Patent Document

BACKGROUND 
     This invention relates to routing packets, and more particularly to proxy-less packet routing between private and public address realms. 
     Routing packets involves transferring packets (i.e. pieces of information) between computers in a computer network. A packet includes a data field and an address field. The address field specifies a destination address for which that packet is intended. The address field also specifies a source address from which the packet originated. 
     Computer networks include computers having a private address and/or a public address. Computers having a private address are in a private network and considered part of a private address realm. Typically, a Request for Comment 1918 (“RFC 1918”) standard defines reserved private IP address spaces in the private realm. Computers having a public address are in the public network and considered part of the public address realm. 
     Computers in a private network are able to route packets to other computers within that private network using the private address realm. Computers in the public network are able to route packets to other computers within the public network using the public address realm. Computers in private and public networks are only able to transfer packets between each other through a gateway between the networks. 
     Network Address Translation (“NAT”) is a protocol that enables Internet Protocol (“IP”) computers in a private address realm to transfer packets with IP computers in the public address realm. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a view of a private network and public network. 
         FIG. 2  is a view of a packet. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of a process for addressing packets. 
         FIG. 4  is a flow diagram of a process for routing packets. 
         FIG. 5  is a view of the IP layer in a private network for implementing processes of  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a view of computer hardware used to implement one embodiment of the invention. 
       Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Network  10  ( FIG. 1 ) includes private network  12  and public network  14 . Private network  12  is considered a private address realm. Public network  14  is considered a public address realm. 
     Private network  12  includes private clients, here computers A and B, and gateway  16 . Public network  14  includes public clients, here computer C and also gateway  16 . 
     Private clients A and B share a private addressing scheme known only to members of private network  12  (i.e. the private addressing realm). Each private client has its own private IP address. Here, private client A has the private IP address of Pr A  and private client B has the private IP address of Pr B . 
     Here, private network  12  also includes a private registry  32 . Private clients (e.g. A or B) register an IP addresses in private registry  32  so that applications running on other clients may locate the registered private client. 
     Public client C has a public addressing scheme known to all members of network  10  (i.e. the public addressing realm). Each public client has its own public IP address. Here, public client C has a public IP address of Pu c . 
     Here, public network  12  also includes a public registry  34 . Public clients (e.g. C) register an IP addresses in public registry  34  so that applications running on other clients may locate the registered public client. 
     Gateway  16  has a private network interface  15  and a public network interface  17 . Private network interface  15  has at least one private address, Pr G , and public network interface  17  has at least one public address Pu G . Here, gateway  16  also has a processor  62  ( FIG. 6 ) for executing various instructions and tasks such as routing packets. 
     Packet  20  ( FIG. 2 ) includes information  22  intended for a particular client, for example private client B, and address field  24 . Address field  24  includes destination address  26 . Destination address  26 , which is Pr B  in the present example, directs packet  20  to intended client B. Here, address field  24  also includes a source address  28 , for example Pr A , to identify the originator of packet  20 , here private client A. 
     Network Address Translation protocol (“NAT”) is a protocol that allows private clients A and B to transfer (i.e. route) packets with public client C. NAT accomplishes this by modifying (i.e. translating) the source IP address and/or ports of outbound packets transmitted from a private network to the public network. NAT maintains these modifications in a manner (e.g. a table) which enables the gateway to de-multiplex address information from inbound packets from the public network received in response to the outbound packets so that it may route the inbound packets to the appropriate private address. Heretofore, NAT required proxies (i.e. application specific software) or application level gateways (ALG) for those applications that embed IP addresses in application packets. ALG modify IP addresses and/or port in such embedded application payloads to comply with NAT requirements. 
     Realm Specific Internet Protocol (“RSIP”) is a protocol that enables clients in the private address realm to perform Host-NAT. Host-NAT implies that each private client (e.g. A) of private network  12  requests and obtains a public IP address from gateway  16 , here Pu G , to use instead of its own private IP address (e.g. Pr A ) for all applications. Here, functions of NAT and RSIP are combined in processes  30  and  40 , described below, to help complete address determination issues in an application-independent (i.e. proxy-less) manner. 
       FIG. 3  shows process  30  for implementing private to public addressing in an application independent (i.e. proxy-less) manner. Process  30  runs for example on private client A and queries ( 301 ) gateway  16  to obtain the public address, for example PuG, of private network  12 . In response to query ( 301 ), a network  12  protocol stack, for example stack  65  ( FIG. 6 ) on gateway  16 , returns ( 303 ) the public IP address Pu G  of private network  12  and reserves Pu G , in for example RSIP mapping table  67  ( FIG. 6 ), for use by an application X running on A. After receipt of network public IP address Pu G , process  30  registers ( 305 ) Pu G  with private and public agents such as private registry  32  and public registry  34  ( FIG. 1 ) as the source (i.e. return) address for private client A. Finally, process  30  un-registers ( 307 ) Pu G  with private and public agents, such a registries  32  and  34 , and un-reserves Pu G  once application X running on private client A is finished. 
       FIG. 4  shows process  40  for routing packets  20  without proxies. Process  40 , here implemented by processor  62 , reviews ( 401 ) destination address  26  of inbound packet  20  received at private network interface  15  of gateway  16 . Process  40  determines ( 403 ) how to route inbound packet  20  based on that review ( 401 ). 
     If destination address  26  of packet  20  is public address Pu G  of gateway  16  process  40  reroutes ( 405 ) packet  20  to the private client that reserved Pu G  in process  30 . Here, a RSIP mapping table  67  created in process  30  is consulted to determine which private client reserved public address Pu G . If public address Pu G  has not been reserved (e.g. if a mapping is not found) then packet  20  is dropped. 
     If destination address  26  of packet  20  is the private address Pr G  of gateway  16 , then process  40  pushes ( 407 ) packet  20  up stack  65  to be used by gateway  16 . If destination address  26  of packet  20  is a private address in the private address realm and not the private address Pr G  of gateway  16 , then the packet  20  is routed ( 409 ) to the private client specified by the private address. If destination address  26  of packet  20  is a public address in the public address realm and not Pu G  forward ( 411 ) packet  20  on interface  17  of gateway  16  to public network  14 . Additional packet processing (not relevant in this context) may occur before packet  20  is forwarded. 
       FIG. 5  shows an example of protocol layers for implementing process  30  and  40 . Local applications X and Y here run on private clients A and B respectfully. To send a packet  20  (i.e. process  30 ) application X obtains a private IP address, here Pr A  for client A, at IP layer  54 . The IP layer  54  negotiates with NAT/RSIP layer  56  to secure a public address of private network  12  from internal network interface  15 . NAT/RSIP layer  56  returns secured public address, for example PuG, to IP layer  54  for use as a source address  28 , (provided the particular address field  24  of packet  20  has a source address  28 ) and/or to be stored in registries  32  and  34  and NAT/RSIP mapping table  67 . NAT/RSIP layer  56  may also modify the source port obtained in TCP/UDP layer  52  according to NAT/RSIP protocol before packet  20  may be routed by gateway  16  to its destination address. The modification of the source port will also be stored in NAT/RSIP mapping table  67 . 
     Similarly, to receive a packet  20  (i.e. process  40 ) at internal or external interface  15  or  17  addressed to the public address of private network  12  (i.e.  405 ), for example Pu G , NAT/RSIP layer  56  is used to obtain the private address, for example Pr B , which reserved public address Pu G . Once private address Pr B  is obtained, packet  20  may be routed to its intended destination client, here application Y running on private client B. 
       FIG. 6  shows a computer  60  serving as a gateway  16  for routing packets  20  according to processes  30  and  40 . Computer  60  includes a processor  62 , a memory  64  including executable instructions  61 , a protocol stack  65  and a mapping table  67 , and private and public network interfaces  15  and  17 . Processor  62  executes computer instruction of RAM (not shown) to implement processes  30  and  40 . 
     Processes  30  and  40 , however, are not limited to use with any particular hardware or software configuration; they may find applicability in any computing or processing environment. Processes  30  and  40  may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of the two. Processes  30  and  40  may be implemented in computer programs executing on programmable computers that each include a processor, a storage medium readable by the processor (including volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements and input and output devices. 
     Each such program may be implemented in a high level procedural or object-oriented programming language to communicate with a computer system. However, the programs can be implemented in assembly or machine language. The language may be a compiled or interpreted language. 
     Each computer program may be stored on a storage medium or device (e.g. CD-ROM, hard disk, or magnetic diskette) that is readable by a general or special purpose programmable computer for configuring and operating the computer when the storage medium or device is read by the computer to perform processes  30  and  40 . Processes  30  and  40  may also be implemented as a computer-readable storage medium, configured with a computer program, where, upon execution, instruction in the computer program cause the computer to operate in accordance with processes  30  and  40 . 
     A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, gateway  16  may have multiple public and private addresses for routing packets between private and public networks. Moreover, processor  62 , stack  65  and table  67  need not be located on gateway itself, but may be positioned else where in the network. Accordingly, other embodiments not explicitly described herein are also within the scope of the following claims.

Technology Category: h