Keynote 2: using randomized techniques to build scalable intrusion-tolerant overlay networks

Overlay networks provide important routing functionality not easily supported directly by the Internet. Distributed Hash Tables (DHTs) have been proposed to support such overlay networks. While it is often straightforward to support overlay networks on DHTs, this choice can be questioned. DHTs dictate routes that are not optimal, and DHTs are hard to secure. As overlay networks are beginning to be deployed for critical applications, efficiency and security are becoming important attributes. We present an alternative support structure called Fireflies. Fireflies provides each of its members with a complete view of its live peers. A small subset of these peers is marked as neighbors. With high probability, the mesh formed by the members and their neighbor links has a diameter logarithmic in the number of live members, and connects all the reachable members that are not Byzantine. Fireflies uses several randomized algorithms, which are briefly described. We also discuss how Fireflies may be used to build intrusion-tolerant overlay networks