IP Protocol Architecture

This chapter focuses on the original design goals of IP protocol architecture and how this architecture can help lay the foundations for smart object networks. The design of the TCP/IP architecture allowed enough flexibility that enabled the Internet to grow from a few hosts to more than a billion hosts, supporting a myriad of services over a variety of media. The TCP/IP architecture initially aimed to provide undisrupted Internet communication despite the loss of networks or gateways. Another important goal was the ability to operate over a wide variety of links and physical layers such as ARPANET, X25, satellite links, packet radio networks, and serial links, which was achieved by making a very minimal assumption about lower layers and the functions they provide. It also aimed to support multiple types of communication services, permit distributed management of its resources, and permit host attachment while being cost-effective and accountable at the same time. The TCP/IP architecture is well suited for smart object networks, as the latter shares the same goals. The smart objects networks would just additionally require the support of large-scale networks made of billions of unattended and constrained devices for which new IP technologies have been developed.