An Orchestrated NDN Virtual Infrastructure Transporting Web Traffic: Design, Implementation, and First Experiments with Real End Users

After more than one decade of research efforts, ICN technologies seem mature enough to move from a design and implementation phase to early deployment trials. However, if one wants an ICN stack to be operated in a production context, some major locks, related to the lack of adequate deployment infrastructure, the migration of relevant services, and the capability to accurately monitor an overall ICN domain, must be addressed. In this article we present a feedback experience of the deployment of a Named Data Networking island. The latter considers HTTP over NDN as a primary service deployed through dedicated gateways and NFV as a substrate for deploying and orchestrating ICN components. From the performance assessment of individual components up to the opening of the testbed to end users in a university campus, we propose an analysis that can guide further research efforts in the ICN area.