Grasping

I am trying to grasp a new area of study, network architecture. I appreciate Dr. Zappala's approach to helping us do that. So, what have I actually learned? Also, what avenues do I think might be promising for future research? It is interesting to me that as a graduate student I am asked to begin to comprehend an entirely new area of computer science, and at the same time throw out some ideas for possibly contributing to the area. I like the challenge. Maybe that is why I am a graduate student.

I tend to like network architecture ideas which emphasize small interchangeable parts, rather than large-scale integrated solutions. In my mind, large integrated solutions belong to the networks which connect to the internet. The internet itself should be dedicated to providing basic communications between disparate networks.

It seems that many ideas we have studied are an attempt to solve problems of typical users. In my mind, the problems of typical users should be solved by specific networks which cater to typical users. The internet should be treated separately from the networks which connect to it. Otherwise, we treat the internet as a single inflexible behemoth.