TCP/ICN Proxy Emulating Push Semantics Over ICN Pull Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
The migration of TCP/IP applications to an ICN architecture is non-trivial due to differences in network architectures, requiring complete re-engineering and re-implementation, and existing solutions struggle to effectively translate protocols below the transport layer, making it difficult to run TCP applications on ICN networks.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of TCP/ICN proxies that translate and tunnel TCP traffic between TCP/IP endpoints over an ICN network, using forward and reverse proxies to emulate TCP push semantics over ICN pull semantics, leveraging hop-by-hop transient data caching and multi-path forwarding capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If TCP/IP applications are migrated to ICN architecture, then TCP performance is improved by utilizing ICN properties such as caching and flow balance, but complete re-engineering and re-implementation is required due to architectural differences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces TCP/ICN proxies as intermediary components that translate and tunnel TCP traffic between TCP/IP endpoints over an ICN network. These proxies act as mediators that convert TCP push semantics into ICN pull semantics, allowing TCP applications to run over ICN without complete re-engineering. The proxies leverage ICN properties like hop-by-hop transient data caching and multi-path forwarding to improve TCP performance while maintaining compatibility with existing TCP applications.
2Adaptability or versatility
If TCP push semantics are translated over ICN pull semantics, then TCP applications can run on ICN networks, but protocol translation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The TCP/ICN proxies serve as intermediaries that handle the protocol translation between TCP push semantics and ICN pull semantics. The forward proxy receives TCP segments and translates them into ICN Interest packets, while the reverse proxy translates incoming ICN Data packets back into TCP segments. This intermediary approach enables TCP application compatibility without requiring changes to the applications themselves, despite the increased translation complexity at the proxy level.
Solution Approach 2:
The translation function is segmented into separate forward and reverse proxies, dividing the complex translation task into manageable components. The forward proxy handles TCP-to-ICN translation while the reverse proxy handles ICN-to-TCP translation, allowing each component to be optimized independently and reducing the overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If existing solutions translate protocols below the transport layer, then some ICN functionality is achieved, but effective TCP translation remains difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions TCP/ICN proxies at the transport layer boundary, acting as intermediaries that specifically handle TCP protocol translation without requiring changes to lower-layer protocols. This approach achieves effective TCP translation by focusing the translation complexity at the transport layer where TCP semantics can be directly mapped to ICN semantics, rather than attempting to translate protocols below the transport layer where the complexity and difficulty increase significantly.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosure are directed to systems, network nodes, and methods performed in a network node. A network node can host a TCP/ICN proxy for routing TCP packets through an ICN network. The network node can serve as a forward proxy or a reverse proxy. As a forward proxy, the network node can receive a first packet at the network node, the first packet compliant with a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) protocol; encapsulate one or more TCP headers from the first packet into a payload field of a second packet, the second packet compliant with an Information Centric Networking (ICN) protocol; and transmit the second packet to a destination through an ICN network. As a reverse proxy, the network node can receive an ICN packet from an ICN network, decapsulate the ICN packet to its TCP components, and transmit the TCP packet through a TCP network.