Interest forwarding for interactive client anonymity

An apparatus, comprising:

• one or more network interfaces to communicate with a communication network;
• a processor coupled to the network interfaces and adapted to execute one or more processes;
• and
• a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to:
• receive, at an intermediate node in a communication network, a client interest with an indication of a client-requested reverse private path, wherein the reverse private path is a label switched path toward a corresponding client with encrypted client identifying information;
• allocate a label for the reverse private path, in response to receiving the client interest, wherein the label is mapped to a node from which the client interest is received;
• and
• forward the client interest with the allocated label toward a server.

A method, comprising:

• receiving, at a server, a client interest for a client, from a particular intermediate node, the client interest including a client-requested reverse private path and an allocated label from the particular intermediate node;
• determining that the server has a server interest for the client;
• generating the server interest;
• inserting the allocated label for the client interest into the server interest;
• and
• forwarding the server interest toward the client via the particular intermediate node using the allocated label for the reverse private path.

An apparatus, comprising:

• one or more network interfaces to communicate with a communication network;
• a processor coupled to the network interfaces and adapted to execute one or more processes;
• and
• a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to:
• receive a client interest for a client from a particular intermediate node, the client interest including a client-requested reverse private path and an allocated label from the particular intermediate node;
• determine a server interest for the client;
• generate the server interest;
• insert the allocated label for the client interest into the server interest;
• and
• forward the server interest toward the client via the particular intermediate node using the allocated label for the reverse private path.