Lilith: an interconnection architecture based on label switching for spontaneous edge networks

We consider the problem of interconnecting hosts in spontaneous edge networks composed of various types of wired or wireless physical and link layer technologies. We argue that this kind of networks requires a more sophisticated approach than standard IP forwarding: communication paths should be managed on a per flow basis, multiple paths need to be maintained to cope with link failures or changing topologies, and the interconnection architecture should provide a means for acquiring the information on destination reachability. To experiment with our approach, we have designed and implemented Lilith, a prototype of an interconnection node for spontaneous edge networks. We handle network dynamics by establishing MPLS (multi protocol label switching) label switched paths (LSP) on demand with a reactive ad hoc routing protocol. We present some measurements that show good performance with respect to the standard IP forwarding and important performance gains when multiple paths are used.