Method and system for keeping interest alive in a content centric network

• US 9,929,935 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2017
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mahadevan, Priya, Scott, Glenn C., Mosko, Marc E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHITAYEWOLDETSAD, BERHANU
• Application Number:
  US15/422,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20170149647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 709204, 709235, 709245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/021 Ensuring consistency of routing table updates, e.g. by using epoch numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/026 Details of "hello" or keep-alive messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

One embodiment provides a system that facilitates a content requesting device to handle a potential timeout event. During operation, the system receives, by a content producing device, a packet that corresponds to a first Interest message from a content requesting device, where the first Interest includes a name. Responsive to determining that additional time is required to generate a matching Content Object for the first Interest, the system generates a notification message which indicates a time period after which a second Interest is to be sent out by the content requesting device. The name for the second Interest can be the same as the name for the first Interest or a new name as indicated in the notification message. The system transmits the notification message to the content requesting device, thereby facilitating the content requesting device to handle a potential timeout event.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for forwarding packets, the method comprising:

receiving, by an intermediate router, a packet that corresponds to a first Interest message from a content requesting device, wherein the first Interest message includes a first name;

creating a first entry in a Pending Interest Table, wherein the first entry corresponds to the first Interest message and is based on the first name;

transmitting the first Interest message to a content producing device;

receiving, from the content producing device, a first notification message which indicates a time period after which a second Interest message is to be sent out by the content requesting device;

transmitting the first notification message to the content requesting device;

removing the first entry from the Pending Interest Table;

receiving a packet that corresponds to the second Interest message, from a content requesting device, wherein the second Interest message includes a second name;

creating a second entry in the Pending Interest Table, wherein the second entry corresponds to the second Interest message and is based on the second name; and

transmitting the second Interest message to the content producing device,

thereby facilitating the content requesting device to handle a potential timeout event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the content producing device, a second notification message which indicates a time period after which a third Interest message is to be sent out by the content requesting device;

transmitting the second notification message to the content requesting device;

removing the second entry from the Pending Interest Table;

receiving a packet that corresponds to the third Interest message, from a content requesting device, wherein the third Interest message includes a third name;

creating a third entry in the Pending Interest Table, wherein the third entry corresponds to the third Interest message and is based on the third name; and

transmitting the third Interest message to the content producing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second name for the second Interest message is identical to or different from the first name for the first Interest message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first notification message is a Content Object, thereby facilitating the intermediate router to remove the first entry in the Pending Interest Table corresponding to the first Interest message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first notification message further indicates that the content producing device is generating the content in response to the first Interest message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet that corresponds to the second Interest message is received before the time period expires.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a Content Object in response to the second Interest message, wherein the Content Object includes as payload content corresponding to the first Interest message; and

transmitting the Content Object to the content requesting device.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a Content Object in response to the third Interest message, wherein the Content Object includes as payload content corresponding to the first Interest message; and

transmitting the Content Object to the content requesting device.

9. A computer system for facilitating forwarding of packets, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising;

receiving, by an intermediate router, a packet that corresponds to a first Interest message from a content requesting device, wherein the first Interest message includes a first name;

creating a first entry in a Pending Interest Table, wherein the first entry corresponds to the first Interest message and is based on the first name;

transmitting the first Interest message to a content producing device;

receiving, from the content producing device, a first notification message which indicates a time period after which a second Interest message is to be sent out by the content requesting device;

transmitting the first notification message to the content requesting device;

removing the first entry from the Pending Interest Table;

receiving a packet that corresponds to the second Interest message, from a content requesting device, wherein the second Interest message includes a second name;

creating a second entry in the Pending Interest Table, wherein the second entry corresponds to the second Interest message and is based on the second name; and

transmitting the second Interest message to the content producing device,

thereby facilitating the content requesting device to handle a potential timeout event.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, from the content producing device, a second notification message which indicates a time period after which a third Interest message is to be sent out by the content requesting device;

transmitting the second notification message to the content requesting device;

removing the second entry from the Pending Interest Table;

receiving a packet that corresponds to the third Interest message, from a content requesting device, wherein the third Interest message includes a third name;

creating a third entry in the Pending Interest Table, wherein the third entry corresponds to the third Interest message and is based on the third name; and

transmitting the third Interest message to the content producing device.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the second name for the second Interest message is identical to or different from the first name for the first Interest message.

12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the first notification message is a Content Object, thereby facilitating the intermediate router to remove the first entry in the Pending Interest Table corresponding to the first Interest message.

13. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the first notification message further indicates that the content producing device is generating the content in response to the first Interest message.

14. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the packet that corresponds to the second Interest message is received before the time period expires.

15. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a Content Object in response to the second Interest message, wherein the Content Object includes as payload content corresponding to the first Interest message; and

transmitting the Content Object to the content requesting device.

16. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a Content Object in response to the third Interest message, wherein the Content Object includes as payload content corresponding to the first Interest message; and

transmitting the Content Object to the content requesting device.