Virtual datalink emulation and protocol development

In this paper, we propose and discuss a method for achieving expandability and portability through the protocol specifications and implementation of a virtual network. Technologies based on graph abstractions such as link-state routing and broadcast techniques do not fundamentally depend on specific network technologies. Today, in order for these technologies to directly use the identifiers and communication protocols defined by a specific network technology, portability to other network technologies and adaptability to a heterogeneous network environment are degraded. The portability and adaptability to a heterogeneous network environment are improved by designing and implementing these technologies for a virtual network and emulating the virtual network on various networks. In this paper, to construct a virtual network, we explain a method for emulating the virtual datalink ANCIF proposing the same media access control protocol and protocol development using ANCIF. In practice, we applied and implemented ANCIF on various real networks, and measured the protocol overhead resulting from the virtual implementation. The result was extremely small overhead and almost no effect on performance. Finally, we discuss the portability to other network technologies and the adaptability to a heterogeneous network environment which are obtained by applying ANCIF. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 1, 88(8): 32–40, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecja.10204