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 SCION Next-Generation Network (NGN) architecture has expanded steadily since 2017, with today 20+ ISPs offering SCION connectivity. In production, IP-to-SCION-to-IP translation by SCION-IP-Gateways (SIGs) is used, such that applications are unaware of the NGN communication. To accelerate innovation and deployments, our aim is to increase the number of native SCION use cases, where the application is fully SCION-aware and optimizes communication across all path choices offered by the network. We set out to achieve two core objectives: (1) facilitating simple native connectivity for applications, and (2) enhancing the scalability of SCION deployment at academic sites.

In just a few decades, the Internet has evolved from a research prototype to a cyber-physical infrastructure of critical importance for modern society and the global economy. Surprisingly, despite its new role, the survivability of the Internet-its ability to fulfill its mission in the presence of large-scale failures-has received limited attention. We introduce Domino, our initial design and implementation of a testbench tool for stress testing the Internet's routing system, a key element of the critical Internet infrastructure. The simulation-based testbench consists of a comprehensive and flexible framework that allows for the incorporation of diverse survivability metrics, provides a platform for specifying, evaluating, and comparing different topologies of the underlying Internet infrastructure, and can account for modifications to networking protocols and architectural components. By demonstrating the utility of the proposed testbench with a number of illustrative examples, we make a case for stress testing as a viable approach to evaluating the Internet's survivability in the face of evolving challenges.

In just a few decades, the Internet has evolved from a research prototype to a critical infrastructure for modern society and the global economy. Despite its importance, the Internet's survivability amid large-scale failures has received limited attention. We present a testbench design for stress testing the Internet's routing system. This simulation-based framework allows for flexible integration of survivability metrics, evaluation of different topologies, and assessment of protocol and architectural changes. With several illustrative examples, we show the effectiveness of our proposed testbench and make a case for stress testing as a viable approach to evaluating the survivability of inter-domain routing against evolving challenges.

Path aware networking (PAN) is an approach that allows endpoints to participate in the end-to-end path selection, letting them choose paths best suited for each application. This approach offers numerous potential benefits including rapid fail-over, concurrent use of parallel paths, and QoS enabled networks, even spanning multiple domains. The dynamic interconnection of different autonomous systems (ASes) in path aware networks offers both challenges and opportunities for network service providers, which in turn provide opportunities for traffic engineering previously not possible. The SCION path-aware network architecture has been designed from the ground up with security in mind, and features a trust structure that can serve as a basis for more dynamic interconnection between ASes. In this paper, we describe a prototype spot market that lets the ASes sell time-limited excess capacity, allowing buyers to divert traffic to cheaper alternatives temporarily. We believe this market allows for new opportunities both in traffic engineering and inter-domain connectivity that have not existed before. The market benefits all parties involved, as the formerly wasted bandwidth is now used, and provides additional revenue—in varying degrees—to all the participating entities.