Transport stack name scheme and identity management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016373390-A1
Application number	US-201514746490-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 22, 2015
Priority date	Jun 22, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An identity management and initialization scheme, along with a naming scheme for a transport stack and its components, facilitates directly addressing each component in the transport stack. During operation, the system receives, by a forwarder, a packet that corresponds to an interest, where the interest includes a name. In response to determining that the interest is destined for a component of a stack of communication modules, the forwarder sends the interest to the destined component based on the name for the interest, where the stack does not require a respective communication module to communicate only with a layer above or below thereof. In response to determining that the interest is not destined for a component of the stack, the forwarder sends the interest to a network element based on the name for the interest. This facilitates directly addressing individual components of the stack.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving, by a forwarder, a packet that corresponds to an interest, wherein the interest includes a name; in response to determining that the interest is destined for a component of a stack of communication modules, sending the interest to the destined component based on the name for the interest, wherein the stack does not require a respective communication module to communicate only with a layer above or below thereof; and in response to determining that the interest is not destined for a component of the stack, sending the interest to a network element based on the name for the interest, thereby facilitating directly addressing individual components of the stack.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the name for the interest includes one or more of:
a name for the stack; a name for the forwarder associated with a corresponding portal instance; a name for a component of the stack; and a command associated with a component of the stack.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a name for a component of the stack is based on one or more of:
a hierarchically structured variable length identifier (HSVLI) which comprises contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level, wherein the HSVLI is applicable in a portal instance corresponding to the stack; a flat name that does not indicate any hierarchy; a role of the component of the stack; and a unique identifier which is specific to the component of the stack.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the interest includes a payload which includes a command associated with a component identified by the name for the interest.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the interest to the destined component further comprises:
sending a message included in the interest to the destined component via a message delivery system based on the name for the interest.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from an application, a request to create a portal instance associated with the stack; creating the portal instance based on application information included in the request; and returning the portal instance to the application, wherein the portal instance indicates the stack, the forwarder associated with the stack, and each component of the stack.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the application information includes one or more of:
a name for the portal instance; and a nonce for the portal instance.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein creating the portal instance is further based on an identity and a private key of a creator of the portal instance, further comprising:
storing the private key of the creator in a verifier component of the stack.

9 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
receiving, by a forwarder, a packet that corresponds to an interest, wherein the interest includes a name; in response to determining that the interest is destined for a component of a stack of communication modules, sending the interest to the destined component based on the name for the interest, wherein the stack does not require a respective communication module to communicate only with a layer above or below thereof; and in response to determining that the interest is not destined for a component of the stack, sending the interest to a network element based on the name for the interest, thereby facilitating directly addressing individual components of the stack.

10 . The storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the name for the interest includes one or more of:
a name for the stack; a name for the forwarder associated with a corresponding portal instance; a name for a component of the stack; and a command associated with a component of the stack.

11 . The storage medium of claim 9 , wherein a name for a component of the stack is based on one or more of:
a hierarchically structured variable length identifier (HSVLI) which comprises contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level, wherein the HSVLI is applicable in a portal instance corresponding to the stack; a flat name that does not indicate any hierarchy; a role of the component of the stack; and a unique identifier which is specific to the component of the stack.

12 . The storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the interest includes a payload which includes a command associated with a component identified by the name for the interest.

13 . The storage medium of claim 9 , wherein sending the interest to the destined component further comprises:
sending a message included in the interest to the destined component via a message delivery system based on the name for the interest.

14 . The storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, from an application, a request to create a portal instance associated with the stack; creating the portal instance based on application information included in the request; and returning the portal instance to the application, wherein the portal instance indicates the stack, the forwarder associated with the stack, and each component of the stack.

15 . The storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the application information includes one or more of:
a name for the portal instance; and a nonce for the portal instance.

16 . The storage medium of claim 14 , wherein creating the portal instance is further based on an identity and a private key of a creator of the portal instance, and wherein the method further comprises:
storing the private key of the creator in a verifier component of the stack.

17 . 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 a forwarder, a packet that corresponds to an interest, wherein the interest includes a name;
in response to determining that the interest is destined for a component of a stack of communication modules, sending the interest to the destined component based on the name for the interest, wherein the stack does not require a respective communication module to communicate only with a layer above or below thereof; and
in response to determining that the interest is not destined for a component of the stack, sending the interest to a network element based on the name for the interest,
thereby facilitating directly addressing individual components of the stack.

18 . The computer system of claim 17 , wherein the name for the interest includes one or more of:
a name for the stack; a name for the forwarder associated with a corresponding portal instance; a name for a component of the stack; and a command associated with a component of the stack.

19 . The computer system of claim 17 , wherein a name for a component of the stack is based on one or more of:
a hierarchically structured variable length identifier (HSVLI) which comprises contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level, wherein the HSVLI is applicable in a portal instance corresponding to the stack; a flat name that does not indicate any hierarchy; a role of the component of the stack; and a unique identifier which is specific to the component of the stack.

20 . The com

Assignees

• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc

Inventors

• Wood Christopher A
• Scott Glenn C

Classifications

• H04L41/044

  comprising hierarchical management structures · CPC title

• H04L51/14 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L41/026

  using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat · CPC title

• H04L51/18

  Commands or executable codes · CPC title

• H04L61/3015 Primary

  Name registration, generation or assignment · CPC title