Vint Cerf's Disruption-Tolerant Networking

An anonymous reader writes "Net pioneer, Vint Cerf, talked this week about the space internet (the Interplanetary Internet), and an interesting 1994 April Fool's email he penned as a Request for Comment [1607]. The thread involves a reverse time capsule from the year 2023, but covers Cerf's side interests in Shakespeare. Since 2004 marks the 30th anniversary of publication of the first paper on the Internet, his views on the future of the net and Interplanetary Internet seem to have morphed somewhat into delay and disruption tolerant networking because of high demand for videoconferencing, Voice-Over IP, and multimedia."

Comments

Critical apps given false sense of security?

[MacFury]

A disruption tolerant internet would be great...but at what point do we allow critical applications to communicate over such a system? In reference to a recent article on VoIP 911 service...I wouldn't trust that critcal line of communication if it failed as often as my DSL connection.

Who is Half Handsome?

Re:Critical apps given false sense of security?

[LostCluster]

It's a case of matching the network technology to the application. It's the reason why we have both TCP (for when it needs to get there uncorrupted) and UDP (for when any packet that's late is now of no use) available for use under IP.

There's a big difference between a 911 call on Earth, and getting data back from Mars. Those two networks should likely have very little in common.

Re:Critical apps given false sense of security?

[segment]

failure on your DSL either means a) nosync caused by static on your lines meaning either your wiring is bad or the telco sucks, in either case the line can be adjusted and the noise level brought down. Unless of course your provider is using ghetto DSLAMS, b) your modem or eth cards are garbage or c) you're using shoddy wiring (rj45's phone cords, etc.) or shoddy splitters, or have some crazy ass fax/phone/^* set up that's give you linenoise. Heck housealarms can do that, so can vibrations on the line if you live near like a train or something.

Just because it could be one of the choices though does not mean VoIP is a bad idea, as far as the entire VoIP 9/11 argument, I see it as being useless considering even 11 year olds have cell phones. Don't tell me you're like one of those people in a horror movie, where they fall and stay on the ground screaming. Pick up another line of communication. Think of it in terms of everyday normality, you catch a flat, there's a spare, etc.

As for disruption tolerant, it would be literally impossible. That's asking for a vendor to create the ultmite failsafe product. Anything can happen, sadly look at 9/11 for example. To ask for something perfect would be to ask for the impossible, to not have a failover implementation of sorts is mere stupidity, and should not be blamed on technology whatsoever. Hell if I were trapped in the desert with no phone, etc., bet your ass I'm trying to make some smoke signals.

Re:Send the comm network before sending the humans

[Anonymous Coward]

I think we should send up robots that can create really "cheap" (as in not fancy, low quality) solar cells out of the materials already available on Mars.

Re:delay or disruption?

[krumms]

Maybe there's specific definitions that I'm not aware of, but to me it seems that a long delay could be considered to be a disruption (TCP connection time out, for example).

I dunno. Maybe I suck. :)

Re:Send the comm network before sending the humans

[kfg]

Great idea! Unfortunately, such robots don't exist.

Just as human carrying Mars landers don't yet exist. I believe the idea is to think up things that don't exist yet, and then build them.

I think Mr. Cerf himself has some experience with that particular protocol.

KFG