EeNCache : Neighborhood Cooperative Content Caching and Delivery in Named Data Networks

Abstract

Named Data Networking (NDN) offers in-network caching which helps to improve content delivery efficiency and minimizes bandwidth usage. However, cache being a prized commodity needs to be used judiciously. Hence, many studies propose different caching techniques aimed at improving content delivery. However, achieving a balance between good performance and overhead in real-world scenarios remains a challenge. In this paper, we outline a lightweight neighborhood cooperative searching and caching technique for NDN, named EeNCache. It cooperates with routers in the neighborhood to base its caching and searching decisions. This cooperation is achieved through routers periodically sharing their cache catalogue with their neighbors. This catalogue is maintained in the form of a Bloom filter data structure. In addition, EeNCache also uses a simple mechanism to cache popular content. The performance of EeNCache is evaluated on a large-scale network topology, comparing it with traditional and recent caching techniques using the Python-based Icarus simulator. Our findings demonstrate that cooperative caching yields better results in terms of cache hit ratio and content access time. © 2025 IEEE.