Making ANTS Suitable for Per-Protocol Resource Control

Godmar Back
gback@cs.utah.edu
Flux Research Group
University of Utah
http://www.cs.utah.edu/projects/flux/

June 1, 1998

Abstract:

ANTS 1.2 provides a basis for experimentation with active protocols in a user-mode JVM. We have decided to use ANTS as a component of our ``JANOS'' active network effort (a Java-based Active Network Operating System). One of the objectives of JANOS is to provide resource control over active protocols, for which ANTS 1.2's execution model was not well suited.

Therefore, we have begun to change the structure and execution model of ANTS to allow for better control over the resources used by a particular protocol, and also made some infrastructure improvements. These notes describe our changes and their rationale. A snapshot release of ANTS containing our changes is available; MIT expects to integrate the changes as they get time.

• Summary of changes
• Separation of ANTS run-time system and Node OS services
• Dispatch framework for incoming packets.
  • Rationale on Dispatchers and Flows
    • Flow dispatchers.
    • Flow handles.
    • Dependent buffers.
  • Use of dispatchers in ANTS
    • Overhead.
    • Summary.
• Separate name spaces and threads for each protocol.
• Where this is going.
• Appendix
  • Remote console
    • To be added:
  • Update to JDK 1.1
  • An implementation note on findMID.
  • GNU make and preprocessor
• About this document ...