Abstract: A method is provided that is performed by a smart network interface card (SmartNIC) that is in communication with a host device that serves as a forwarder in an Hybrid Information-Centric Network (hICN). The method includes storing in a memory of the SmartNIC, mapping information that maps a subset of names of content contained in a content store that is stored in a memory of the host device to corresponding addresses of the content. The method further includes receiving at the SmartNIC, from a requester, an interest that includes a name, and determining whether the name of the interest is included in the mapping information stored in the SmartNIC. The method includes processing the interest based on whether the name of the interest is contained in the mapping information stored in the memory of the SmartNIC.

Abstract: An electronic device of a content producer generates a chunk of data, associates a location-independent name with the chunk of data, generates a signature for the chunk of data, attaches the signature to the chunk of data, and transmits the chunk of data, with the signature attached, to one or more user devices in response to respective requests. The signature is generated based on the data in the chunk, using a private key of the electronic device. The electronic device also stores information, including a specification of a public key associated with the private key, in a first ledger entry of a blockchain, to provide the one or more user devices with access to the public key. A user device may obtain the public key and use it to verify the chunk of data.

Abstract: A method is provided that is performed by a smart network interface card (SmartNIC) that is in communication with a host device that serves as a forwarder in an Hybrid Information-Centric Network (hICN). The method includes storing in a memory of the SmartNIC, mapping information that maps a subset of names of content contained in a content store that is stored in a memory of the host device to corresponding addresses of the content. The method further includes receiving at the SmartNIC, from a requester, an interest that includes a name, and determining whether the name of the interest is included in the mapping information stored in the SmartNIC. The method includes processing the interest based on whether the name of the interest is contained in the mapping information stored in the memory of the SmartNIC.

Abstract: A method is provided that is performed by a smart network interface card (SmartNIC) that is in communication with a host device that serves as a forwarder in an Hybrid Information-Centric Network (hICN). The method includes storing in a memory of the SmartNIC, mapping information that maps a subset of names of content contained in a content store that is stored in a memory of the host device to corresponding addresses of the content. The method further includes receiving at the SmartNIC, from a requester, an interest that includes a name, and determining whether the name of the interest is included in the mapping information stored in the SmartNIC. The method includes processing the interest based on whether the name of the interest is contained in the mapping information stored in the memory of the SmartNIC.

Abstract: A network device is configured to distribute audio streams and video streams among participant devices connected to the network device over a communication network. The network device collects respective audio streams from the participant devices, and ranks the participant devices based on the respective audio streams collected from the participant devices. Based on the ranking, the network device elects top-N participant devices among the participant devices as being associated with respective users who are active speakers, where N is one or more, and retrieves respective video streams only from the top-N participant devices. The network device receives from the participant devices respective requests for video streams from the top-N participant devices, and sends to the participant devices the video streams retrieved only from the top-N participant devices.

Abstract: In various implementations, a network device receives a packet from a content producer. The packet includes data and further includes a signature generated by the content producer, based on the data, using a private key of the content producer. The network device modifies the packet without affecting the signature and forwards the modified packet toward a user device. The network device also sends the user device a manifest specifying how the packet was modified. The user device receives the packet and manifest, restores the packet's original data based on the manifest, and verifies the original data using the signature and a public key corresponding to the private key of the content producer. In response to verification of the original data, an application on the user device is allowed to use the data.

Abstract: An electronic device of a content producer generates a chunk of data, associates a location-independent name with the chunk of data, generates a signature for the chunk of data, attaches the signature to the chunk of data, and transmits the chunk of data, with the signature attached, to one or more user devices in response to respective requests. The signature is generated based on the data in the chunk, using a private key of the electronic device. The electronic device also stores information, including a specification of a public key associated with the private key, in a first ledger entry of a blockchain, to provide the one or more user devices with access to the public key. A user device may obtain the public key and use it to verify the chunk of data.

Abstract: Presented herein is a solution in which a Producer that provides Transport Layer Security (TLS) over a hybrid Information Centric Network (hICN) announces two different hICN prefixes or namespaces. One hICN prefix is for performing a TLS handshake (also called a handshake prefix or handshake namespace) and another hICN prefix (also called a secure prefix or secure namespace) is to publish content in a secure, and confidential manner with a Consumer that correctly performs a TLS handshake. While the handshake prefix is public and shared by multiple Consumers, a secure prefix is uniquely assigned to a Consumer after the TLS handshake successfully terminates. Content published under the secure prefix is encrypted with the encryption key established during the TLS handshake. Names used in the secure namespace are private, meaning only the Consumer and Producer that perform the handshake can infer any information about a content by looking on the name.

Abstract: A method is provided that is performed by a smart network interface card (SmartNIC) that is in communication with a host device that serves as a forwarder in an Hybrid Information-Centric Network (hICN). The method includes storing in a memory of the SmartNIC, mapping information that maps a subset of names of content contained in a content store that is stored in a memory of the host device to corresponding addresses of the content. The method further includes receiving at the SmartNIC, from a requester, an interest that includes a name, and determining whether the name of the interest is included in the mapping information stored in the SmartNIC. The method includes processing the interest based on whether the name of the interest is contained in the mapping information stored in the memory of the SmartNIC.

Abstract: An electronic device of a content producer generates a chunk of data, associates a location-independent name with the chunk of data, generates a signature for the chunk of data, attaches the signature to the chunk of data, and transmits the chunk of data, with the signature attached, to one or more user devices in response to respective requests. The signature is generated based on the data in the chunk, using a private key of the electronic device. The electronic device also stores information, including a specification of a public key associated with the private key, in a first ledger entry of a blockchain, to provide the one or more user devices with access to the public key. A user device may obtain the public key and use it to verify the chunk of data.

Abstract: A consumer sends to a producer Interests to request data packets of a data stream that are generated at a production rate. Each data packet includes a name of the data stream, a segment of data, and a current segment number that identifies the data packet in the data stream and that increments as the data packets are generated. The Interests include the name and segment numbers of segments requested by the Interests. The consumer synchronizes the segment numbers with the current segment numbers and a rate for sending the Interests to the production rate. The consumer sends to the producer the Interests at the rate and with the segment numbers as synchronized, in order to minimize a delay time between when the data packets are generated and when the data packets are received at the consumer. The consumer receives from the producer data packets satisfying the Interests.

Abstract: A producer communicates over a network with a user application in an infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) and an IaaS node. The producer encrypts content with first encryption using a first key and second encryption using a second key, to produce twice encrypted content. The producer encrypts the second key with attribute-based encryption and symmetric encryption using an IaaS key, to produce a twice encrypted second key. The producer provides to the user application the twice encrypted content, the twice encrypted second key, and key information configured to remove the first encryption from the twice encrypted content. The producer provides to the IaaS node the IaaS key to enable the IaaS node to remove the symmetric encryption from the twice encrypted second key, such that the user application and the IaaS node are constrained to exchange with each other key-related information and intermediate decryption results in order to recover the content.

Abstract: Presented herein is a solution in which a Producer that provides Transport Layer Security (TLS) over a hybrid Information Centric Network (hICN) announces two different hICN prefixes or namespaces. One hICN prefix is for performing a TLS handshake (also called a handshake prefix or handshake namespace) and another hICN prefix (also called a secure prefix or secure namespace) is to publish content in a secure, and confidential manner with a Consumer that correctly performs a TLS handshake. While the handshake prefix is public and shared by multiple Consumers, a secure prefix is uniquely assigned to a Consumer after the TLS handshake successfully terminates. Content published under the secure prefix is encrypted with the encryption key established during the TLS handshake. Names used in the secure namespace are private, meaning only the Consumer and Producer that perform the handshake can infer any information about a content by looking on the name.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a device in a network receives an interest request for one or more pieces of content data available in the network. The interest request specifies the one or more pieces of content data via one or more bits sets in a content request bitmap of the interest request, each bit of the content request bitmap being associated with a different piece of content data. The device compares the content request bitmap to a content availability bitmap in a forwarding information base (FIB) of the device that is associated with a particular interface of the device and each bit of the content availability bitmap indicates whether a particular piece of content data is available via the particular interface. The device forwards the interest request via the particular interface, based on the comparison between the content request bitmap and the content availability bitmap in the FIB of the device.

Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques for employing a reusable acknowledgment in communications among network devices. The techniques include generating a reusable negative acknowledgment (NACK) in response to a request for data that are unavailable. The reusable NACK may be sent as a response for at least some additional requests for unavailable data, rather than generating a new NACK for each request. As such, the reusable NACK may help decrease the computational load for a network device. In some cases, the use of a reusable NACK may help lessen the impacts of denial-of-service type attacks across a network.

Abstract: A consumer sends to a producer Interests to request data packets of a data stream that are generated at a production rate. Each data packet includes a name of the data stream, a segment of data, and a current segment number that identifies the data packet in the data stream and that increments as the data packets are generated. The Interests include the name and segment numbers of segments requested by the Interests. The consumer synchronizes the segment numbers with the current segment numbers and a rate for sending the Interests to the production rate. The consumer sends to the producer the Interests at the rate and with the segment numbers as synchronized, in order to minimize a delay time between when the data packets are generated and when the data packets are received at the consumer. The consumer receives from the producer data packets satisfying the Interests.

Abstract: A network device is configured to distribute audio streams and video streams among participant devices connected to the network device over a communication network. The network device collects respective audio streams from the participant devices, and ranks the participant devices based on the respective audio streams collected from the participant devices. Based on the ranking, the network device elects top-N participant devices among the participant devices as being associated with respective users who are active speakers, where N is one or more, and retrieves respective video streams only from the top-N participant devices. The network device receives from the participant devices respective requests for video streams from the top-N participant devices, and sends to the participant devices the video streams retrieved only from the top-N participant devices.

Abstract: An electronic device of a content producer generates a chunk of data, associates a location-independent name with the chunk of data, generates a signature for the chunk of data, attaches the signature to the chunk of data, and transmits the chunk of data, with the signature attached, to one or more user devices in response to respective requests. The signature is generated based on the data in the chunk, using a private key of the electronic device. The electronic device also stores information, including a specification of a public key associated with the private key, in a first ledger entry of a blockchain, to provide the one or more user devices with access to the public key. A user device may obtain the public key and use it to verify the chunk of data.

Abstract: In various implementations, a network device receives a packet from a content producer. The packet includes data and further includes a signature generated by the content producer, based on the data, using a private key of the content producer. The network device modifies the packet without affecting the signature and forwards the modified packet toward a user device. The network device also sends the user device a manifest specifying how the packet was modified. The user device receives the packet and manifest, restores the packet's original data based on the manifest, and verifies the original data using the signature and a public key corresponding to the private key of the content producer. In response to verification of the original data, an application on the user device is allowed to use the data.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a device in a network receives an interest request for one or more pieces of content data available in the network. The interest request specifies the one or more pieces of content data via one or more bits sets in a content request bitmap of the interest request, each bit of the content request bitmap being associated with a different piece of content data. The device compares the content request bitmap to a content availability bitmap in a forwarding information base (FIB) of the device that is associated with a particular interface of the device and each bit of the content availability bitmap indicates whether a particular piece of content data is available via the particular interface. The device forwards the interest request via the particular interface, based on the comparison between the content request bitmap and the content availability bitmap in the FIB of the device.