Proxy Based Networking vs. End-to-End Networking

Resource limitations of mobile hosts, such as CPU, memory, power, display, and bandwidth limitations, pose new challenges for protocol architects. Researchers in the proxy camp argue that specific protocol and application layer optimizations are needed to cope with these limitations. Since one size does not fit all, proxies are necessary to provide impedance matching between mobile and wired hosts.

However, the question is, "are proxies fundamental to providing networking services to mobile hosts?"

The proponents of end-to-end networking argue that within the framework of end-to-end protocols specific limitations of mobile hosts can be accommodated. For example, mobile clients can request low resolution content from servers using HTTP content negotiation rather than relying on proxies for content distillation services. Similarly, TCP and MobileIP can be used to connect mobile hosts directly to the Internet instead of using special-purpose protocol gateways such as WAP.

The goal of this panel is to bring the advocates from both camps together and have a lively debate on this issue. The discussion will be a free form and opinions from the audience are solicited. Please come and join us @

Time 3:30pm - 5:00pm, Tuesday, October 27th, 1998
   Mobicom '98, Dallas, TX

Panelists
 
Armando Fox            UC Berkeley/Stanford, CA
David Johnson          Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Murray Mazer          Curl Corporation, Cambridge, MA
Srinivasan Seshan      IBM T. J. Watson Research Center

Panel Organizers: Pravin Bhagwat and Richard LaMaire    IBM, T. J. Watson Research Center