Cooperative strategies for network management in the Internet of the future

Cooperation strategies are gaining in importance in the Internet. Cooperation models are present in peer to peer networks for example, or in the cooperative routing algorithms for wirelessmesh networks. Approaches are being discussed in the context of future Internet research, which delegate decision cycles from the network management into the network. This creates higher requirements for information management in the network. In this contribution we describe how cooperation of functions on the network and the service layers can support this kind of decision cycles. By an example in load management, we explain how the cooperation of all participating components increases both the group utility and the utility of all individual service providers. © Springer-Verlag 2010.