Information Centric Multicasting (ICM) is introduced for the support of multicast groups with multiple sources in information centric networks. ICM supports two modalities: source-initiated multicasting and receiver-initiated multicasting. In contrast to all prior multi-source multicast approaches, routers do not have to flood the network from each multicast source, or know about the core or rendezvous point of a given multicast group. A multi-instantiated destination spanning tree (MIDST) is built to interconnect all sources or all receivers of a given multicast group. To disseminate content in a multicast group, receivers can send Interests to the nearest known source, or sources send content to the nearest receiver; either way, content flows over the MIDST to reach all receivers.

A content-presenting system present digital content for a local user, and facilitates sharing a presentation state for digital content with remote devices. During operation, the system can detect a presentation-controlling event, which alters the presentation of the digital content at the content-presenting device. In response to detecting the presentation-controlling event, the system generates content-control information for the digital content. This content-control information can include a location-independent structured name associated with the digital content, and includes a presentation state for the digital content.

A communication protocol includes one or more messages passed between Web routers over a reliable transmission protocol used for inter-Web router communication. These messages include information that allows the Web routers to dynamically update mappings of client addresses or address ranges to information object repository addresses based on client-to-server distance and server load. The mappings are preferably optimal mappings of the client addresses or address ranges to the information object repository addresses and the messages report updated distances from these information object repository addresses to the client addresses or address ranges. For example, the messages may report, for each updated distance, an associated client address or address range and/or an associated anchor address of a Web router co-located with an information object repository that is the subject of the message.