Method and apparatus for reducing content redundancy in content-centric networking

An apparatus for reducing content redundancy in content-centric networking, comprising:

• a consumer communication module configured to receive content object interest messages from originating consumers via communication interfaces, wherein each content object interest message requests first desired content and identifies the first desired content using a first content name, wherein the consumer communication module is also configured to receive content list interest messages from consumer devices via a communication network, wherein each content list interest message identifies second desired content using a second content name and requests a first content fingerprint list that identifies data chunks for the second desired content using fingerprint names, wherein the consumer communication module is also configured to receive fingerprint interest messages from consumer devices via the communication network, wherein each fingerprint interest message requests a desired fingerprint object message using a first fingerprint name that represents a first data chunk of content data for a portion of third desired content;
• a source communication module configured to receive fingerprint list messages from source devices via the communication network, wherein each fingerprint list message identifies first select content using a third content name and includes a second content fingerprint list with fingerprint names representing data chunks of the first select content, wherein the source communication module is also configured to receive fingerprint object messages from source devices via the communication network, wherein each fingerprint object message includes a second fingerprint name and a second data chunk such that the second fingerprint name represents the second data chunk which represents content data for a portion of second select content;
• a local storage device;
• a message routing module;
• a fingerprint list processing module;
• an object caching module;
• and
• a message processing controller configured to control the consumer communication module, source communication module, local storage device, message routing module, fingerprint list processing module, and object caching module in conjunction with processing content object interest messages, content list interest messages, fingerprint list messages, fingerprint interest messages, and fingerprint object messages.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause a corresponding computer-controlled content- centric networking message processing subsystem in a network device within a communication network to perform a method for reducing content redundancy in content-centric networking, the method comprising:

• processing a content object interest message in response to receiving the content object interest message from an originating consumer via a communication interface, wherein the content object interest message requests first desired content and identifies the first desired content using a first content name;
• processing a content list interest message in response to receiving the content list interest message from a first consumer device via a communication network, wherein the content list interest message identifies second desired content using a second content name and requests a first content fingerprint list that identifies data chunks for the second desired content using fingerprint names;
• processing a fingerprint list message in response to receiving the fingerprint list message from a first source device via the communication network, wherein the fingerprint list message identifies first select content using a third content name and includes a second content fingerprint list with fingerprint names representing data chunks of the first select content;
• processing a fingerprint interest message in response to receiving the fingerprint interest message from a second consumer device via the communication network, wherein the fingerprint interest message requests a desired fingerprint object message using a first fingerprint name that represents a first data chunk of content data for a portion of third desired content;
• and
• processing a fingerprint object message in response to receiving the fingerprint object message from a second source device via the communication network, wherein the fingerprint object message includes a second fingerprint name and a second data chunk such that the second fingerprint name represents the second data chunk which represents content data for a portion of second select content.