Daniel BuenoA new set of operating rules will make it easier to map virtual computer networks. They were developed in algorithm format by a group of researchers at the University of Campinas (Unicamp) and the University of São Paulo (USP). “Virtualization allows the creation of several virtual networks isolated along a single set of Internet routers,” says Gustavo Alkmim, doctoral candidate at the Computer Science Institute of Unicamp, working with his advisor, Professor Nelson da Fonseca. Virtualization occurs when some of a computer’s resources are isolated by using specific software to create virtual computers. By virtualizing entire networks, it is possible to do experiments and select specific services such as security level, number of resources required for a given task and protection against failures. Alkmim provides an example of how his work could be useful in the world of virtual networks. “One practical example would be a cloud (remote) computing company whose client would like to rent several network-connected virtual computers. Selecting the best way to map the resources of the physical network for each element of the virtual network allows the company to provide support to more clients more quickly, thus increasing profitability,” says Alkmim. The group’s work was published in the January 2013 issue of the Journal of Internet Services and Applications, and Alkmim’s dissertation on the same topic was selected as third place winner in the Latin American Conference on Computer Sciences (Clei) in early October 2013 in Venezuela.