@techreport{lopes-rank-00,
    number =    {draft-lopes-rank-00},
    type =      {Internet-Draft},
    institution =   {Internet Engineering Task Force},
    publisher = {Internet Engineering Task Force},
    note =      {Work in Progress},
    url =       {https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-lopes-rank/00/},
    author =    {Rui Eduardo Lopes and Duarte Raposo and Susana Sargento},
    title =     {{Rank, a Resource Management Protocol for Allocation}},
    pagetotal = 57,
    year =      2026,
    month =     jun,
    day =       29,
    abstract =  {This document specifies Rank, a comprehensive resource management protocol designed for modern edge-to-cloud computing infrastructures. While traditional network protocols focus primarily on managing link bandwidth and router buffer space, the shift toward decentralized services demands a broader approach to resource allocation. Rank addresses this gap by simultaneously managing computing capabilities (such as CPU, memory, and storage), network capacity, and time- sensitive constraints (such as clock synchronization and task scheduling) within a unified framework. Operating primarily as a fully distributed protocol, Rank enables dynamic resource discovery, estimation, allocation, and sharing. It works by establishing a path between a source ("talker") and a destination ("listener") node, actively negotiating resource requirements across all intermediate nodes. Because it is fully distributed, all participating nodes carry equal responsibility in handling a session, such as processing requests, evaluating their own capacity to meet the resource demands, and strategically forwarding messages to ensure an optimized, end-to-end connection without relying on a centralized controller.},
}