The Split Naming/Forwarding (SNF) architecture [4] separates
node identities from locations. SNF is similar to other proposals in
that it divides the network layer into a forwarding part and a naming
(or identity) part. A unique property of SNF is that the naming
layer can also forward data, not only resolve names. Because the
naming layer spans different addressing domains, SNF bridges
over them. To establish a path in the forwarding layer, the naming
layer controls the translation points between the addressing domains.
SNF uses three namespaces: fully-qualified domain names
for node identities, IP addresses for identifying the location of
nodes and ephemeral correspondent identifiers, which identify
packet flows. The last namespace distinguishes SNF from other
proposals – the packets do not contain node identities, but rather a
connection identifier constructed at connection setup time.