Dynamic networking: Architecture and prototype systems

In this paper, we propose anew architecture of the global communication networks, the dynamic networking architecture. The dynamic functions enhance the capabilities of communication networks to deal with various changes detected by human users, applications and networked environment. In this architecture, a new functional layer called flexible network layer (FNL) is introduced between the application layer and the transport layer of the global communication networks. To realize the FNL, we adopt an agent framework to develop and manage various components and related knowledge of agent-based middleware of FNL. We explain the experimental applications of the FNL to discuss the characteristics of the proposed architecture.