Anonymous Datagram Routing for CCN Lookup Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Content-centric networks (CCN) face challenges with large forwarding information bases (FIB) and pending interest tables (PIT) that can lead to increased lookup times and vulnerability to Interest-flooding attacks, as they rely on location-based addressing and store per-Interest forwarding states.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of anonymous datagrams for routing ICN Interests using anonymous identifiers (AIDs) allows routers to establish name-independent paths without storing per-Interest forwarding states, using bijective functions to manage AIDs and reduce the size of routing tables, thereby improving lookup efficiency and security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If CCN nodes use FIB and PIT to map name prefixes to neighbors for routing content, then content delivery is enabled, but the FIB becomes substantially large as the number of content producers grows, slowing lookup times
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the traditional monolithic FIB into multiple smaller FIBs, each managed by a different controller in the distributed controller architecture. This segmentation reduces the size of individual lookup tables, enabling faster lookup times while maintaining comprehensive routing coverage across the network.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new architectural dimension by implementing a distributed controller plane separate from the data plane. Controllers manage FIB entries and coordinate routing decisions, transforming the single-plane architecture into a multi-plane system that improves lookup efficiency without compromising content delivery reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the size of a node's PIT increases to track more pending Interests, then more content requests can be handled, but malicious entities can perform Interest-flooding attacks that virtually disable CCN forwarder nodes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces controllers as intermediary entities that mediate between Interest requests and PIT management. Controllers aggregate and manage PIT entries across the network, preventing any single node from being overwhelmed by Interest-flooding attacks while maintaining the ability to handle multiple pending Interests.
Solution Approach 2:
The distributed controller architecture implements feedback mechanisms where controllers monitor PIT sizes and Interest patterns across the network. This feedback enables dynamic adjustment of routing decisions and PIT management strategies, preventing Interest-flooding attacks from disabling nodes while maintaining adaptability to legitimate content requests.
3Ease of operation
If CCN uses location-based addressing like IP, then requests can be routed to specific organization servers, but content cannot be requested from any CCN node that hosts the content, limiting content discoverability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal routing mechanism where FIBs map content names to multiple possible neighbor routes rather than single location-based destinations. This enables a single content request to be satisfied by any node hosting the content, providing both routing simplicity through structured FIB lookup and content access flexibility through multi-path capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A router of a content centric network (CCN) can forward messages using anonymous identifiers. The router can receive an Interest via a first interface, and determines a first anonymous identifier (AID) that identifies a name-independent path to the Interest's source via the router. The router can identify a second interface for forwarding the Interest to a next-hop neighbor via CCN, and performs a bijective function on the first AID to obtain a second AID that is to be used by the next-hop neighbor to return a corresponding data packet to the router. The router updates the Interest to include the second AID, and forwards the Interest via the second interface toward the next-hop neighbor. When the router receives the data packet, the router performs a lookup operation in an anonymous routing table (ART), based on the AID, to determine an interface for forwarding the data packet toward the Interest's source.