Proactive Future Internet: Smart Semantic Middleware for Overlay Architecture

Some initiatives towards future Internet, e.g., GENI, DARPA's Active Networks, argue the need for programmability of the network components. Some other initiatives extend this with argumentation for declarative networking, where the behavior of a network component is specified using some high-level declarative language, with a software-based engine implementing the behavior based on that specification. Our proactive future Internet (PROFI) vision follows these initiatives targeting also the following two problems: interoperability of the network elements programmed by different organizations, and the need for flexible cooperation among network elements, including coordination, conflict resolution and even negotiation. To tackle these problems, PROFI intends utilization of semantic languages (RDF-based) for declarative specification of network elements' behavior, and application of software agents as engines for executing such specifications. PROFI technological concept is based on the UbiVERSE, a high-level multidisciplinary research vision towards the future global information society which is also described in this paper.