• The initial draft of the whitepaper

Q: What's an Active or Programmable Network?

The basic idea is to create an environment which makes a network dynamic. As network structure works now, communications between two points can only use a standard set of static protocols (like IP) which are provided by the intermediate routers. The idea behind this project is to allow packets to contain code as well as data. In this manner, the data can be processed by custom protocols, and these protocols can be installed for the short or long term in the network for other transmissions to use.

Q: Why build a system like this?

A dynamic network environment would provide functionality that allows for operations or optimizations that aren't currently possible in today's network infrastructures. Some key examples are caching, testing new protocols and network agents. These are explained in greater detail later (see examples).

Q: Is this supposed to replace what we have now?

No. While this kind of system allows for new and more efficient utilization of the network for some applications, not everything would benefit from an active network. Simple IP forwarding, for example, would be slowed down by a system like this, and wouldn't gain any functionality. This is meant to act as a supplemental system, working in parallel with existing networks.

Q: What about the security problems?

Some of the most interesting and complicated aspects of a project like this are the security problems. The goal is to allow administrators to have some control over what can happen, and then have the coordinating operating system watch the rest. While this still won't provide something as secure as what exists today, it should be pretty close. A document describing security is being prepared, and should be available soon.

Q: What kind of pants do you wear?

Almost exclusively blue jeans (from Structure), with the occasional pair of kakhis.