The '''Recursive InterNetwork Architecture (RINA)''' is a new computer [[network architecture]] proposed as an alternative to the currently mainstream [[Internet protocol suite|TCP/IP]] model. While new,The RINA is based on the original investigation in the early 1970s into the's fundamental principles of networking. This was done by searching out the fundamental invariances in the structure of the problem and by avoiding special cases in preference to degenerate cases. Then as now is the recognitionare that [[computer networkingnetwork]]ing is just [[Inter-Process Communication]] or IPC, and only IPC. There aren’t 5 or 7 layers of different functionality but one layer of the same functions that repeats.layering Theshould numberbe of layers depends on the range of resources in the network. Each layer is configured to different ranges of allocationdone based on scope/scale, with a single recurring set of protocols. Applying this principle of separating the invariant from the variant, e.g.rather separatingthan mechanism and policyfunction, led to the realization that there is only one data transfer protocol and one application protocol with differentspecialized policiesprotocols. The functionalityprotocol ofinstances anin IPC-Process,one alayer terminterface forwith athe memberprotocol ofinstances aon layer,higher naturallyand cleaveslower intolayers 3via locinew of processing with decreasing duty cycleconcepts and increasingentities computationalthat complexity:effectively Data Transfer[[Reification (Sequencing, Fragmentation/Reassembly,computer Delimitingscience)|reify]] decouplednetworking throughfunctions acurrently Statespecific Vectorto fromprotocols Datalike Transfer[[BGP]], Control (Retransmission[[OSPF]] and Flow Control) decoupled from Layer Management (routing) through the Resource Information Base (RIB) effectively a[[Address stateResolution vectorProtocol|ARP]]. In this way, the RINA proposes to support features like mobility, [[multihoming|multi-homing]] and [[Quality of Service]] without the need for extra specialized protocols like [[Real-time Transport Protocol|RTP]] and [[User Datagram Protocol|UDP]], as well as allow simplified network administration without the need for concepts like [[Autonomous system (Internet)|autonomous systems]] and NAT.[[Network Mobilityaddress in RINA is especially interesting since it does not require home agents, foreign agents, tunnels, anchors or any new protocols and hence is basically freetranslation|NAT]].
==Background==
The principles behind RINA were first presented by [[John Day (computer scientist)|John Day]] in his book ''Patterns in Network Architecture: A return to Fundamentals''.<ref name="PNA">''Patterns in Network Architecture: A Return to Fundamentals'', John Day (2008), Prentice Hall, {{ISBN|978-0132252423}}</ref> This work is a start afresh, taking into account lessons learned in the 35 years of [[TCP/IP]]’s existence, as well as the lessons of [[OSI model|OSI]]’s failure and the lessons of other network technologies of the past few decades, such as [[CYCLADES]], [[DECnet]], and [[Xerox Network Systems]].
