A network element (NE) comprising a receiver configured to receive a flow configuration message from a network controller via an information centric network (ICN), wherein the flow configuration message comprises a flow entry that identifies a flow in the ICN, wherein the flow is associated with a name of an application data object, and wherein the flow entry comprises a forwarding path associated with an application corresponding to the application data object name, and receive a packet, via the ICN, comprising the application data object name, a processor coupled to the receiver and configured to select the flow entry from a flow table based on the packet's application data object name, and a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to forward the packet along the forwarding path in the selected flow entry.