SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CIRCULAR LINK RESOLUTION WITH HASH-BASED NAMES IN CONTENT-CENTRIC NETWORKS

• US 20150341175A1
• Filed: 05/23/2014
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Mosko, Marc E., Solis, Ignacio
• Granted Patent: US 9,455,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for constructing a linked object. During operation, the system constructs a first portion of the linked object. The first portion includes at least a nonce, and the first portion is referenced by a self-certified name associated with the linked object. The system constructs a second portion of the linked object. The second portion includes at least the nonce and one or more external links, and a respective external link references a second linked object using a self-certified name associated with the second linked object.

Claims

1. A computer-executable method for constructing a linked object, the method comprising:

constructing a first portion of the linked object, wherein the first portion includes at least a nonce, and wherein the first portion is referenced by a self-certified name associated with the linked object; and

constructing a second portion of the linked object, wherein the second portion includes at least the nonce and one or more external links, wherein a respective external link references a second linked object using a self-certified name associated with the second linked object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the self-certified name associated with the linked object is a hash-based name obtained by applying a hash function to the first portion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the hash function includes a cryptographic hash function.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the linked object is a content object in a content-centric network (CCN), and wherein the first portion further includes a name and an identifier of a signing key.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein constructing the first portion further involves:

obtaining a first signature by signing, using the signing key, over a hash of the name, the identifier of the signing key, and the nonce; and

inserting the first signature into the first portion.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein constructing the second portion further involves:

obtaining a second signature by signing, using the signing key, over a hash of the second portion; and

inserting the second signature into the second portion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion further comprises a payload, and wherein the payload includes one or more pointers that point to the one or more external links included in the second portion.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second portion further comprises a payload, and wherein the one or more external links are included in the payload.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second portion comprises a standard object that includes a name, and wherein the nonce is same as the name.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second linked object includes a link that references the linked object using the self-certified name associated with the linked object, thereby facilitating a circular reference between the linked object and the second linked object.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to perform a method for constructing a linked object, the method comprising:

constructing a first portion of the linked object, wherein the first portion includes at least a nonce, and wherein the first portion is referenced by a self-certified name associated with the linked object; and

constructing a second portion of the linked object, wherein the second portion includes at least the nonce and one or more external links, wherein a respective external link references a second linked object using a self-certified name associated with the second linked object.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the self-certified name associated with the linked object is a hash-based name obtained by applying a hash function to the first portion.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the hash function includes a cryptographic hash function.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the linked object is a content object in a content-centric network (CCN), and wherein the first portion further includes a name and an identifier of a signing key.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein constructing the first portion further involves:

obtaining a first signature by signing, using the signing key, over a hash of the name, the identifier of the signing key, and the nonce; and

inserting the first signature into the first portion.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein constructing the second portion further involves:

obtaining a second signature by signing, using the signing key, over a hash of the second portion; and

inserting the second signature into the second portion.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first portion further comprises a payload, and wherein the payload includes one or more pointers that point to the one or more external links included in the second portion.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the second portion further comprises a payload, and wherein the one or more external links are included in the payload.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the second portion comprises a standard object that includes a name, and wherein the nonce is same as the name.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the second linked content object includes a link that references the linked object using the self-certified name associated with the linked object, thereby facilitating a circular reference between the linked object and the second linked object.

21. A computer system for constructing a linked object, the system comprising:

a processor; and

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

constructing a first portion of the linked object, wherein the first portion includes at least a nonce, and wherein the first portion is referenced by a self-certified name associated with the linked object; and

constructing a second portion of the linked object, wherein the second portion includes at least the nonce and one or more external links, wherein a respective external link references a second linked object using a self-certified name associated with the second linked content object.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the self-certified name associated with the linked object is a hash-based name obtained by applying a hash function to the first portion.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the hash function includes a cryptographic hash function.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the linked object is a content object in a content-centric network (CCN), and wherein the first portion further includes a name and an identifier of a signing key.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein constructing the first portion further involves:

obtaining a first signature by signing, using the signing key, over a hash of the name, the identifier of the signing key, and the nonce; and

inserting the first signature into the first portion.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein constructing the second portion further involves:

obtaining a second signature by signing, using the signing key, over a hash of the second portion; and

inserting the second signature into the second portion.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the first portion further comprises a payload, and wherein the payload includes one or more pointers that point to the one or more external links included in the second portion.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the second portion further comprises a payload, and wherein the one or more external links are included in the payload.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the second portion comprises a standard object that includes a name, and wherein the nonce is same as the name.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the second linked object includes a link that references the linked object using the self-certified name associated with the linked object, thereby facilitating a circular reference between the linked object and the second linked object.