Method and apparatus for facilitating communication in a content centric network
View Patent ↗One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for facilitating communication in a content centric network (CCN). During operation, the system receives at a first node from an interest owner an interest in a piece of content. The interest indicates a structured name for the content. Furthermore, the name is unique and persistent with respect to the content, and where the name includes authentication information for the content. Next, the system determines whether content available at the first node satisfies the interest. If so, the system sends the content to the interest owner. Otherwise, the system marks the interest as pending, and forwards the interest to a second node in the network based on the interest. After receiving content from the second node in response to the forwarded interest, the system un-marks the interest as pending and sends the content to the interest owner.
1. A computer-executed method, comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, an interest message requesting a collection of content,
wherein the interest message indicates a structured name for the collection of content;
wherein the structured name is hierarchical and not specific to a location, and a prefix of the structured name identifies the collection of content; and
wherein the entire hierarchical structured name, including the prefix, remains unchanged when the collection of content changes its location;
determining whether the requested collection of content corresponding to the interest message is available locally;
responsive to the requested collection of content not being available locally:
forwarding the interest message;
receiving the requested collection of content in response to the forwarded interest message; and
sending the requested collection of content to the owner of the interest message; and
responsive to the requested collection of content being available locally, sending the requested collection of content to the owner of the interest message.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the received collection of content satisfies the interest message; and optionally notifying the owner of the interest message about whether the received collection of content satisfies the interest message.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
authenticating the received collection of content using information carried by the structured name; and
optionally notifying the owner of the interest message about whether the received collection of content is authentic.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein authenticating the received collection of content comprises:
determining whether the received collection of content is from a respective publisher; and
determining whether the received collection of content from the respective publisher has not been modified.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising caching the received collection of content, thereby making the received collection of content available for future interest messages.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising digitally signing the collection of content such that the collection of content can be verified by one or more nodes in the network.
7. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein continued receipt of interest messages requesting a same collection of content facilitates flow control of delivery of the same collection of content.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving from a content provider a second interest message requesting the interest message, thereby allowing the content provider to solicit interest in the collection of content.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interest message is digitally signed, thus enabling the interest message to be authenticated prior to returning the collection of content in response to the interest message.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
responsive to the requested collection of content not being available locally, marking the interest message as pending; and
responsive to receiving the requested collection of content, un-marking the interest message as pending.
11. A computer-executed method, comprising:
generating, by a computing device, an interest message requesting a collection of content,
wherein the interest message indicates a structured name for the collection of content;
wherein the structured name is hierarchical and not specific to a location, and a prefix of the structured name identifies the collection of content; and
wherein the entire hierarchical structured name, including the prefix, remains unchanged when the collection of content changes its location; and sending the interest message to a node in the network.
12. A computer system, comprising:
a processor;
a memory;
a first receiving mechanism configured to receive an interest message requesting a collection of content,
wherein the interest message indicates a structured name for the collection of content;
wherein the structured name is hierarchical and not specific to a location, and a prefix of the structured name identifies the collection of content; and
wherein the entire hierarchical structured name, including the prefix, remains unchanged when the collection of content changes its location;
a determining mechanism configured to determine whether the requested collection of content corresponding to the interest message is available locally;
a first sending mechanism configured to send the requested collection of content to an owner of the interest message in response to the requested collection of content being available locally;
a forwarding mechanism configured to forward the interest message in response to the requested collection of content not being available locally;
a second receiving mechanism, configured to receive the requested collection of content; and
a second sending mechanism, configured to send the received collection of content to the owner of the interest message.
13. The computer system of claim 12 , further comprising
a second determining mechanism configured to determine whether the received collection of content satisfies the interest message; and
an optional notifying mechanism configured to notify the interest message owner about whether the received collection of content satisfies the interest message.
14. The computer system of claim 12 , further comprising:
an authentication mechanism configured to authenticate the received collection of content using information carried by the structured name; and
an optional second notification mechanism configured to notify the interest message owner about whether the received collection of content is authentic.
15. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein while authenticating the received collection of content, the authentication mechanism is further configured to:
determine whether the received collection of content is from a respective publisher; and
determine whether the received collection of content from the respective publisher has not been modified.
16. The computer system of claim 12 , further comprising a caching mechanism configured to cache the received collection of content, thereby making the received collection of content available for future interest messages.
17. The computer system of claim 12 , further comprising a digital-signing mechanism configured to digitally sign the collection of content such that the collection of content can be verified by one or more nodes in the network.
18. The computer system of claim 12 ,
wherein continued receipt of interest messages requesting a same collection of content facilitates flow control of delivery of the same collection of content.
19. The computer system of claim 12 , further comprising a third receiving mechanism configured to receive from a content provider a second interest message requesting the interest message, thereby allowing the content provider to solicit interest messages in the collection of content.
20. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein the interest message is digitally signed, thus enabling the interest message to be authenticated prior to returning the collection of content in response to the interest message.
21. The computer system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a marking mechanism configured to mark the interest message as pending in response to the requested collection of content not being available locally; and
an un-marking mechanism configured to un-mark the interest message as pending in response to receiving the requested collection of content.
22. A computer system, comprising:
a processor;
an interest message generating mechanism, configured to generate an interest message requesting a collection of content,
wherein the interest message indicates a structured name for the piece of content;
wherein the structured name is hierarchical and not specific to a location, and a prefix of the structured name identifies the collection of content; and
wherein the entire hierarchical structured name, including the prefix, remains unchanged when the collection of content changes its location; and
a sending mechanism configured to send the interest message to a node in the network.