Context-Aware Network Storage at Persistent Relay Nodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packet switched and delay tolerant networking technologies face inefficiencies in networks with frequent and prolonged disruptions, particularly in security domains that forbid decryption, leading to slow data transfer and inability to encrypt specific protocol layers.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a traffic engineering manager to determine optimal paths for packet switching without persistent memory storage, utilizing existing protocol layers and encryption methods that comply with security domain restrictions, allowing data to be sent directly to intermediary storage nodes for efficient transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If delay tolerant networking is used to handle network disruptions, then reliability is improved, but speed deteriorates due to per-hop storage penalties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the networking approach into two distinct modes: packet-switched mode for reliable connected networks (prioritizing speed) and delay-tolerant mode for disrupted networks (prioritizing reliability). This segmentation allows the system to select the appropriate mode based on network conditions, avoiding the speed penalty of delay-tolerant networking when the network is functional.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic mode switching between packet-switched and delay-tolerant networking based on real-time network conditions. The system monitors network connectivity and automatically transitions between modes, making the networking approach adaptive rather than static. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by using the fast packet-switched mode when reliable and falling back to the reliable delay-tolerant mode only when necessary.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If encryption is applied to bundle protocol headers in delay tolerant networking, then security is improved, but adaptability deteriorates in security domains that forbid decryption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the routing information from the encrypted bundle protocol headers and places it in separate unencrypted fields within the packet structure. This extraction allows routing information to be accessible without decryption, enabling delay-tolerant networking to function within security domains that forbid decryption while maintaining encryption of the actual data payload.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where encrypted data payloads are contained within packets that have unencrypted routing headers. The encrypted bundle protocol headers are nested within the packet structure, but critical routing information is extracted to the outer unencrypted layer. This nested arrangement allows both security (encrypted payload) and adaptability (accessible routing info) to coexist.
Data Source
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AI summary
Techniques for sending data over a computer network from an origination computer to a destination computer are presented. The techniques include: receiving a demand communication from the origination computer, where the demand communication specifies at least one network parameter; determining that a path through the network from the origination computer to the destination computer that complies with the at least one network parameter is not available; sending data from the origination computer to a node in the network over a path that complies with the at least one network parameter, where the node is not the destination computer; and storing the data at the node in persistent memory.