Method and apparatus for forwarding in information centric networking

A network device for information centric networking (ICN), comprising:

• interface circuitry configured to receive signals carrying incoming packets and transmit signals carrying outgoing packets via interfaces;
• processing circuitry configured to:
• receive, via a first interface, a first interest packet carrying a first name for a content object to request;
• detect an indicator for routing look-ahead in the first interest packet;
• select a first entry in a forwarding information base (FIB) based on a lookup in the FIB for matching entries to the first name, the first entry being indicative of a second interface;
• forward the first updated interest packet via the second interface that is indicated by the first entry;
• receive a data packet in response to the first interest packet;
• add forwarding information of the first entry in the data packet to generate an updated data packet;
• and
• forward the updated data packet via the first interface.

A method for information centric networking (ICN), comprising:

• receiving, at a network device, a first interest packet carrying a first name for a content object to request;
• adding an indicator for routing look-ahead in the first interest packet to generate a first updated interest packet;
• selecting a first entry in a forwarding information base (FIB) based on a lookup in the FIB for matching entries to the first name, the first entry being indicative of an outgoing interface of the network device;
• forwarding the first updated interest packet via the outgoing interface that is indicated by the first entry;
• receiving a data packet in response to the first updated interest packet, the data packet carrying forwarding information of the first updated interest packet at devices that forward the first updated interest packet;
• and
• storing the forwarding information in the first entry.