The Internetworking Problem
- (+) Require only one mapping (IP -> new protocol) when a new protocol is added
- (+) Global address space can be created for universal addressibility/scaling
- (-) Requires some changes in lower networks (eg: protocol type field for IP)
- (-) IP has to be necessarily simple else mapping will be hard.
- Even in its current form mapping IP to ATM has proven to be really hard.
- Basis for “best-effort” forwarding
- (-) Mapping infrastructure needed: address hierarchy, address resolution, fragmentation