ANQL – An Active Networks Query Language

This paper explores the application of a relational database model to network communication processing. Packets are constructed of protocol data units, usually organized as an encapsulating sequence of protocol headers. These protocol headers may be modeled by relational database tables. Critical information about the state of a protocol processing node, such as connectivity and adjacency, link delay, and cpu utilization, may also be modeled through relational tables. An application-specific language, ANQL (Active Networks Query Language), is introduced to explore the database metaphor for packet processing. ANQL has been demonstrated in Active Network control and management plane activities, but ANQL or related languages might also be utilized as a full-fledged active packet language. ANQL is applicable in both event-driven and background processing environments, and may be used in centralized data collection and analysis processes, or in distributed implementations of packet analysis activities.