Content dissemination in Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks has a myriad of applications, ranging from advertising and parking notifications, to traffic and emergency warnings. This heterogeneity requires optimizing content storing, retrieval and forwarding among vehicles to deliver data with short latency and without jeopardizing network resources. In this paper, for a few reference scenarios, we illustrate how approaches that combine Content Centric Networking (CCN) and Floating Content (FC) enable new and efficient solutions to this issue. Moreover, we describe how a network architecture based on Software Defined Networking (SDN) can support both CCN and FC by coordinating distributed caching strategies, by optimizing the packet forwarding process and the availability of floating data items. For each scenario analyzed, we highlight the main research challenges open, and we describe a few possible solutions.

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This paper presents and evaluates the first open-source Network Function Virtualization (NFV)/Software Defined Networking (SDN)-based Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) platform. Our platform solves the Mobile Edge (ME) management issues with respect to Application (App) provisioning and traffic management. First, the ME Apps are managed as Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) on top of the virtual environment through the Juju VNF Manager (VNFM). Second, we develop an SDN controller to manage traffic on the ME System. Third, unlike other relevant architectures of ME systems, we use the control plane (i.e., S1 interface) to derive appropriate states for traffic management. Finally, we evaluate our solution in two use-cases: ME caching and Information Centric (ICN)/Delay Tolerant (DTN) Public Safety communication (PS). The MEC caching framework displays improved user Quality of Experience, e.g., latency, in comparison to direct communication, while the PS solution provides a residual mean of communication for rescue teams, when the network core (EPC) and a Public Data Network (PDN) are unavailable.

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Content dissemination in Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) has the potential to enable a myr- iad of applications, ranging from advertising, traffic and emergency warnings to infotainment. This variety in applications and services calls for mechanisms able to optimize content storing, retrieval and forwarding among vehicles, without jeopardizing network resources. Content Centric Networking (CCN), takes advantage of inherent content redundancy in the network in order to decrease the utilization of network resources, improve response time and content availability, coping efficiently with some of the effects of mobility. Floating Content (FC), on the other hand, holds potential to implement efficiently a large amount of vehicular applications thanks to its property of geographic content replication, while Software Defined Networking (SDN), is an attractive solution for the lack of flexibility and dynamic programmability that characterizes current VANET architectures. By implementing a logical centralization of the network, SDN enables dynamic and efficient management of network resources.In this paper, for a few reference scenarios, we illustrate how approaches that combine CCN, FC and SDN enable an innovative adaptive VANET architecture able to efficiently accommodate to intermittent connectivity, fluctuating node density and mobility patterns on one side and application performance and network resources on the other side, aiming to achieve high QoS. For each scenario, we highlight the main open research challenges, and we describe possible solutions to improve content dissemination and reduce replication without affecting content availability.