EAGER: Collaborative Research: Secure Context-aware Asynchronous Communication in Challenged Networks Based on XIA and MobilityFirst

该项目将结合下一代可信赖互联网的两种不同愿景的优势进行探索性研究：(1)移动性第一，显著增强移动和无线互联网能力的设计；以及(2)表现力互联网架构(XIA)，显著增强可进化性或引入新网络能力的设计。本项目将探索一种名为异步通信的新通信原语，作为XIA和Mobility的概念验证综合首先与当前的TCP/IP互联网相比，异步通信具有两个强大的区分能力：(1)异步通信允许两个端点交换数据，即使在网络连接不稳定和/或当没有可信的基础设施(如蜂窝、WiFi或卫星)时，当前互联网的情况下也是如此；(2)命名通信使所有通信都能够基于人类友好的名称，而不是当前互联网中的IP地址，这简化了移动互联网应用程序的设计、实现和维护。这个迫切的项目是NSF未来互联网体系结构(FIA)计划资助的两个大型但独立的项目之间综合工作的第一个例子。该项目的技术范围将基于名称的异步通信正式化为通用通信原语，即使在通信端点之间缺乏同时的端到端连接的情况下也能正常工作。与之前大量关于容断网络的研究相比，该项目将开发一个以信息为中心的通信原语，用于跨边缘和核心网络的通用通信，其方式对间歇性连接中断具有健壮性。这些研究也具有重叠的目标，但主要集中在移动自组织边缘网络和“捆绑”路由协议上。通过利用用于中间存储的虚拟网络功能，命名的异步通信将使应用程序能够对网络尝试完成检索或交付的持续时间进行精细控制。这一设计的关键推动因素是MobilityFirst的全局名称服务(GNS)，它以可扩展和安全的方式实现无缝移动性和终端状态维护，以及XIA以可验证的方式检索任意命名内容的能力。这项探索性工作将进行早期研究，以实例化命名异步通信的概念验证，确定初步使用案例，并量化其在面临挑战的网络环境中的收益和成本。这项探索性工作的更广泛影响是，它有助于我们更接近值得信赖和强大的互联网，这是一个关键的社会和国家利益和需求。特别是异步通信也特别适用于军事场景，如果部署成功，可以显著提高我们的国防能力。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will conduct exploratory research combining the strengths of two different visions of a next-generation trustworthy Internet: (1) MobilityFirst, a design significantly enhancing mobile and wireless Internet capabilities; and (2) eXpressive Internet Architecture (XIA), a design significantly enhancing evolvability or the ability to introduce new network capabilities. This project will explore a new communication primitive called named asynchronous communication as a proof-of-concept synthesis of XIA and MobilityFirst's strengths with two powerful distinguishing capabilities compared to the current TCP/IP Internet: (1) Asynchronous communication allows two endpoints to exchange data even when network connectivity is flaky and/or when there is minimal or no trusted infrastructure (like cellular, WiFi, or satellite), scenarios in the current Internet works poorly; (2) Named communication enables all communication to be based on human-friendly names as opposed to IP addresses in the current Internet, which simplifies the design, implementation, and maintenance of mobile Internet applications. This EAGER project is the first example of a synthesis effort across two large but separate projects funded as part of NSF's Future Internet Architecture (FIA) program.The technical scope of the project will formalize name-based asynchronous communication as a general-purpose communication primitive that works gracefully even in the absence of contemporaneous end-to-end connectivity between communicating endpoints. Compared to a large body of prior research on disruption-tolerant networks that also shares overlapping goals but has largely focused on mobile ad-hoc edge networks and "bundle" routing protocols, this project will develop an information-centric communication primitive for general-purpose communication across both edge and core networks in a manner that is robust to intermittent connectivity outages. Named asynchronous communication will enable application fine-grained control over the duration for which the network will attempt to complete the retrieval or delivery by leveraging virtualized network functions for intermediate storage. The key enablers of this design are MobilityFirst's global name service (GNS) that enables seamless mobility and endpoint state maintenance in a scalable and secure manner and XIA's ability to retrieve arbitrarily named content in a verifiable manner. This exploratory effort will conduct early research to instantiate a proof-of-concept of named asynchronous communication, identify preliminary use cases, and quantify its benefits and costs in challenged network environments.The broader impact of this exploratory effort is that it helps take us closer towards a trustworthy and powerful Internet, a critical societal and national interest and need. Asynchronous communication in particular is also especially suited to military scenarios and if successfully deployed can significantly improve our national defense capabilities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.