% -*- mode: latex; tex-main-file: "pospaper.tex" -*-

\begin{abstract}
Network researchers face a significant problem when
deploying software in routers, either for experimentation or for pilot
deployment.  Router platforms are generally not open systems, in
either the open-source or the open-API sense.  In this paper
we discuss the problems this poses, and present an eXtensible Open
Router Platform (XORP) that we are developing to address these issues.
Key goals are extensibility, performance and robustness.  We show that
different parts of a router need to prioritize these differently, and
examine techniques by which we can satisfy these often conflicting
goals.  We aim for XORP to be both a research tool and a stable
deployment platform, thus easing the transition of new ideas from the
lab to the real world.
\end{abstract}