Patent ID: 6983319

Claim:
A method for dynamically managing port and network addresses for a first network using at least one dynamic port management (DPM) driver and a DPM server, the DPM driver being installed on a first node of the first network and the DPM server being installed on a gateway module of the first network, the first network using a first type of network address for its internal uses and having one or more network addresses of a second type for communicating with a second node outside of the first network, the method comprising: obtaining a first port for an application session, the application session requiring communication with the second node; exchanging information between the DPM driver and the DPM server for reserving a network address of the second type and, if the first port is replaceable, for dynamically assigning a second port; using the network address of the second type and the dynamically assigned second port for completing the communications of the application session, wherein the information exchanged between the DPM driver and the DPM server indicates a network address and port for the second node; reconciling two separate application sessions requesting the use of the same reserved network address of the second type and the first port while at least the first port associated with one of the application sessions is not replaceable; and recognizing, by the DPM server, data packets received for the two application sessions if both request the use of the first port, while neither of which is replaceable.