Patent ID: 7639692
Filing Date: 2009-12-29
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for resolving hardware addresses into network addresses, the method comprising the steps of: establishing a data path through a data communication network between a source node and an end node, said data path being established by exchanging signaling messages between network nodes along said data path, which signaling exchanges relying upon control network addresses for addressing said network nodes through said data communication network, at said source node, sending a request wherein a particular hardware address associated with said data path is to be resolved into a network address, at said source node, encoding into said request one or more common path identifiers where said data path can be identified, at least one of said one or more common path identifiers being an IPv4/v6 TUNNEL SENDER ADDRESS of a Resource reSerVation Protocol (RSVP) path message, and sending said request with as destination network address a particular control network address of a particular network node along said data path, said request being further forwarded towards said end node, and at said end node, identifying said data path from said common path identifier, determining whether said data path terminates at said end node, and returning to said source node a particular data network address associated with said data path.