Networks are increasingly migrating away from fixed-functionality, closed devices to collections of open devices, both in Software Defined Networks (SDN) and in the Internet of Things (IoT). In an SDN, switches defer to a logically centralized controller program—a smart “hub” for the network—which installs persistent rules in each switch that dictate their behavior. In IoT, control is more distributed.

Programming languages research must engage with these emerging areas. How do we program these devices? How do we verify our programs? I will discuss some of the many issues that arise and present open challenges in these arenas.

I am a Professor of Computer Science at Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. You can learn more about me from my Web site.