Main

Communication and Networking Archives

SNMP-based QoS Programming Interface MIB for Routers

Kanada, Y., Ikezawa, M., Miyake, S., and Atarashi, Y., draft-kanada-diffserv-qospifmib-00.txt, Internet Draft, November 1999

[ Local textual version ] [ Slides used in 46th IETF: Configuration Management BOF, Diffserv WG, and RAP WG (not recommended) ]

Abstract: This document describes a QoS PIF MIB (Quality-of-Service Programming-Interface Management-Information-Base) to be used as an SNMP-based programming interface for routers. This MIB is intended to be a programming interface for router QoS functions, especially DiffServ-related [RFC2475] functions including packet scheduling (queuing), dropping, and metering that must be modular and concisely described. Traffic-conditioning rules and metering rules for DiffServ-related functions are defined modularly by using "virtual flow labels" and exclusive conditions in rules, and new classifications for packet-scheduling and packet-dropping functions are introduced. This document focuses on satisfying the requirements on programming interfaces or programming languages for router control. Thus, the focus is different from that of DiffServ MIB [DSMIB] or QoS PIB [QoSPIB].

Keywords: IETF, Internet draft, MIB, QoS, Virtual flow label

Rule-based Modular Representation of QoS Policies

Kanada, Y., IEICE Networking Architecture Workshop 10th Annual Workshop, pp. 106-113, IEICE, 2000.

[ Paper PDF file ] [ OHP PDF file in Japanese ] [ OHP PDF file in English ]

Abstract: To realize internet-protocol-based QoS-assured networks, using differentiated services under policy-based networking is a promising approach. A QoS policy server must work in multi-vendor environment. To use standard protocol, such as COPS or SNMP, between the policy server and routers is not sufficient, but also to define and to standardize high-level syntax and semantics, i.e., a language, is required for interoperability. This paper describes the outline of a rule-based language for this purpose. Policy rules can be defined in the policy server and can be deployed to routers or router proxies using this language through an appropriate protocol such as COPS, SNMP, or IIOP. The language consists of several types of rules, i.e., matching, policing (or metering), marking, discarding, and scheduling types, and linkage labels that connects rules. A MIB and/or PIB that simulates the language is also explained in this paper. The language will be implemented in near future.

Keywords: Policy-based management, Network management, QoS, COPS

A Representation of Network Node QoS Control Policies Using Rule-based Building Blocks

Kanada, Y., International Workshop on Quality of Service 2000 (IWQoS 2000), pp. 161-163, June 2000

[ Paper PDF file ] [ OHP PDF file ]

Abstract: Network node functions, such as QoS or the security functions of routers, are becoming increasingly complex, so programs, not only configuration parameters, are required to control network nodes. In a policy-based network, a policy is defined at a policy server as a set of rules that deployed at network nodes where it must be translated into an executable program or parameters. Thus, a policy must be represented by a form in which the syntax and semantics are clearly defined, and which can be mechanically translated into an executable program. This is possible if the policy is written in an appropriate rule-based programming language. This paper describes such a language in which functions required for DiffServ can be specified for the interface between a policy server and network nodes. In this language, a policy rule can be composed using predefined primitive building blocks and control structures.

Keywords: Component-based policy, Policy-based management

Two Rule-based Building-block Architectures for Policy-based Network Control

Kanada, Y., 2nd International Working Conference on Active Networks (IWAN 2000), Lecture Notes in Computer Science, No. 1942, pp. 195-210, Springer, October 2000

[ Paper PDF file ] [ OHP PDF file ]

Abstract: Policy-based networks can be customized by users by injecting programs called policies into the network nodes. So if general-purpose functions can be specified in a policy-based network, the network can be regarded as an active network in the wider sense. In a policy-based network, two or more policies must often cooperate to provide a high-level function or policy. To support such building-block policies, two architectures for modeling a set of policies have been developed: pipe-connection architecture and label-connection architecture. It is shown that rule-based building blocks are better for policy-based network control and that the label-connection architecture is currently better. However, the pipe-connection architecture is better in regards to parallelism, which is very important in network environments.

Keywords: Component-based policy, Label-connection architecture, Pipe-connection architecture, Policy-based management

Two Rule-based Building-block Architectures for Policy-based Network Control

Kanada, Y., IEICE SIG on Information Network, Technical Reports, 100-378, IN 2000-102, pp. 47-54, October 2000.

[ Paper PDF file (in Japanese) ]

Abstract: In a policy-based network, two or more policies must often cooperate to provide a high-level function or policy. To support such building-block policies, two architectures for modeling a set of policies have been developed: pipe-connection architecture and label-connection architecture. It is shown that rule-based building blocks are better for policy-based network control and that the label-connection architecture is currently better. However, the pipe-connection architecture is better in regards to parallelism, which is very important in network environments.

Keywords: Component-based policy, Label-connection architecture, Pipe-connection architecture, Policy-based management

Taxonomy and Description of Policy Combination Methods

Kanada, Y., Workshop on Policies for Distributed Systems and Networks (Policy 2001), Lecture Notes in Computer Science, No. 1995, Springer, pp. 171-184, January 2001

[ Paper PDF file ] [ OHP PDF file ]

Abstract: To control complicated and decomposable networking functions, such as Diffserv, two or more policies must cooperate. Combining two or more mutually dependent policies for a specific purpose is called policy combination. Methods of passing information between combined policies can be classified into real tags and virtual tags, or labels and attributes. Policy combinations can be classified into concatenation, parallel application, selection, and repetition. Explicitly specifying policy combinations makes policy systems semantically clearer and better suited to general use, extends the range of functionality, and improves the possibility of optimization. If policy combinations can be specified in a policy system, two types of policy organizations can be distinguished: homogeneous and heterogeneous. Heterogeneous organization is more service-oriented and seems to meet service-management requirements, but homogeneous organization is more device-oriented and may provide better performance.

Keywords: Component-based policy, Policy-based management

Examples and A Method of Policy Division and Fusion -- Or, Multiple Classifiers Considered Harmful --

Kanada, Y., 7th IFIP/IEEE International Symposium on Integrated Network Management (IM 2001), pp. 545-560, May 2001

[ Paper PDF file ] [ OHP PDF file ]

Abstract: Because higher- and lower-level policies do not necessarily correspond one to one, a higher-level network policy may have to be translated into two or more lower-level policies, and two or more cooperating higher-level policies may have to be translated into one lower-level policy. The former transformation is called a policy division, and the latter transformation is called a policy fusion. These transformations can be performed mechanically under restricted conditions as described in this paper. However, in general, they are very complicated and the restrictions cannot be eliminated completely mainly because of existence of multiple packet classifiers in a set of policies. Thus, this paper concludes that they should not be introduced if it is possible. The policy division and fusion can be avoided in certain cases, but they will not probably be able to be avoided in general. If so, the problem should be solved or relaxed by removing harmful classifiers by introducing virtual flow labels and by further studies. In addition, we may have to find a better method to control network devices than policies in the current sense.

Keywords: Policy-based management, Policy division, Component-based policy, Policy fusion

Diffserv Policies and Their Combinations in OpenView/JP1 PolicyXpert

Kanada, Y., and O'Keefe, B. J., Asia-Pacific Network Operations and Management Symposium 2001 (APNOMS 2001), September 2001, (poster paper, presentation cancelled)

[ Paper PDF file ] [ Unpublished paper PDF file ]

Abstract: Policies sometimes have to be combined and applied in cooperation to represent such programmable and customizable network functions as Diffserv. In the OpenView PolicyXpert and JP1/PolicyXpert policy servers, three types of policies and three types of virtual flow labels, to connect the policy rules, are defined for Diffserv. The combination of these policies allows the representation of complex Diffserv policies and the separation of service and subscriber policies. Diffserv policies and virtual flow labels make this possible. However, the careful design of Diffserv policies has enabled simple Diffserv policies to be represented in a simple form.

Keywords: Diffserv policy, Policy-based management, Component-based policy, Published paper, QoS policy, Virtual flow label, General-purpose policy server

Diffserv Policies and Their Combinations in a Policy Server Called PolixyXpert

Kanada, Y., and O'Keefe, B. J., SIG Information Networks & SIG Network Systems, Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE), March 2002.

[ Paper PDF file ] [ OHP PDF file ]

Abstract: In policy-based networking, policies sometimes have to be combined and applied in cooperation to represent such programmable and customizable network functions as Diffserv. For a policy server called PolicyXpert, we have designed and implemented three types of policies and three types of virtual flow labels (VFLs) to connect the policy rules. The policy combination enables the representation of complex Diffserv policies. Policy combination also allows sub-classing of DSCP-based service classes, and the separation of service and subscriber policies. The careful design of Diffserv policies has enabled simple Diffserv policies to be represented in a simple form.

Keywords: Diffserv policy, Policy-based management, Published paper, QoS policy, Virtual flow label, Component-based policy, General-purpose policy server

Technical Direction of Policy-based Management Focused on IETF Standization

Kanada, Y., Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE) Yearly Conference,2002-3.

[ Paper PDF file (in Japanese) ] [ OHP PDF file (in Japanese) ]

Abstract: (Not available)

Keywords: IETF, Policy-based management, Tutorial

A Method of Software-Hardware Integration for QoS Policy Combination in Gigabit Routers

Kanada, Y., and Yazaki, T., Communications Quality and Reliability 2002 (CQR 2002), pp. 12-16 2002.

[ Paper PDF file ] [ OHP PDF file ]

Abstract: In policy-based networks, two or more policies often have to cooperate because combined and customized network functions must be controlled using policies. Two types of policy trans-formation, policy fusion and policy division, are sometimes required to implement cooperating policy systems on high-performance hardware routers. Policy fusion transforms two or more policies into one, and policy division transforms a policy into two or more policies. These transformations causes a problem that the original policies must usually be strongly constrained to allow these transformations. This paper shows a method for resolving restrictions on the division of QoS policies by a software-hardware integration, i.e., by implementing virtual flow labels (flow IDs) in hardware and by dividing a policy and deploying the policies onto two filter blocks. We have developed a policy agent (PEP) and a gigabit router integrated by using this method. Both high-performance and flexibility are achieved by this integration.

Keywords: Policy-based management, Policy division, Policy fusion, Component-based policy, Published paper, QoS Policy, Virtual flow label

Dynamically Extensible Policy Server and Agent

Kanada, Y., 3rd International Workshop on Policies for Distributed Systems and Networks (Policy 2002), pp. 236-239, June 2002.

[ Paper PDF file ] [ OHP PDF file ]

要約: This paper proposes a method, called the policy-extension-by-policy method, for quickly and dynamically adding policy classes with new functionality to policy servers and agents. In this method, users can add a new policy class to the policy server by using policy-definition (PD) policies, and they can define a method to translate a policy of the new class and to send to network nodes of different vendors through various types of device interfaces, such as CLI, MIBs, PIBs, APIs or hardware tables, by using policy-embedding (PE) policies. A PE policy also enables translating a policy of an existing class and sending the result to a new type of network node. PE policies contain command templates and methods for filling the templates. A program interpreter is embedded in policy agents to make flexible policy-to-configuration translation possible. A prototype system and example policies, i.e., access control, Diffserv, and VPN policies, were developed.

Keywords: Policy-based management, Extensible policy system, General-purpose policy server

Rule-Based Building-Block Architecture for Policy-based Networking

Kanada, Y. and O'Keefe, B. J., Journal of Network and Systems Management, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 253-275, 2003.

[ JNSM Issue Web Page ] [ Paper PDF file (draft) ]

Abstract: We developed two rule-based building-block architectures, i.e., pipe-connection and label-connection architectures, for describing complex and structured policies, especially network QoS policies. The latter is focused on in this study. The relationships or connections between building blocks are specified by the da-taflow and control flow between them. The dataflow is specified by tags, including virtual flow labels (VFLs), which are data attached to "outside packets". The control flow can be classified and specified by four control structures: concatenation, parallel application, selection, and repetition. We have designed fine-grained and coarse-grained building blocks and methods for specifying dataflow and control flow in differentiated services (Diffserv), and implemented the coarse-grained ones in a policy server. Two cases of building-block use are described, and we concluded that there are five advantages of building-block-based policies, i.e., expressibility, uniform semantics, simplicity, flexibility, and management-task-oriented design. We also developed techniques for transforming building-block policies into executable ones, which are called policy division and fusion.

Keywords: Policy-based management, Component-based policy, Policy division, Policy fusion, Published paper, QoS policy

Policy-Based Session Control in a Virtual "Sound Room" Based Communication-Medium Called Voiscape

Kanada, Y., Multimedia and Virtual Environment SIG, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE), 2003-10

[ Paper PDF file ] [ OHP PDF file ]

Abstract: As part of research toward establishing voice communication media that shall replace telephone, we developed an architecture and a prototype of a continuously-connected multi-user communication medium called voiscape. A virtual "sound room" that is created by spatial audio technology is used in voiscape. When the user moves within the sound room by using a mouse, the presence information including the position in the room is distributed to other users of the room. If the user becomes closer to or more distant from another user, the communication session begins or ends automatically by using SIP according to predefined policy stored in the terminals. This policy-based session control enables privacy protection and reduction of communication. When a local site requires a session start, the remote site often requires a session start concurrently, so a method of establishing a connection without connecting doubly nor becoming busy was deviced.

Keywords: voiscape, Voice communication, Virtual presence, SIP, Policy-based session control, Privacy protection

A Virtual "Sound Room" Based Communication-Medium Called Voiscape

Kanada, Y., Internet Architecture SIG, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE), 2003-10

[ Paper PDF file (in Japanese) ] [ OHP PDF file (in Japanese) ]

Abstract: The concept of a new communication medium called voiscape is proposed. A virtual "sound room" that is based on the spatial audio technology is shared among the users in voiscape, and a person can move freely in the room, can meet and depart from other people, and can talk with two or more persons by using voiscape. By enabling transmission of presence and peripheral information, voiscape will cover from a telephone-style one-to-one conversation to a variety of communication types that are impossible in conventional media, and will enable sharing the feeling of connection and releaf and sharing tacit knowledge. This paper describes usage scenes and a procedure of voiscape and also describes a PC-based prototype. In this prototype, the user can confirm the situation in front by 3D graphics, and can move around the room by using a mouse.

Keywords: voiscape, 3D audio, spatial audio, Voice communication, Virtual communication space

An Implementation of a Virtual "Sound Room" Based Communication-Medium Called Voiscape Using JMF and Java 3D

Kanada, Y., Distributed Processing Systems SIG, Information Processing Society of Japan, 2004-3.

[ Paper PDF file (in Japanese) ] [ OHP PDF file (in Japanese) ]

Abstract: The author researches toward establishing voice communication media called voiscape which shall replace telephone. A virtual "sound room" that is created by spatial audio technology is used in voiscape. We developed a prototype on PCs, in which 3-D graphic is used for supplementing spatial autio. In this prototype, JMF (Java Media Framework) was used for voice capturing and communication, and Java 3D was used for spatial audio and 3-D graphics. Before the development, the author had believed that the basic functions required for the prototype would be realized by connecting these APIs. However, in fact, they cannot be connected directly, so we used OpenAL through the interface of Java 3D. We also encountered problems of sound quality degradation and delay, but they have been almost solved by refining the program by trial and error.

Keywords: JMF, Java, Java 3D, Java Media Framework, OpenAL, voiscape, Sound room, Spatial audio, 3D audio, Voice communication

Multi-Context Voice Communication Controlled By Using An Auditory Virtual Space

Kanada, Y., 2nd IASTED International Conference on Communication and Computer Networks (CCN 2004), November 2004.

[ Paper PDF file ] [ OHP PDF file ]

Abstract: A new voice communication medium, which the author calls "voiscape", will probably appear in near future. Voiscape shall have much improved user interface than the conventional voice communication systems, i.e., telephone and conference systems, and be based on the IP-based conferencing and spatial audio technologies. The author has developed a prototype toward voiscape, which has made a step toward solving two problems of the conventional systems i.e., complicated and restricted conference control and lack of crossed-over multi-context support, by introducing two features. The first function is the virtual-location based communication; i.e., the users can talk with other users and move, in a way similar to face-to-face conversation, in a virtual auditory space created by spatial audio technology without explicit session and floor control. The second function is personalized policy-based communication control; i.e., the users can specify communication policies that protects their privacy and reduce required resources. This function is enabled by a distributed policy-arbitration mechanism. Experiments showed that the basic mechanisms and the policy-based control with a simple policy worked well.

Keywords: Conference room management, Sound room management, voiscape, Virtual communication space, Multi-voice conversation, Voice communication

Multi-Context Voice Communication In A SIP/SIMPLE-Based Shared Virtual Sound Room With Early Reflections

Kanada, Y., 15th ACM International Workshop on Network and Operating System Support for Digital Audio and Video (NOSSDAV 2005), pp. 45-50, June 2005.

[ Paper PDF file ] [ OHP PDF file ]

Abstract: An improved prototype of the "voiscape" voice communication medium has been developed and subjectively evaluated. Voiscape enables natural and seamless voice communication by using sound to create a virtual "sound room" in which people, who are represented by different sounds, can move freely. It features low-delay motion-tracking spatial audio with simulated early reflections that produce out-of-head sound localization and sound distance expression. It also features virtual-location-based selective communication: a user can walk freely in the sound room using a map- and cursor-key-based user-interface and can select whom to talk to or which sound sources to listen to. A third feature is SIP-presence-event-notification (SIMPLE)-based sound room management: when users move, their locations and directions are distributed using SIP SUBSCRIBE/NOTIFY messages. The combination of these features creates a natural voice-communication space in which two or more parallel conversation contexts can coexist. Limited, subjective testing by around 200 people showed that this medium can be used for cocktail-party-like conversation; i.e., users could distinguish parallel conversations by paying attention to or by moving toward one of them.

Keywords: Conference room management, Early reflection, Motion tracking, Reverberation, SIMPLE, SIP, Sound room management, voiscape, Virtual-motion tracking, Virtual communication space, Voice communication, Multi-voice conversation

Computation of Spatialization and Reverberation For A Virtual "Sound Room" Based Communication-Medium Called voiscape

Kanada, Y., EA SIG, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE), 2005-6.

[ Paper PDF file ] [ OHP PDF file ]

Abstract: We are developing a communication medium called voiscape, which enables taking to people while selecting persons to talk by moving in a virtual "sound room". In the second prototype of voiscape called VPII, the FIR Method is used for low-delay HRTF filtering, the sound room - the range of motion - is identified with the room in acoustical cal-culation, and early reflections by the sound room walls are simulated. The early reflections produce out-of-head sound lo-calization and sound distance expression. We also implemented motion-tracking and interpolation algorithms into the spatialization method. VPII enabled a voice communication environment, in which speaker identification is easy, multiple conversation-contexts can be created in a room, and motions of users and objects in a sound room are natural and causes only small noises.

Keywords: HRTF, voiscape, Early reflection, Reverberation, Virtual-motion tracking, Feeling of distance, Out-of-head localization, Virtual communication space, Voice communication

SIP/SIMPLE-based Conference Room Management Method for the Voice Communication Medium "voiscape"

Kanada, Y., Asia-Pacific Network Operations and Management Symposium 2005 (APNOMS 2005), September 2005.

[ Short paper PDF paper ] [ Poster PDF paper ] [ Unpublished full paper PDF v ]

Abstract: A method for conference-room management for an auditory-virtual-space-based voice-communication medium called voiscape and a voice-communication system prototype called VPII, which used this method, were developed. With this method, conference rooms (called sound rooms) are managed through SIP and SIMPLE (a presence-related event-notification mechanism). A user can not only obtain a room list and enter (select) or exit from a room, but can also create, modify, or delete rooms by SIMPLE messaging. Rooms, users, and objects are managed by their "soft state"; i.e., they are deleted when a time out occurs. Users are informed of room membership, presence of a user, e.g., location and direction in the room, and presence of an object in the room by SIMPLE messaging, i.e., by SUBSCRIBE, NOIFY, and PUBLISH requests. To reduce the messaging overhead, the partial notification mechanism of SIMPLE is used in VPII.

Keywords: SIMPLE, SIP, voiscape, Conference room management, Sound room management

Simulated Virtual Market Place By Using voiscape Communication Medium

Kanada, Y., 13th ACM International Conference on Multimedia, pp. 794-795, November 2005.

[ Paper PDF file ] [ Poster PDF File ]

Abstract: We are developing a new voice communication medium called voiscape. Voiscape enables natural and seamless bi-directional voice communication by using sound to create a virtual sound room. In a sound room, people can feel others' direction and dis-tance expressed by spatial sounds with reverberations, and they can move freely by using a map of the room. Voiscape enables multi-voice-conversations. In a virtual market place that will be realized by voiscape, people can not only buy goods or information but also enjoy talking with merchants and people there. In this demo, a vois-cape prototype called VPII is used for realizing such an environ-ment. Unfortunately, because prerecorded voices are used in this demo, the participants cannot talk with merchants. However, the participants can talk each other with small end-to-end latency (less than 200 ms) and will feel the atmosphere of the virtual market place. Prerecorded people and merchants talk each other in English, Japanese and Chinese in parallel and with crossovers, and partici-pants can virtually walk among them and can selectively listen one voice or hear multiple voices at once.

Keywords: voiscape, Demonstration, Virtual communication space, Virtual market, Multi-voice conversation, Voice communication

About Communication and Networking

This page contains an archive of all entries posted to Kanada's papers in the Communication and Networking category. They are listed from oldest to newest.

Emergent computation and Combinatorial problems is the next category.

Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.