Zen and the art of network architecture

1 ABSTRACT Network architectures are a unique artifact of computer science. They are shaped by both technical and non-technical forces. When well-crafted, they define fixed points that catalyze innovation. And they ultimately suffer from entropy and need to be reinvented. Drawing on my experiences building and operating network research testbeds, designing and deploying experimental network services, transferring research prototypes to the commercial sector, and witnessing fundamental shifts in the networking industry, this talk explores the nature of network architectures. It also attempts to extract a set of general lessons, and apply them to the emerging cloud.