Network-Aware Overlays with Network Coordinates

Abstract

Network coordinates, which embed network distance measurements in a coordinate system, were introduced as a method for determining the proximity of nodes for routing table updates in overlay networks. Their power has far broader reach: due to their low overhead and automatic adaptation to changes in the network, network coordinates provide a new paradigm for managing dynamic overlay networks. We compare network coordinates to other proposals for network-aware overlays and show how they permit the lucid expression of a range of distributed systems problems in well-understood geometric terms.