[1527] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Alternate Routing
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Charles_K._Kuhlman.MAN@rxg.xerox.c)
Tue Oct 22 09:39:48 1991
Date: Tue, 22 Oct 1991 06:37:29 -0700
From: Charles_K._Kuhlman.MAN@rxg.xerox.com
In-Reply-To: "steve@ncri.cise.nsf:gov:Xerox's message of 22-October-91 (Tuesday) 13:43:22 +1"
To: steve@ncri.cise.nsf.gov
Cc: com-priv@psi.com
IMHO what the internet *needs* is an AUTODIN-like routing scheme where the
`hubs' and `routers' (insert your own definitions) are intelligent enough to
sort out source-destination, OSPF, and precedence routing. The problem is that
since the internet rules are (sort of) free-form, we don't have a draconian
administration (thank goodness) like DCA to enforce the routing rules.
Unless everyone submits to an `overlord' that monitors compliance with source
ID specifications, all the neat routers in the world won't help. IHMO, of
course. You can specify all the source ID bits you want, but if somone ignores
or bypasses the spec, you get chaos. And bills not paid.
MAYBEEEEE we can look to public-key cryptography as one way to support
validating the source ID bit(s). The ID bits could be encrypted in a way that
the user could not change (keys supplied by the regional or commercial
provider). A pile of keys could be used for pre-paid packet transmission (key
is good once, stripped out by routers or whatever). I'm going to have to think
about this one............... (PS: I claim copyright on this idea) (Just
kidding) (Don't quote me)
