MAPPING BETWEEN CLASSICAL URLs AND ICN NETWORKS

• US 20170302576A1
• Filed: 04/17/2017
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Townsley, Mark, Surcouf, Andre, Vyncke, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 10,601,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/33 containing protocol addresses or telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/659 Internet protocol version 6 [IPv6] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/663 Transport layer addresses, e.g. aspects of transmission control protocol [TCP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/34 Source routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/72 Routing based on the source address
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/741 Routing in networks with a plurality of addressing schemes, e.g. with both IPv4 and IPv6
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/742 Route cache; Operation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/745 Address table lookup; Address filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/7453 using hashing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74591 using content-addressable memories [CAM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/748 using longest matching prefix
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 : Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/251 : between different IP versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/256 : NAT traversal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 : involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 : Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 : using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/457 : containing identifiers of data entities on a computer, e.g. file names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 : Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/58 : Caching of addresses or names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 : Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 : at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 : above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 : wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 : for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 : Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 : at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 : intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 : for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 : based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 : Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 : taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 : Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 : Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 : in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 : for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 : for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 : Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 : IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 : Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/845 : Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 : by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A method for routing a request for content from a content provider through an IPv6 network is described, the IPv6 network being an information centric network (ICN) in which content is directly addressed using at least a portion of an IPv6 address. The method includes receiving, at an IPv6 network, a request for content, determining that the request does not comprise an ICN address. The method further includes intercepting the request, and translating the request into an IPv6 address in which at least a portion of the address is directed to or associated with the piece of content. Systems and methods described herein address problems arising from the interaction between IP and ICN networking models.

Claims

1. A method for routing a request for content from a content provider through an IPv6 network, the IPv6 network being an information centric network (ICN) in which content is directly addressed using at least a portion of an IPv6 address, the method comprising:

receiving, at an IPv6 network, a request for content;

determining that the request for content does not comprise an ICN address; and

intercepting the request for content, and translating the request for content into an IPv6 address in which at least a portion of the address is directed to the piece of content.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the translation of the address includes appending the IPv6 address to the received request for content.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the IPv6 address in which at least a portion of the address is directed to content is provided by a content provider or a cache which forms part of the IPv6 network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the translation includes using a look up table which links the received request for content with an IPv6 address in which at least a portion of the address is directed to the piece of content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the IPv6 address in which at least a portion of the address is directed to the piece of content includes segment routing information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the translating includes generating a hash of at least a portion of the received request for content, and writing the hash value to least significant bits of the IPv6 address.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the least significant bits of the IPv6 address are the final bits of the IPv6 address.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the intercepting is performed by an OSI layer-4 switch.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the intercepting is performed by Web Cache Communication Protocol.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a reverse translation is applied to the content, prior to delivery of the content to a user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the content provider is not part of the IPv6 network, and is not configured to directly address content using at least a portion of an IPv6 address in a manner consistent with that in which the IPv6 network directly addresses content using at least a portion of an IPv6 address, the method further comprising:

performing a second translation of the request from an IPv6 address in which at least a portion of the address is directed to the piece of content to a request in a format used by the content provider.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the IPv6 address provided by the translating is used to direct the request towards an edge node for connecting to the content provider.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first translating includes using a look up table which links the received request for content with an IPv6 address in which at least a portion of the address is directed to the piece of content, and the second translation includes using a corresponding look up table.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first translating includes generating a hash of at least a portion of the received request for content and writing the hash value to least significant bits of the IPv6 address.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the least significant bits of the IPv6 address are the final bits of the IPv6 address.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the hash is used to route the request for the content to the content provider.

17. A network device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory;

wherein

the memory stores a set of instructions for execution on the processor, arranged to cause the execution of a method for routing a request for content from a content provider through an IPv6 network, the IPv6 network being an information centric network (ICN) in which content is directly addressed using at least a portion of an IPv6 address, the method comprising;

receiving, at an IPv6 network, a request for content;

determining that the request for content does not comprise an ICN address; and

intercepting the request for content, and translating the request for content into an IPv6 address in which at least a portion of the address is directed to the piece of content.

18. A computer program, computer program product, piece of computer software or logic encoded on one or more computer readable media for running on a processing system which, when run, causes the execution of a method for routing a request for content from a content provider through an IPv6 network, the IPv6 network being an information centric network (ICN) in which content is directly addressed using at least a portion of an IPv6 address, the method comprising:

receiving, at an IPv6 network, a request for content;

determining that the request for content does not comprise an ICN address; and

intercepting the request for content, and translating the request for content into an IPv6 address in which at least a portion of the address is directed to the piece of content.