Path-aware networking (PAN) enables endpoints to locally select end-to-end network paths based on path properties. This approach contrasts with the traditional Internet architecture, where routers determine the next hop towards the destination based on the routing information provided by the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). By providing this additional transparency and control, PAN opens up opportunities to optimize path selection, with the potential to enhance network performance and user experience metrics. In this paper, we evaluate the potential benefits of PAN for enhancing end-to-end performance. We design Polaris, a concrete feedback-driven path optimization mechanism for PAN, and study its impact on Quality of Service (QoS) as compared to current Internet mechanisms. Our extensive simulation results show the viability and effectiveness of Polaris, revealing that it outperforms the current Internet mechanisms by an average of${4 2 \%}$improvement in receiving rate and${8 1 \%}$reduction in median loss, in the presence of background traffic.

The question at which layer network functionality is presented or abstracted remains a research challenge. Traditionally, network functionality was either placed into the core network, middleboxes, or into the operating system - but recent developments have expanded the design space to directly introduce functionality into the application (and in particular into the browser) as a way to expose it to the user.