An OpenFlow-based Testbed for Information Centric Networking

Information-centric networking (ICN) is a novel networking paradigm which is attracting increasing attention by both academic and industrial researchers. In fact, it promises to provide technological solutions that best fit with the way in which Internet is actually utilized. Assessment of proposed solutions require appropriate experimental testbeds. In this context OpenFlow, which has been developed to enable the deployment of novel networking solutions in the actual network infrastructure, represents a valuable tool. Accordingly, we are currently implementing an ICN solution - called CONET - for OpenFlow networks. The solution will be deployed in two testbeds, part of larger experimental OpenFlow facility distributed across Europe realized by the EU funded OFELIA project. In particular one testbed will be based on the Open vSwitch platform while the other will be deployed on NetFPGA platforms. Our implementation has been designed to easily support other ICN solutions with simple modification of the code. Basic ICN functionality that are specifically addressed in our implementation are data naming, route-by-name, and in-network caching.