CCN Autonomous System Label Switching

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Solution Overview

Problem

Content-centric networks (CCNs) face inefficiencies in resource distribution across autonomous systems due to redundant resources and high maintenance requirements for each network node, making it difficult to scale and manage large throughput and diverse structured names.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a CCN autonomous system with edge servers, cache servers, and route servers that utilize label switching (MPLS) to control interest and content object flow, allowing for distributed processing tasks and resource allocation, where not all nodes need to maintain a forwarding information base (FIB) or pending interest table (PIT), and using cache servers to cache frequently requested content.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If typical CCN devices are deployed across an AS to implement a CCN-compatible AS, then content-centric networking functionality is achieved, but redundant resources and high maintenance requirements arise across various AS devices

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveCCN functionalityVSAvoidredundant resources
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the CCN autonomous system into three distinct device types with specialized functions: edge servers (handling client interests and PIT operations), cache servers (storing and managing content objects), and route servers (performing FIB lookups and forwarding). This segmentation eliminates redundancy by assigning specific CCN functions to appropriate device types rather than requiring all devices to maintain complete CCN functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and removes the requirement for PIT, FIB, and CS from individual CCN devices. Instead, these data structures are maintained centrally or distributed across specialized server types. Edge servers maintain PIT, cache servers maintain CS, and route servers maintain FIB, eliminating the need for each device to maintain all three structures independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Speed

If each CCN device maintains local PIT, FIB, and CS, then content lookup and forwarding can be performed locally, but resource deployment becomes redundant and scaling becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocal processingVSAvoidscaling capability
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from a flat architecture where each device maintains complete CCN functionality to a hierarchical multi-dimensional architecture. Edge servers handle client-facing operations, cache servers provide content storage, and route servers provide routing functionality. This dimensional organization allows local processing speed to be maintained at each level while enabling system-wide scaling through distributed specialization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Area of stationary object

If CCN devices are distributed across different computer networks, then network coverage is expanded, but interest and content object flow is limited unless ISPs deploy CCN-compatible AS

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork coverageVSAvoidinter-network compatibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal interface layer at the edge server that can translate between different network protocols and the internal CCN architecture. Edge servers can receive interests from various networks, perform CCN processing, and return content objects through appropriate network interfaces. This multi-functional capability enables CCN to operate across different computer networks without requiring each ISP to deploy full CCN-compatible infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2863614B1Method and apparatus for a named data network within an autonomous system
Publication Date: 2016.12.14 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC
  • EP2863614B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2863614B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2863614B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An edge node or cache server of an autonomous system (AS) can process an interest for the autonomous system. During operation, the system can receive an interest for a content object, and determines whether the local node can satisfy the interest. If the local network node does not satisfy the interest, the system determines a label indicating network information for another AS node, attaches the label to the interest, and forwards the interest to the other AS node based on the label. Further, a route server of the AS processes an interest by determining a label that corresponds to the interest, and attaching the label to the interest. The route server then forwards the interest to the egress network node based on the label, which allows the egress network node to forward the interest to the remote autonomous system based on the attached label.