[Babel-users] AHCP thoughts

Mitar mmitar at gmail.com
Tue Jun 15 21:03:08 UTC 2010


Hi!

I have been reading:

http://mid.gmane.org/7ifxkuh2w7.fsf@lanthane.pps.jussieu.fr

And I got some thoughts.

"Unlike AHCP 0, AHCP 1 requires that servers have read-write persistent
storage; a small flash should be enough, but you'll not be able to run AHCP
1 servers on disk-less, flash-less netbooted nodes."

Does this mean that they need persistent storage across reboots?

"For the same reason, a node will not be able to autoconfigure unless it can
reach a server."

This is problematic in mesh splits. I believe the main advantage of
mesh networks over other networks is that they should be
auto-configurable and that works also independently of an Internet
connection or a connection to a central server. Such mesh networks
together with service discovery means that people can connect their
devices together automatically and share data and services. I believe
this is really useful with mobile devices as it brings networking
where otherwise there is no infrastructure. Just think about an idea
that all mobile phones would run in ad-hoc mode meshing with every
other and running a routing protocol over it. And sharing data and
services. Then we do not need to go for everything into the Internet,
but people could start giving services over their phones.

In such networks splits will be common. You will go around and you
will lose connectivity, one group will be connected (in a classroom
for example) but not connected to another group. Somebody reboots its
mobile phone - how it will configure?

Probably we can solve this easily in IPv6 - we just have multiple IPv6
addresses for every device. Assigned one (if this is possible) and
also self-assigned one from device's MAC address (but not link-local).
So for local service-discovery content and services it would work.
Only the device would not be reachable from the Internet. But if it is
in split this the device would not be in any case. So the idea is to
run AHCP server on every Internet gateway and this is it? And use
additional IPv6 addresses always.


Mitar



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