Content Negotiation in Content Centric Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Content-centric networks (CCNs) lack a flexible content negotiation mechanism, as CCN names do not inherently include information about content types or encodings, making it difficult for clients to specify acceptable formats and for producers to ensure reliable content retrieval when format changes occur.
Innovation Solution
Encoding qualifiers into CCN names, allowing content producers to respond with content objects that satisfy specified encodings, using methods such as abstraction, oversupply, or redirection, and enabling intermediate routers to cache and forward content objects based on these encoded names.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If CCN names are used without encoding qualifiers, then the network architecture remains simple and names are easy to manage, but clients cannot specify acceptable content formats and producers cannot ensure reliable content retrieval
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the CCN name into distinct components: a base name identifying the content and qualifiers encoded in curly braces specifying acceptable formats (e.g., /content{format1|format2|format3}). This segmentation allows clients to specify multiple acceptable formats while keeping the name structure organized and manageable, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter representation by encoding format qualifiers as part of the name string itself rather than using separate protocol fields. This allows the name to carry both identification and format specification information, enabling content format specification capability while maintaining a relatively simple name-based approach consistent with CCN architecture.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple content formats are supported through name encoding, then clients can specify acceptable formats, but the name structure becomes more complex requiring additional processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by encoding the format negotiation information directly in the name, allowing routers and producers to automatically process format specifications without requiring complex external negotiation protocols. The name itself carries all necessary information for format selection, simplifying operation while supporting multi-format content negotiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-encoding all acceptable formats in the name before the content retrieval process begins. This allows intermediaries to understand and process format requirements in advance, eliminating the need for complex runtime negotiation and maintaining ease of operation while supporting versatile content formats.
3Reliability
If content producers respond with multiple format options, then content retrieval reliability improves, but the response processing and caching becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the response into a base content object and format-specific qualifiers encoded in the name. Routers and caches can process each format option independently based on the encoded name, maintaining reliability through multiple format options while managing complexity through systematic segmentation of format handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal name structure that handles multiple formats through a consistent encoding scheme. This allows a single caching and forwarding mechanism to handle all format variants uniformly, improving retrieval reliability across different formats while avoiding the need for separate complex processing paths for each format.
4Adaptability or versatility
If qualifiers are encoded in CCN names, then content negotiation flexibility increases, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring content properties increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a consistent visual metaphor in the name encoding (qualifiers in curly braces) that makes content properties detectable at a glance. The structured format /base{qualifier1|qualifier2} allows easy identification of content types and acceptable formats, maintaining negotiation flexibility while reducing detection difficulty through consistent visual patterning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the name into recognizable components with clear delimiters (curly braces for qualifiers, slashes for hierarchy). This segmentation makes it easy to parse and detect content properties by identifying the base name and its associated qualifiers, reducing measurement difficulty while maintaining flexible content negotiation capability.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment provides a system that facilitates content negotiation in a content centric network. During operation, the system receives, by a content producing device, a packet that corresponds to a first interest, wherein an encoded name for the interest indicates a plurality of qualifiers for acceptable types of requested content, and wherein a name is a hierarchically structured variable length identifier which comprises contiguous name components. The system generates a first content object that satisfies one of the indicated plurality of qualifiers, wherein a name for the content object is the encoded name, and wherein a content object indicates data and a content type corresponding to the satisfied qualifier.