This repository contains code and documentation to reproduce experimental results of the paper "Delay-Tolerant ICN and Its Application to LoRa" published in Proc. of ACM ICN 2022.
- Peter Kietzmann, José Alamos, Dirk Kutscher, Thomas C. Schmidt, Matthias Wählisch, Delay-Tolerant ICN and Its Application to LoRa, In: Proc. of 9th ACM Conference on Information-Centric Networking (ICN), ACM : New York, September 2022.
Abstract
Connecting low-power long-range wireless networks, such as LoRa, to the Internet imposes significant challenges because of the vastly longer round-trip-times (RTTs) in these constrained networks. In this paper, we present an ICN protocol framework that enables robust and efficient delay-tolerant communication to edge networks, including but not limited to LoRa. Our approach provides ICN- idiomatic communication between networks with vastly different RTTs for different use cases. We applied this framework to LoRa, enabling end-to-end consumer-to-LoRa-producer interaction over an ICN-Internet and asynchronous ("push") data production in the LoRa edge. Instead of using LoRaWAN, we implemented an IEEE 802.15.4e DSME MAC layer on top of the LoRa PHY layer and ICN protocol mechanisms in the RIOT operating system. Executed on off-the-shelf IoT hardware, we provide a comparative evaluation for basic CCNx/NDN-style ICN [60], RICE [31]-like pulling, and reflexive forwarding [46]. This is the first practical evaluation of ICN over LoRa using a reliable MAC. Our results show that periodic polling in CCNx/NDN works inefficiently when facing long and differing RTTs. RICE reduces polling overhead and exploits gateway knowledge, without violating core ICN principles. Reflexive forwarding reflects sporadic IoT data generation naturally. Combined with our local unsolicited data trigger mechanism, it operates very efficiently and enables lifetimes of >1 year for battery powered LoRa-ICN nodes.
Please follow our Getting Started instructions for further information on how to compile and execute the code.