Ephemeral ID Mapping for Network Anonymity and Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current IP-based networking systems face challenges in node mobility, as IP addresses cannot change with location, leading to connection losses, and globally unique IDs make nodes vulnerable to unwanted contact and lack anonymity.
Innovation Solution
Implementing ephemeral IDs that are temporary and recyclable, allowing nodes to maintain anonymity by using these IDs instead of fixed, globally unique IDs in Locator/ID Separation Protocol (LISP) or Mobility First, eXpressive Internet Architecture (XIA) networks, which can be shared and recycled across users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If globally unique IDs are used to identify nodes, then nodes can be reliably identified and located, but nodes become vulnerable to unwanted contact and lose anonymity
Solution Approach 1:
The identification system is segmented into two distinct components: globally unique permanent IDs for reliable identification and ephemeral temporary IDs for anonymity. This segmentation allows nodes to use different ID types for different communication needs, resolving the contradiction between reliability and anonymity.
Solution Approach 2:
A mapping server acts as an intermediary between the permanent ID and ephemeral ID. The mapping server stores the correspondence between permanent IDs and ephemeral IDs, allowing nodes to be reliably identified through permanent IDs while maintaining anonymity through ephemeral IDs during communication.
2Ease of operation
If IP addresses are used for node identification, then location addressing is enabled, but node mobility causes connection loss when nodes move
Solution Approach 1:
The IP address functionality is segmented into two separate components: permanent IDs for identification and locators for location addressing. This separation allows nodes to maintain their permanent IDs while changing locators when moving, enabling mobility without connection loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The locator component is made dynamic to accommodate node mobility. When a node moves, its locator can be updated in the mapping server while its permanent ID remains unchanged, allowing the node to maintain connections despite location changes.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If ephemeral IDs are used instead of fixed IDs, then node anonymity is maintained, but ID resolution complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A mapping server serves as an intermediary that manages the complexity of ephemeral ID resolution. The mapping server stores and retrieves the correspondence between permanent IDs and ephemeral IDs, shielding nodes from the complexity while enabling anonymity through ephemeral IDs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses ephemeral IDs as temporary copies of permanent IDs for anonymity purposes. These ephemeral copies allow nodes to be identified without revealing their true identity, and the mapping server maintains the relationship between the copy and the original.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of using ephemeral identifiers (IDs) in a network implemented a network element (NE) comprises obtaining ephemeral ID for at least one user equipment (UE) accessible by the NE, wherein the ephemeral ID is a temporary and recyclable ID associated with the UE, transmitting a request to map the ephemeral ID of the UE to a locator of the NE to a mapping server, and establishing a communication session between the UE and a network site using the ephemeral ID.