Patent ID: 8601138

Claim:
A method for processing a network address translation or network address port translation request in a communication network comprising: receiving, by a bearing control functional entity (BCFE), a first network address translation or network address port translation request containing priority information of the first network address translation or network address port translation request from a session or service control functional entity (SCFE); distinguishing a priority of the first network address translation or network address port translation request according to the priority information contained in the first network address translation or network address port translation request, by the BCFE; performing, based on the priority of the first network address translation or network address port translation request, by the BCFE, a process with respect to the first network address translation or network address port translation request; sending, by the BCFE, a second network address translation or network address port translation request containing the priority information to a switching functional entity (SFE); and allocating, by the SFE, based on the priority information, network address translation or network address port translation resources with respect to the second network address translation or network address port translation request; wherein the allocating, based on the priority information, network address translation or network address port translation resources by the SFE comprises: when the SFE receives the second network address translation or network address port translation request with a low priority and the remaining network address translation or network address port translation resources are lower than a predetermined value, refusing, by the SFE, to allocate a network address translation or network address port translation resource to the second network address translation or network address port translation request, so that the remaining network address translation or network address port translation resources are reserved for a subsequent network address translation or network address port translation request with a high priority; and when the SFE receives the second network address translation or network address port translation request with a high priority and the resources are insufficient, by the SFE, retracting the network address translation or network address port translation resource that has been allocated to the second network address translation or network address port translation request with a low priority and allocating a corresponding network address translation or network address port translation resource to the second network address translation or network address port translation request with a high priority.