Reducing traffic in a low power and lossy network based on removing redundant certificate from authentication message destined for constrained wireless device via authenticated wireless device

An apparatus implemented as a physical machine, the apparatus comprising:

• non-transitory machine readable media configured for storing executable machine readable code;
• a device interface circuit configured for receiving an authentication message from an authenticator device;
• and
• a processor circuit configured for executing the machine readable code, and when executing the machine readable code operable for:
• forwarding, by the apparatus implemented as a root network device in a low power and lossy network, the authentication message to a constrained child network device having attached to the root network device within the low power and lossy network, the authentication message specifying a certificate associated with the authenticator device,
• receiving a second authentication message generated by the authenticator device and destined for a second constrained network device via the constrained child network device, the second authentication message comprising the certificate,
• generating a modified second authentication message that does not include the certificate based on the root network device removing, from the second authentication message, the certificate, and
• outputting the modified second authentication message toward the second constrained network device via the constrained child network device, the modified second authentication message causing the constrained child network device to restore the second authentication message for delivery to the second constrained network device, based on insertion of the certificate back into the modified second authentication message.

One or more non-transitory tangible media encoded with logic for execution by a machine and when executed by the machine operable for:

• forwarding, by the machine implemented as a root network device in a low power and lossy network, an authentication message to a constrained child network device having attached to the root network device within the low power and lossy network, the authentication message having been generated by an authenticator device and specifying a certificate associated with the authenticator device;
• receiving, by the root network device, a second authentication message generated by the authenticator device and destined for a second constrained network device via the constrained child network device, the second authentication message comprising the certificate;
• generating a modified second authentication message that does not include the certificate based on the root network device removing, from the second authentication message, the certificate;
• and
• outputting, by the root network device, the modified second authentication message toward the second constrained network device via the constrained child network device, the modified second authentication message causing the constrained child network device to restore the second authentication message for delivery to the second constrained network device, based on insertion of the certificate back into the modified second authentication message.

A method comprising:

• receiving from a root network device, by a constrained child network device in a low power and lossy network, an authentication message having been generated by an authenticator device and specifying a certificate associated with the authenticator device;
• joining, by the constrained child network device, the low power and lossy network based on the authentication message, including caching the certificate;
• receiving, by the constrained child network device from the root network device, a modified second authentication message modified by the root network device and destined for a second constrained network device attached to the constrained child network device, the modified second authentication message having been modified based on the root network device having removed the corresponding certificate from a corresponding second authentication message generated by the authenticator device;
• inserting the certificate into the modified second authentication message for generation of a restored second authentication message;
• and
• sending the restored second authentication message to the second constrained network device.

One or more non-transitory tangible media encoded with logic for execution by a machine and when executed by the machine operable for:

• receiving from a root network device, by the machine implemented as a constrained child network device in a low power and lossy network, an authentication message having been generated by an authenticator device and specifying a certificate associated with the authenticator device;
• joining, by the constrained child network device, the low power and lossy network based on the authentication message, including caching the certificate;
• receiving, by the constrained child network device from the root network device, a modified second authentication message modified by the root network device and destined for a second constrained network device attached to the constrained child network device, the modified second authentication message having been modified based on the root network device having removed the corresponding certificate from a corresponding second authentication message generated by the authenticator device;
• inserting the certificate into the modified second authentication message for generation of a restored second authentication message;
• and
• sending the restored second authentication message to the second constrained network device.