User Information Architecture UIA: Easy, Global Device Connectivity

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User Information Architecture (UIA) Easy,
Global Device Connectivity

• Bryan Ford, Jacob Strauss, Chris Lesniewski-Laas,
  Sean Rhea, Frans Kaashoek, and Robert Morris
• MIT/Quanta and Nokia
• 5/6/06

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Executive summary

• Goal global device to device connectivity
• Problem Devices are second-class citizens
• Solution User Information Architecture (UIA)
• Flat, location-independent addresses
• Human-oriented, secure naming
• Implementation is compatible with the
  Internet
• Existing Internet apps can use UIA
• UIA deployed as an overlay on the Internet
• Nokia Research Center Cambridge is leveraging UIA
  for a number of projects
• Franklins MyNet talk is next

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Goal global connectivity

• Alice and Bob meet

Alice
Bob
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Local Device-to-Device Connectivity Easy
Bluetooth
USB
Properties

• Simple just plug them together
• Secure dedicated physical connection
• Naming implicit

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Other usages of global connectivity

• Synchronize calendars with your family
• Make a VOIP call from your PDA to your friends
  PDA
• Upload picture from your camera to moms phone

• Can we just replace the USB cable with the
  Internet?
• Smart phones have 802.11 and an IP stack
• iPod will have 802.11 and IP stack

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Global connectivity is difficult
Bob
Cable NAT Firewall
2. Punch hole in NAT
124.96.1.12
4. Connect to 124.96.1.12
138.168.1.7
5. Do we trust 192.168.1.7?
NAT
6. Open firewall
Alice
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USB versus Internet
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Other approaches

• Replace Internet with GPRS
• Doesnt take advantage of high-speed LANs
• Bluetooth/Bonjour Good local discovery
• IPv6 Large addresses
• Mobile IP
• Dynamically change IP address, home agent
• HIP Public keys as addresses
• DNSSEC with updates
• Tell DNS to update IP address
• Partial solutions, requiring more configuration!

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Challenges in globalDevice-to-Device Connectivity
IP
IP
Internet

• Naming who do we mean to share with?
• Routing how do we find them?
• Mobility what if they move?
• Security do we know who they really are?

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Four Key Concepts in UIA

• Local IntroductionRemote Access
• Personal Device Clusters
• Ad-Hoc NamingSocial Networks
• Routing via Opportunistic Rendezvous

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Local IntroductionRemote Access
ipod

• Step 1 Physical introduction (USB, WiFi)
• Each devices key is its EIP HIP, SFS
• Exchange keys, assign names

• Step 2 Remote access (IP)
• Have name for peer, can authenticate it

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Personal Device Clusters
laptop
ipod
camera
IP
IP
USB
Internet

• User physically introduces iPod and Laptop
• Share keys, assign names
• Devices gossip known names, keys, etc.
• Laptop learns about camera from iPod
• And vice-versa
• Devices form shared namespace cluster
• O(n) introductions, not O(n2)

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Ad-Hoc NamingSocial Networks
Alices Devices
Bobs Devices
pda
laptop
desktop
pda
USB
camera

• Introduction of Alices and Bobs iPods
• securely links their namespaces
• Alice can now name Bobs devices
• desktop.bob, ipod.bob
• Bob can now name Alices devices
• camera.alice, ipod.alice, laptop.alice

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Routing via Opportunistic Rendezvous
Bobs iPod
Alices Desktop
Alices iPod
NAT
NAT
Im here
Im here

• iPods have moved, both now behind different NATs
• Each reconnect to previous neighbors (if
  available)
• Use scoped flooding to find each other
• Leverages stable hosts as rendezvous points
  (desktop)
• Use desktop to forward packets or punch holes in
  NATs
• Unlike Mobile IP, no need to configure a home
  agent

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Naming is key to realizing concepts

• Users chose names
• Analogy Cell phone address book
• Add names on only one device
• System automatically propagates to others
• Users can import other users names
• Analogy Share cell phone address book
• Resolving names shouldnt require servers
• Resolution doesnt depend on full connectivity

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Naming System Implementation

• Each device has a public/private key
• Goal is to map human-readable name to key
• Devices store namespace changes in append-only
  local log
• Ex Alices PDA has key ID1234
• Ex merge local namespace with key ID4321
• Locally Replicate other devices logs
• Resolve Names by consulting own log and local
  replicas

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Example Alice Introduces Camera and PC
My name is desktop
My name is camera
Alices camera
Alices desktop
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Example Alice Introduces Camera and PC
Alices desktop
Alices camera
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After Introduction and Gossip
merge
merge
Alices camera
Alices desktop
Result treat each others namespace as equal
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Example 2 Social Network Links
Alices Devices
Bobs Devices
desktop
laptop
pda
pda
USB
camera
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Example 2 Social Network Links
Bobs pda
Alices pda
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Replicate Neighbor Records
Alices pda
Result use names with suffix .bob
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Status of UIA prototype

• Public domain implementation
• Runs on Linux and OS X
• Two layers routing and naming
• Like division between IP routing and DNS
• Supports legacy interfaces
• IPv6 for routing, DNS for naming
• Supports unmodified apache, ssh, etc.

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Summary

• A device information disaster is coming
• Devices are not first class citizens in the net
• Difficult to configure, difficult to name,
  difficult to connect to, and weak security
• UIA may flatten the Internet, making devices
  first class citizens.