Orion: Named Flows with Access Control
Alexander(Sandy) Fraser
Fraser Research
Unix file system semantics, applied to the host/network interface for
a wide area network, lead to a compact definition of a communications
service and provide a versatile framework for privacy in computer
communications. Flows are named connections between processes, and a
network is a flow that contains other flows. Hierarchical design
limits the scope of a name, and access permissions put limits on flow
access. Services publish their names on the network. Pure clients,
who by default have no need of a public name, are invisible and are
not vulnerable to direct attack.
Processes communicate through Orion: a file system-like interface that
hides details of network operation from applications and users
alike. Many different implementations are possible, and can coexist
behind this unifying interface. Not only is this architecture a
substantial step towards a network that can evolve independently of
its users, it is also a framework under which disparate internets can
coexist behind a single user interface.
