SOFTWARE DEFINED CUSTOMIZATION OF NETWORK PROTOCOLS WITH LAYER 4.5

Abstract

The rise of software defined networks, programmable data planes, and host level kernel programmability gives rise to highly specialized enterprise networks. One form of network specialization is protocol customization, which traditionally extends existing protocols with additional features, primarily for security and performance reasons. However, the current methodologies to deploy protocol customizations lack the agility to support rapidly changing customization needs. This dissertation designs and evaluates the first software-defined customization architecture capable of distributing and continuously managing protocol customizations within enterprise or datacenter networks. Our unifying architecture is capable of performing per-process customizations, embedding per-network security controls, and aiding the traversal of customized application flows through otherwise problematic middlebox devices. Through the design and evaluation of the customization architecture, we further our understanding of, and provide robust support for, application transparent protocol customizations. We conclude with the first ever demonstration of active application flow "hot-swapping" of protocol customizations, a capability not currently supported in operational networks.