ACM TechNews

Set Top Boxes to Revolutionise Internet Architecture

Computerworld Australia (07/16/08) Hendry, Andrew

National ICT Australia (NICTA) is working on the Nano Data Centers (NADA) project, a European Commission-backed research effort that could revolutionize how information is delivered over the Internet. NADA aims to build an Internet architecture that delivers data from the edge of the Internet, instead of from centrally located servers. NICTA's Max Ott says the traditional way of delivering online services from huge data centers is a power- and space-hungry method that requires expensive hardware, networking, and cooling costs. He says services such as video, music, entertainment, and massively multiplayer online games are not necessarily intended for PCs anymore, and may more likely be directed to a set-top box or game console. Set-top boxes do not consume much energy, are well ventilated, and are becoming increasingly efficient as chip manufacturers create faster, more energy-efficient processors. Ott says NADA is working to push the functionality currently built into data centers and distribute it across hundreds of thousands of set-top boxes, creating nano data centers. Nano data centers would leverage advancements in peer-to-peer technology to provide services to end users. NADA set-top boxes would essentially be divided in two, with one half facing the end user and supplying the typical functionality and services, and the other half acting as the peer, or nano data center.

http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;873075194

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