Address translator

• US 20040093434A1
• Filed: 08/21/2003
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: King, John, Hovell, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,046,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/249
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/251 between different IP versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention concerns network address translation, and provides apparatus for providing communication between a network device in a first network and a network device in a second network, where the first network operates in accordance with a first communication protocol and the second network operates in accordance with a second communication protocol. The apparatus comprises

(i) first means for assigning an alias to a target network device in the first network, the alias being compatible with the communication protocol of the second network;

(ii) second means for translating said assigned alias to an address for the target network device, said translated address being compatible with the communication protocol of the first network,

wherein the first means and the second means are separately addressable in one or both of said networks, and said assigned alias corresponds to an address of the second means, such that, when a network device in the second network sends one or more communication(s) using an address comprising the assigned alias, the or each communication is routed to the second means, whereupon the second means translates the alias into the address of the target network device in the first network and sends the communication(s) into the first network.

Claims

1. Apparatus for providing communication between a network device in a first network and a network device in a second network, the first network operating in accordance with a first communication protocol and the second network operating in accordance with a second communication protocol, the apparatus comprising

(i) first means for assigning an alias to a target network device in the first network, the alias being compatible with the communication protocol of the second network;

(ii) second means for translating said assigned alias to an address for the target network device, said translated address being compatible with the communication protocol of the first network,

wherein the first means and the second means are separately addressable in one or both of said networks, and said assigned alias corresponds to an address of the second means, such that, when a network device in the second network sends one or more communication(s) using an address comprising the assigned alias, the or each communication is routed to the second means, whereupon the second means translates the alias into the address of the target network device in the first network and sends the communication(s) into the first network.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the alias comprises a network address.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the network address includes an identifier representative of the second means.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second means comprises a plurality of further devices.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the or each further device has access to one or more groups of aliases.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each group is stored in a store.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein two or more groups are stored in a store.

8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 7, including selecting means for selecting one of the plurality of further devices in accordance with predetermined criteria.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined criteria includes device characteristics.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the selecting means is operable to monitor device characteristics.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the device characteristics include at least one of operational status of device, loading on device, and/or aliases available to the device.

12. Apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the selecting means is in operative association with the first means.

13. Apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 12, wherein the first means is operable to retrieve an alias available to the further device, which retrieved alias is the assigned alias.

14. Apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 13, including mapping a store for storing mappings between the assigned alias and the target network device assigned to the alias.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the mapping store is managed by the first means.

16. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the mapping store is managed by a database.

17. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the mapping store is managed by the further device.

18. A method of providing communication between a network device in a first network and a network device in a second network, the first network operating in accordance with a first communication protocol and the second network operating in accordance with a second communication protocol, the method comprising the steps of:

(i) selecting a further device from a plurality of further devices in accordance with predetermined criteria,

(ii) retrieving a network address accessible to the selected further device for assigning to a network device in one of the networks, the retrieved network address being compatible with the communication protocol of the other network;

(iii) assigning the retrieved network address as an alias to the said network device;

(iv) applying said assigned alias to one or more communication sent from said network device; and

(v) sending the or each communication.

19. A method according to claim 18, further including monitoring device characteristics of the or each further devices, and comparing monitored device characteristics with the said predetermined criteria so as to select a said further device.