Reputation-Based Forwarding Strategy for Content Centric Networks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current content-centric networks (CCN) face inefficiencies in utilizing network resources due to inflexible forwarding strategies, which fail to adapt to changing network conditions, leading to increased response times and potential congestion, and lack the ability to select the most reliable nodes or interfaces for content delivery.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a reputation-based strategy that computes reputation values for network nodes and interfaces based on attributes such as latency, bandwidth, and signature verification success rates, allowing nodes to dynamically adapt forwarding decisions and caching policies to optimize performance and reliability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If nodes forward Interests using traditional routing methods, then content delivery is achieved, but network resource efficiency deteriorates due to inability to adapt to changing conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork resource efficiencyVSAvoidadaptability to changing network conditions
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic forwarding by allowing nodes to adapt their forwarding decisions based on real-time reputation values of candidate nodes. The reputation values are continuously updated based on observed performance metrics such as response time, bandwidth availability, and content verification success rates. This enables the network to dynamically reroute Interests around congested or underperforming nodes, improving overall network resource efficiency while maintaining adaptability to changing conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where nodes observe and measure the performance of other nodes in the network. Reputation values are computed based on feedback from successful content deliveries, failed verifications, and observed network conditions. This feedback loop allows nodes to learn from past interactions and make informed forwarding decisions, thereby improving network resource efficiency through adaptive routing based on actual performance data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If nodes continue to forward Interests to interfaces with increased response time, then forwarding simplicity is maintained, but service quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveforwarding simplicityVSAvoidservice quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Nodes autonomously evaluate candidate nodes based on reputation values without requiring centralized control or complex manual configuration. Each node independently computes reputation values by observing performance metrics and makes forwarding decisions based on these values. This self-service mechanism maintains forwarding simplicity at the operational level while automatically improving service quality by avoiding nodes with poor performance records.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the forwarding parameter from static routing tables to dynamic reputation values. Instead of relying on predetermined routes, nodes use real-time reputation metrics such as response time, bandwidth, and verification success rates to determine the best forwarding target. This parameter change enables nodes to automatically avoid interfaces with degraded performance while maintaining simple forwarding operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If nodes cache all received Content Objects, then content availability is improved, but network storage resources deteriorate due to caching suboptimal content

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent availabilityVSAvoidnetwork storage resources
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the caching behavior based on the reputation of the source node and the specific content characteristics. Nodes selectively cache Content Objects from high-reputation sources and evict or avoid caching content from low-reputation sources. This selective caching approach improves content availability by prioritizing reliable sources while conserving network storage resources by not caching potentially problematic or low-value content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of caching all received Content Objects indiscriminately, nodes apply partial action by caching only those objects that meet certain reputation thresholds or performance criteria. This selective approach ensures that storage resources are allocated to content that is more likely to be reliable and in demand, thereby improving content availability while avoiding the waste of storage resources on suboptimal content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

4Reliability

If nodes forward Interests to all candidate nodes, then content delivery probability is increased, but network congestion worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent delivery probabilityVSAvoidnetwork congestion
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the set of candidate nodes into tiers based on their reputation values. Instead of forwarding Interests to all candidate nodes equally, nodes prioritize forwarding to high-reputation candidates and may skip or deprioritize low-reputation candidates. This segmentation approach maintains high content delivery probability by focusing on reliable nodes while reducing network congestion by avoiding unnecessary transmissions to nodes with poor performance records.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2975820B1Reputation-based strategy for forwarding and responding to interests over a content centric network
Publication Date: 2019.11.06 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC
  • EP2975820B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2975820B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2975820B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A CCN network node use reputation values for one or more interfaces to determine how to forward an Interest. During operation, the network node can receive an Interest or Content Object via a network interface, determines one or more candidate outbound faces for forwarding the Interest by performing a longest-prefix-matching lookup in a forwarding information base (FIB) using the Interest's name or name prefix as input. A respective FIB entry maps a name prefix to a forwarding rule that includes a corresponding outbound face for the name prefix. The node can determine a reputation value for each of the candidate outbound faces based on reputation information stored in association with the Interest's name or name prefix, and selects a candidate outbound face with a reputation value exceeding a first predetermined threshold. The node can then forward the received Interest via the selected outbound face.