System and method for circular link resolution with computable hash-based names in content-centric networks

• US 9,276,751 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2014
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2014
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, SEUNG H
• Application Number:
  US14/289,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20150349961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 370/389
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3239 involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD
• 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 one or more data items and a computable identifier calculated based on the one or more data items, 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 computable identifier and an external link that references a second linked object using a self-certified name associated with the second linked object.

Claims

1. A computer-executable method, the method comprising:

constructing a first portion of a linked object for sending content over a content-centric network, wherein the first portion includes one or more data items and a computable identifier for the linked object calculated based on the one or more data items;

deriving a unique name for the linked object based on the first portion of the linked object; and

constructing a second portion of the linked object, wherein the second portion includes at least the computable identifier and an external link that references a second linked object using a second unique name associated with the second linked object, wherein the second unique name is derived based on a first portion of the second linked object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computable identifier is obtained by computing a hash value over the one or more data items.

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

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

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion further comprises a component with a pre-determined value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more data items include a name and a signing key.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second portion further includes a cryptographic signature obtained using the signing key.

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

9. The method of claim 1, wherein constructing the first portion of the linked object further comprises constructing the one or more data items from to-be-delivered content that includes at least one link to other content, and wherein constructing the one or more data items involves replacing the link to the other content with a predetermined pointer that points to the external link included in the second portion.

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

constructing a first portion of a linked object for sending content over a content-centric network, wherein the first portion includes one or more data items and a computable identifier calculated based on the one or more data items;

deriving a unique name for the linked object based on the first portion of the linked object; and

constructing a second portion of the linked object, wherein the second portion includes at least the computable identifier and an external link that references a second linked object using a second unique name associated with the second linked object, wherein the second unique name is derived based on a first portion of the second linked object.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the computable identifier is obtained by computing a hash value over the one or more data items.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the unique 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 10, wherein the first portion further comprises a component with a pre-determined value.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more data items include a name and a signing key.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the second portion further includes a cryptographic signature obtained using the signing key.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the second linked object includes a link that references the linked object using the unique name associated with the linked object, thereby facilitating a circular reference between the linked object and the second linked object.

18. A computer 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 a linked object for sending content over a content-centric network, wherein the first portion includes one or more data items and a computable identifier calculated based on the one or more data items;

deriving a unique name for the linked object based on the first portion of the linked object; and

constructing a second portion of the linked object, wherein the second portion includes at least the computable identifier and an external link that references a second linked object using a second unique name associated with the second linked object, wherein the second unique name is derived based on a first portion of the second linked object.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the computable identifier is obtained by computing a hash value over the one or more data items.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the unique name associated with the linked object is a hash-based name obtained by applying a hash function to the first portion.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the hash function includes a cryptographic hash function.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the first portion further comprises a component with a pre-determined value.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more data items include a name and a signing key.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the second portion further includes a cryptographic signature obtained using the signing key.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the second linked object includes a link that references the linked object using the unique name associated with the linked object, thereby facilitating a circular reference between the linked object and the second linked object.