Software-defined internet architecture: decoupling architecture from infrastructure

In current networks, a domain can effectively run a network architecture only if it is explicitly supported by the network infrastructure. This coupling between architecture and infrastructure means that any significant architectural change involves sizable costs for vendors (for development) and network operators (for deployment), creating a significant barrier to architectural evolution. In this paper we advocate decoupling architecture from infrastructure by leveraging the recent advances in SDN, the re-emergence of software forwarding, and MPLS's distinction between network's core and edge. We sketch our design, called Software-Defined Internet Architecture (SDIA), and show how it would ease the adoption of various new Internet architectures and blur the distinction between architectures and services.