Information-Centric Networking in the Tactical Domain

Information-centric networking is a communication paradigm where there is no focus on endpoint addressing; rather, it is an attempt to achieve efficient information dissemination by focusing on the content that is distributed. In this article we describe how information-centric networking can be leveraged in order to extend NATO core enterprise services (CES) into the tactical domain. The paradigm can be implemented using decentralized publish/subscribe along with content caching. We present our information-centric middleware, Mist, and perform a comparative evaluation with an existing framework called Haggle. Mist is tailored to mitigate challenges encountered in mobile ad hoc networks. As a proof of concept, we implement a gateway between Mist and WS-Notification, which is the standard used in the Publish/Subscribe CES. This shows that with little effort it is possible to create gateways from networks using Mist to Web services-enabled infrastructure networks, ensuring compatibility and interoperability with higher levels in the chain of command, and also with other nations.