Overlay network

Overlay network

1. Overlay networks

2. Overlay network means in general: Overlay : means put something on top of something else. A network is defined as a system for connecting computers using a single transmission technology. The computers can communicate with each other in a network. They can send and receive data from each other when they are in a network.

3. Overlay network means a computer network that is on top of another network.

4. Overview: During the last six years, overlay networks have become one of the most conspicuous tools for Internet research and development. While overlays are at least as old as the Internet, they weren’t generally regarded as an area of research on their own until the late 1990s.

5. Purpose: The main purpose of the overlay network is to add missing functionality without a complete network redesign.

6. B enefits They avoid burdening the underlying network with features better performed at higher layers. For example, content routing requires that the content routers.

7. Short Comings: Overlay Network highly decentralized. Security and privacy issues. Miss-communications between overlay and underlay networks

8. Examples of overlay networks: Peer to Peer Networks (P2P) Virtual Private Networks

9. Peer to Peer Overlay Network : P EER-TO-PEER (P2P) overlay networks are distributed systems in nature, without any hierarchical organization or centralized control. Peers form self-organizing overlay networks that are overlayed on the Internet Protocol (IP)

10. Virtual Private Network VPNs are networks deployed on a public network infrastructure that utilize the same security , management, and quality of service policies that are applied in a private network. VPNs provide an alternative to building a private network for site-to site communication over a public network or the Internet.

11. Conclusion: Overlay networks are better to improve functionality of another underlay network but they are also creating some problems because they don’t have complete control of physical networks.