Prof. Dr. Antonio Carzaniga concludes research visit to IMDEA Networks

15 March 2016

Dr. Antonio Carzaniga from the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Switzerland joined IMDEA Networks in October 2015 in the role of Visiting Researcher, bringing to the research team extensive experience in mobile code, distributed configuration management, testing and validation of distributed systems, distributed publish/subscribe middleware, and advanced networking architectures. His research visit concluded at the end of January 2016.

During his visit, Dr. Carzaniga took an active part in the research activities and events organized by IMDEA Networks and University Carlos III of Madrid, contributing to various interesting, scientific discussions with the research team, and as a speaker in one of the weekly seminars held at the Institute. His specific seminar was called Information Centric Networking: Addressing Information at the Network Level.

Dr. Carzaniga is currently working on an architecture of a more functional and expressive network, one that does more for applications than merely connecting end-points and also more than incorporating parts of the Web at the network level. Specifically, Antonio is working on an ICN architecture that combines “push” and “pull” information flows, supports expressive descriptors as well as very efficient locators, features loop-free routing to single or multiple destinations, and does not require per-packet in-network state. Dr. Carzaniga has managed to formulate such a network architecture, and is now working on both the algorithmic and systems aspects of routing and forwarding, as well as on many other ideas to make the network scalable, robust, and secure.

Even if his research activities and interests are not directly linked to the main focus of IMDEA Networks (wireless and mobile networks), this researcher maintained various highly interesting discussions on topics ranging from millimeter-wave mobile networks to underwater communications. Not least he and Professor Kirill Kogan, Research Assistant Professor at IMDEA Networks, explored the application of some of Dr. Kogan’s results in packet classifications to the problem of forwarding in information-centric-networking which is one of Dr. Carzaniga’s ongoing projects. Thus, the foundation for possible future collaboration has been established.

According to Dr. Carzaniga, one of the most rewarding aspects of his time at IMDEA Networks is the lively, rich and generally very open research environment that defines the Institute. To him, research is a social activity in which friendly and spontaneous cooperation and constructive criticism contribute much more than individualism and competition. And in his opinion, IMDEA Networks excels at fostering such a positive attitude and environment.