PROPOSAL TO DARPA FOR PROJECT EXTENSION TO D079

Mechanisms for Supporting and Utilising Multicast Multimedia

Principal Investigators Jon A. Crowcroft and Peter T. Kirstein

Department of Computer Science, University College London, 20 July 1998

Section I Administrative

Original BAA Number: BAA 94-07-09

Technical Topic Area: Multicast Services

Title: Mechanisms for Supporting and Utilising Internet Multicast Multimedia

Contracting Office: AFOSR/PKC, Bolling AFB, 110 Duncan Ave, DC 20332-8080

Grant Number: F49620-96-0037

Technical Point of Contact: J.A Crowcroft, P T Kirstein

Email: jon@cs.ucl.ac.uk, kirstein@cs.ucl.ac.uk

Fax: +44 171 387 1397

Mailing Address: Department of Computer Science,

University College London

Gower St, London WC1E 6BT, England

Administrative Point of Contact: Peter T. Kirstein

Email: kirstein@cs.ucl.ac.uk

Fax: +44 171 387 1397

Mailing Address: Department of Computer Science,

University College London

Gower St, London WC1E 6BT, England

Type of Business: Educational.

Initial Period 15 Jan 1996. - 14 Jul 1998

Initial Amount $571,856

Proposed Extension 14 Jul 1998 - 31 December 1998

Proposed Extension Amount No Cost

Signatures:

Principal Investigators:

Peter T. Kirstein Date

Jon A. Crowcroft Date

Head of Department

(Computer Science)

Steve R. Wilbur Date

College Authority

(Assistant Director Research Grants): Mike Griffiths Date

 

 

A1 The Original Research

Multicast has emerged as one of the key enabling technologies for supporting next generation networking applications such as video conferencing. In the past years, there have been considerable research activities in the Internet community on multicast routing protocols and multicast-based applications, and significant progress has been made in developing and utilising this technology. Nevertheless, many important issues remain unsolved. We believe that the following mechanisms have to be developed before a wider community can make full use of multicast conferencing on a regular basis.

The purpose of the proposed research project is to develop novel mechanisms for supporting and utilising Internet multicast. In particular, we will carry out research and development in the three areas identified above.

A2 Purpose of Extension

The aims of the original proposal remain valid; they have been largely achieved. There have been a number of recent changes in the software available from the CAIRN project both in IPv6-capable implementations and in the incorporation of the appropriate forwarding code. The former uses the IPv6 code from INRIA; the latter the ALT-Q forwarding code from Sony. The combination of these facilities will make a much more convenient package for the achievement of deployable resource reservation. However, the combined CAIRN release is only now being put together; we do not expect it to be stable for another month. While we are starting to work with this code in parallel with the ISI release, we expect that this will require work for another month. For this reason, we would like a short, no cost five-month extension that would permit us to deploy our revised software over the CAIRN network. During this extension, we would put up the preferred mechanism for QoS on the UCL-Washington path as a default one; we would hope to persuade NASA to forego the hardwired split by means of separate ATM VCs on the link. This activity requires also that there be a permanent connection between CAIRN and the current version of the NASA NSI - which is only now coming into effect.

B. Statement of Work during Extension

In this section, we outline the work we intend to carry out in this project.

C Deliverables in Extension

  1. Deployment in routine way of IPv6 version of Precedence Queuing software on UCL-ISI link.
  2. A technical report proving viability of (1) for future operations of the link.
  3. Software package, including ancillary management packages, for deploying Secure SAP;

Report on holding certificates in Secure DNS

D. Technology Transfer

The research results and software from this project will be transferred to the DoD, HPCC and commercial communities through IAB Research Groups, IETF WGs, other standards and publication channels, and our collaborations with Bellcore, Sun, Cisco, Xerox and BT/MCI/UUNET.

E. Cost, Schedule and Milestones

Schedule and Milestones

The schedule for the extension is self-evident, since it is only 5-month extension - with the Deliverables at the end of that period.

 

Costs

This extension will be at no extra cost.