62 Software Networks
automatically adapt the network components to the users’ demands,
but without reasoning, merely based and predefined rules. The next
section is devoted to this view of intelligence in networks. It also
introduces autonomic networks, which replaced programmable
networks or active networks. An autonomic network is one which is
capable of configuring itself, and wherein the nodes may become
autonomous in case of failure or cutoff in communications.
Since the beginning of the 2000s, true intelligence – i.e. reasoningbased intelligence – has been offered by certain network components,
which are able to make decisions pertaining to control or
management. The devices which make those decisions stem from the
domain of artificial intelligence and smart objects. In particular, multiagent systems have been around for a long time, able to handle
security and failures.
Intelligent agents offer the first category of tools whose
introduction on a large scale could modify management and control
environments, making them more autonomous and more reactive.
We shall now examine the reasons for this power, and then the way
in which we construct multi-agent systems.
3.6. Management of a complex environment
As networks have become increasingly complex, the management
and control of these environments has become necessary for a variety
of reasons, which we shall now go on to examine. Network
environments are becoming increasingly dynamic, as we have seen.
Numerous and varied applications are interwoven, making it difficult
to control the resources. The statistical gain – i.e. what we gain by
treating the data packets statistically – in packet-transfer networks is
undeniable, but, if the data flows too far exceed the network’s
capacities, a meltdown of performance is inevitable.
Network environments are, by nature, distributed, although the
trend is toward centralization, which makes it complicated to control
and manage them. In addition, enormous scale necessitates even
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automatically adapt the network components to the users’ demands,
but without reasoning, merely based and predefined rules. The next
section is devoted to this view of intelligence in networks. It also
introduces autonomic networks, which replaced programmable
networks or active networks. An autonomic network is one which is
capable of configuring itself, and wherein the nodes may become
autonomous in case of failure or cutoff in communications.
Since the beginning of the 2000s, true intelligence – i.e. reasoningbased intelligence – has been offered by certain network components,
which are able to make decisions pertaining to control or
management. The devices which make those decisions stem from the
domain of artificial intelligence and smart objects. In particular, multiagent systems have been around for a long time, able to handle
security and failures.
Intelligent agents offer the first category of tools whose
introduction on a large scale could modify management and control
environments, making them more autonomous and more reactive.
We shall now examine the reasons for this power, and then the way
in which we construct multi-agent systems.
3.6. Management of a complex environment
As networks have become increasingly complex, the management
and control of these environments has become necessary for a variety
of reasons, which we shall now go on to examine. Network
environments are becoming increasingly dynamic, as we have seen.
Numerous and varied applications are interwoven, making it difficult
to control the resources. The statistical gain – i.e. what we gain by
treating the data packets statistically – in packet-transfer networks is
undeniable, but, if the data flows too far exceed the network’s
capacities, a meltdown of performance is inevitable.
Network environments are, by nature, distributed, although the
trend is toward centralization, which makes it complicated to control
and manage them. In addition, enormous scale necessitates even
www.it-ebooks.info