Identifier Network

The Identifier Network was first proposed by Professor Hongke Zhang, a highly respected scientist in China’s National Basic Research Program (“973” project). The Identifier Network is famous for “two layer”,“three mappings” and “four identifiers”.

Different from the traditional OSI network model, the Identifier Network includes two layers：the infrastructure layer and the pervasive service layer. “The infrastructure layer” is used to complete all kinds of network terminal access, forwarding and switching routing of data information in network, providing unified communication platform for network services such as data, voice, video and so on. “The pervasive service layer” is used to complete unified management of service data resource and unified control of network connections, so as to structure pervasive network service architecture and meet the requirement of different network.

The infrastructure layer introduces virtual access module and virtual backbone module, and the service layer introduces virtual service module and virtual connect module. Virtual access module introduces the concept and mechanism of access identifier, which is responsible for completing unified access of all kinds of network terminals such as fixed, mobile and sensor networks, and switching and forwarding network data in local scope. Virtual backbone module introduces the concept and mechanism of routing identifier, which is responsible for generalized switching and routing forwarding, maintaining interconnection and interworking of network and collecting, distributing and management of network resource. Virtual service module introduces the concept and mechanism of service identifier, which is responsible for unified describing and maintaining of all kinds of network service resource and providing unified service interface for user application program. Virtual connection module introduces the concept and mechanism of connection identifier, generating virtual access channel for specific network service and real-time network state for upper layer and searching corresponding network service interface received from different connecting channel for lower layer.

Over the course of ten years of investigation, a variety of theoretical models, industrial and civilian applications have demonstrated that Identifier Network provides great help to solve the problems of today’s Internet, offering impressive flexibility, security, mobility and manageability.