{"id":{"repo_id":"lancaster","oai_identifier":"oai:eprints.lancs.ac.uk:11795"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/lancaster/oai:eprints.lancs.ac.uk:11795","repository":{"repo_id":"lancaster","name":"Lancaster University","base_url":"https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/cgi/oai2"},"display":{"title":"Open network control : towards an integrated telecommunications future","abstract":"Recent advances in the area of computer networking have led to a number of approaches to providing multi-service networks. Of particular importance are B-ISDN & ATM on the one hand, and the Internet, based on IP, on the other. The idea that the coupling of B-ISDN and ATM would provide the global solution for the wide-scale deployment of broadband telecommunications has been strongly challenged by the Internet and its associated protocols. What now exists is a multi-service scenario where distributed multimedia applications with a variety of requirements will be supported across multiple heterogeneous networks, encompassing B-ISDN/ATM and IP as well as other local access and core networking technologies. This thesis introduces Open Network Control as a means to integrate the variety of communication services and platforms that will continue to co-exist. A key starting point is the area of broadband network control, which has seen a number of projects looking at open control mechanisms, using a combination of low-level interfaces onto network devices and the use of middleware technology to provide the control interaction between these devices. In the thesis, the need is argued for a generic level of network control that allows for the support of different network services and different control mechanisms in a uniform and consistent manner. This begins with a critical examination of the approaches to providing multi-service networks that are currently dominant within the networking community, highlighting where each may be claimed as \"fit for purpose\". A middleware-based Open Network Control architecture and signalling mechanism is then presented, based around a set of strictly defined requirements. Support for continuous media interaction abstractions, a model for the definition of application requirements and a distributed connection binding technique contribute to an overall architecture of Open Network Control. Finally, an evaluation of the architecture is made through a series of measurements based around a real-life application. Performance is considered both in terms of timing characteristics and in terms of the overhead of control messaging within different elements of the architecture.","abstract_html":"Recent advances in the area of computer networking have led to a number of approaches to providing multi-service networks. Of particular importance are B-ISDN & ATM on the one hand, and the Internet, based on IP, on the other. The idea that the coupling of B-ISDN and ATM would provide the global solution for the wide-scale deployment of broadband telecommunications has been strongly challenged by the Internet and its associated protocols. What now exists is a multi-service scenario where distributed multimedia applications with a variety of requirements will be supported across multiple heterogeneous networks, encompassing B-ISDN/ATM and IP as well as other local access and core networking technologies. This thesis introduces Open Network Control as a means to integrate the variety of communication services and platforms that will continue to co-exist. A key starting point is the area of broadband network control, which has seen a number of projects looking at open control mechanisms, using a combination of low-level interfaces onto network devices and the use of middleware technology to provide the control interaction between these devices. In the thesis, the need is argued for a generic level of network control that allows for the support of different network services and different control mechanisms in a uniform and consistent manner. This begins with a critical examination of the approaches to providing multi-service networks that are currently dominant within the networking community, highlighting where each may be claimed as "fit for purpose". A middleware-based Open Network Control architecture and signalling mechanism is then presented, based around a set of strictly defined requirements. Support for continuous media interaction abstractions, a model for the definition of application requirements and a distributed connection binding technique contribute to an overall architecture of Open Network Control. Finally, an evaluation of the architecture is made through a series of measurements based around a real-life application. Performance is considered both in terms of timing characteristics and in terms of the overhead of control messaging within different elements of the architecture.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Edwards, Christopher"],"institution":"Lancaster University","degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1999,"date_issued":"1999-11","date_published":"1999-11","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:48:17Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Edwards, Christopher"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["1999-11"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1999-11"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.commercial","label":"Dc Publisher Commercial","values":["Lancaster University"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["School of Computing & Communications"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["Lancaster University"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby","values":["https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/11795/"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["Ph.D."]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Recent advances in the area of computer networking have led to a number of approaches to providing multi-service networks. Of particular importance are B-ISDN & ATM on the one hand, and the Internet, based on IP, on the other. The idea that the coupling of B-ISDN and ATM would provide the global solution for the wide-scale deployment of broadband telecommunications has been strongly challenged by the Internet and its associated protocols. What now exists is a multi-service scenario where distributed multimedia applications with a variety of requirements will be supported across multiple heterogeneous networks, encompassing B-ISDN/ATM and IP as well as other local access and core networking technologies. This thesis introduces Open Network Control as a means to integrate the variety of communication services and platforms that will continue to co-exist. A key starting point is the area of broadband network control, which has seen a number of projects looking at open control mechanisms, using a combination of low-level interfaces onto network devices and the use of middleware technology to provide the control interaction between these devices. In the thesis, the need is argued for a generic level of network control that allows for the support of different network services and different control mechanisms in a uniform and consistent manner. This begins with a critical examination of the approaches to providing multi-service networks that are currently dominant within the networking community, highlighting where each may be claimed as \"fit for purpose\". A middleware-based Open Network Control architecture and signalling mechanism is then presented, based around a set of strictly defined requirements. Support for continuous media interaction abstractions, a model for the definition of application requirements and a distributed connection binding technique contribute to an overall architecture of Open Network Control. Finally, an evaluation of the architecture is made through a series of measurements based around a real-life application. Performance is considered both in terms of timing characteristics and in terms of the overhead of control messaging within different elements of the architecture."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Open network control : towards an integrated telecommunications future"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Edwards, Christopher"],"dc:date":["1999-11"],"dc:date.issued":["1999-11"],"dc:description.abstract":["Recent advances in the area of computer networking have led to a number of approaches to providing multi-service networks. Of particular importance are B-ISDN & ATM on the one hand, and the Internet, based on IP, on the other. 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In the thesis, the need is argued for a generic level of network control that allows for the support of different network services and different control mechanisms in a uniform and consistent manner. This begins with a critical examination of the approaches to providing multi-service networks that are currently dominant within the networking community, highlighting where each may be claimed as \"fit for purpose\". A middleware-based Open Network Control architecture and signalling mechanism is then presented, based around a set of strictly defined requirements. Support for continuous media interaction abstractions, a model for the definition of application requirements and a distributed connection binding technique contribute to an overall architecture of Open Network Control. Finally, an evaluation of the architecture is made through a series of measurements based around a real-life application. 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