Designing a videoconference system for active networks

Active networks are receiving increasing attention due to their promises of great flexibility in tailoring services to applications. This capability stems from the exploitation of network devices whose behavior can be changed dynamically by applications, possibly using technologies and architectures originally conceived for mobile code systems. Notwithstanding the promises of active networks, real-world applications that clearly benefit by them are still missing. In this work we describe the design of a videoconference system conceived expressly for operation over active networks. The goal of this activity is to pinpoint the benefits that mobile code and active networks bring in this application domain and to provide insights for the exploitation of these concepts in other application domains.