This book examines a foundational concept of the Internet: its naming and addressing architecture. Given that the current host-centric domain name system (DNS) is dated and increasingly showing signs of wear and tear, the authors explore other, more suitable models. They note that while many models exist, an overarching framework is missing, and assert that such a framework is needed to accommodate the growing demands for a smarter network.

The book is divided in three parts. The first part consists of two chapters that provide a historic overview of the Internet, focusing on the naming and addressing infrastructure. The authors introduce readers to the various models that have been developed over time, and do an excellent job of presenting relevant literature on the topic and explaining the similarities and differences between the models.

The second part builds on the overview and aims to formalize the relevant concepts. This is much needed, since the many different models developed by many different authors have led to many different terms for similar concepts. Having clarified this confusion in chapter 3, the authors propose a unified definition for commonly used terms, which in turn facilitates the building of a taxonomy in chapter 4. The authors use chapters 3 and 4 as a basis to present a model that demonstrates the tradeoffs involved in the design of Internet name-based discovery systems, including balancing scalability, efficiency, and adaptability. The final chapter of the second part uses a design exercise to illustrate the discussion, focusing on an architecture for differentiated discovery services.

The last part of the book explores the economic incentives associated with naming and discovery services. In chapter 7, the authors apply game theories such as the Nash equilibrium, the dominant strategy equilibrium, and the subgame perfect equilibrium. This sets the stage for the final chapter, in which they present an incentive model for route distribution based on the border gateway protocol (BGP). The authors humbly conclude that the Nash equilibria developed are not unique and identify areas that deserve further research.

The book covers the fundamental and thus dry topic of Internet naming and discovery protocols, and as such would mostly be useful in an academic or research setting. As might be expected, readers must be familiar with advanced math in order to fully appreciate the various gaming models. The persistent reader will be rewarded with a thorough overview of the research in this field, including the authors’ own models.

One final thought: I found it interesting to read in the preface that the authors started their research back in 2006, seven years before they published this book. The purpose of their research was to “design the future Internet.” Now, almost a decade later--a lifetime in Internet terms--their research is as timely as ever. While so many aspects of the Internet have changed, the core naming and addressing architecture has proven to be remarkably stable. One can only wonder whether, despite the pressing needs for change as laid out in this book, this architecture will be able to adapt as well.