One for all integrated networks
In order to enhance both services as far as manufacturing hardware compatibilities go, an EC funded project examined the potentials of such a merger. The TORRENT project sought to establish the requirements necessary to demonstrate the benefit of intelligent control. Both for customers and network operators. Therefore, the project's main activities were to establish a test-bed for the architectural framework in order to map service properties to network performance parameters. It also addressed functionality with Agent Technologies. This is executed on the user's behalf in order to negotiate such elements as bandwidth, quality of service and pricing. As always, security and identity issues remain of utmost importance. Hence the TORRENT project also focused on client side policy related issues such as authentication and accounting. To do so, it investigated compatibility issues incorporated into "residential gateways" to enable communication between user terminals and networks. However, since this is a test-bed based application, non-traditional network scenarios were examined. These tests provided additional added value both in presenting the technology and in addressing real scenarios where the platform can be used. Furthermore, the test-bed has proven of additional value in testing IPv6 within the Flextel platform. This has been done for pure IPv6 scenarios and mixed IPv6, IPv4 and tunneling functionalities. These tests arose because of the necessity to examine the IPB (internal Flextel high speed bus) versus external devices and other third party products. As a result, the project examined cross platform compatibilities, multi-service network functionalities and the definition of such cross platform software and hardware requirements. TORRENT will encompass systems integration activities, new developments, and close liaison with emerging standards and specifications. Therefore, TORRENT allows connection orientated and connectionless networks to evolve independently, to accommodate a range of various traffic types and to meet the needs of emerging requirements. This development does away with the traditional response of networks that is to artificially meet with emerging requirements that a single, integrated network requires.