ICN

Information-Centric Networking (ICN) is a networking paradigm that prioritizes named data objects over host locations. In ICN, data is requested by name and may be retrieved from any node that can satisfy the request, including intermediate routers that cache content. The aim is to improve delivery efficiency, support mobility, and strengthen security by shifting trust to the data itself.

Core concepts include content naming, data-centric routing, in-network caching, and stateful forwarding. Communication uses Interest packets to request a named content item and Data packets to deliver it, carrying a signature for integrity. Routers maintain a Pending Interest Table (PIT), a Content Store (CS), and a Forwarding Information Base (FIB). Names can be hierarchical or flat and may be self-certifying.

Prominent ICN architectures include Content-Centric Networking (CCN) and Named Data Networking (NDN). They share data-centric security, multihop forwarding, and cache-based delivery, enabling efficient distribution even with mobility or intermittent connectivity.

Applications include video and software distribution, mobile networks, and Internet of Things scenarios. ICN can reduce backhaul traffic, improve resilience, and simplify multicast-like delivery.

Challenges include deployment hurdles, routing scalability, name management, privacy and access control, and potential content-poisoning risks. Most work remains experimental, with testbeds and pilots, while standardization discussions continue in research forums such as the IRTF ICN Research Group.