Patent ID: 7810149
Filing Date: 2010-10-05
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: providing a home agent server, coupled to an Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) network, managing a plurality of groups of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) clients; providing a first IPv6 client and second IPv6 client coupled to the home agent via the IPv4 network, wherein the first and second IPv6 clients are in a first group, and the first and second IPv6 clients do not have access to IPv6 addresses of IPv6 clients managed by the home agent not in the first group; from the first IPv6 client, sending to the home agent an IPv4 address and IPv6 address associated with the first IPv6 client; from the second IPv6 client, sending to the home agent an IPv4 address and IPv6 address associated with the second IPv6 client; when the first and second IPv6 clients are connected to the home agent server, implementing a first IPv6-over-IPv4 tunnel in the IPv4 network between the first IPv6 client and the second IPv6 client, wherein the first IPv6-over-IPv4 tunnel is implemented without passing through the home agent; from the first IPv6 client, transferring data in an encrypted form using the first IPv6-over-IPv4 tunnel directly from the first IPv6 client to the second IPv6 client, where the data does not pass through the home agent server, providing a third IPv6 client in the first group coupled to the home agent; implementing a second IPv6-over-IPv4 tunnel between the first IPv6 client and the third IPv6 client; implementing a third IPv6-over-IPv4 tunnel between the second IPv6 client and the third IPv6 client; when the second IPv6-over-IPv4 tunnel between the first IPv6 client and the third IPv6 client fails, attempting to connect the third IPv6 client to the first IPv6 client through the first and third IPv6-over-IPv4 tunnels; and when the first and second IPv6-over-IPv4 tunnels fail, attempting to connect the third IPv6 client to the first IPv6 client through the home agent.