Communications network dynamic addressing arrangement
First Claim
1. A network addressing arrangement for use in an internetwork comprisingat least first and second networks forming said internetwork, said first and second networks being arranged to exchange messages with one another, each of said messages containing source and destination addresses,means for assigning a common, first internetwork address to said first and second networks for use as a respective source address,means, operative prior to the actual exchange of said messages, for dynamically assigning to said first and second networks respective second internetwork addresses, andmeans, responsive to receipt of a message from said first network, for changing the source and destination addresses contained in said message respectively to the second internetwork address assigned to said first network and the second internetwork address assigned to said second network, and for then supplying the resulting message to said second network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A facility is provided which obviates the need of administering network addresses in an internetwork composed of a plurality of networks by assigning to each network a common source address, rather than a unique network address. In addition, and when a connection is established between two of the networks, then, for the duration of the connection, each of those networks is dynamically associated with a respective second network address and a respective connection address, in which the connection address is used as a destination address. Accordingly, when one of the networks transmits a message to the other network, the internetwork identifies the proper connection as a function of the message destination address and then forwards the message to the intended recipient. In doing so, the internet changes the message source address to the second address associated with the one changes network and the message destination address to the second address associated with the other one of the two networks. Similarly, the source and destination addresses of a message received via the internet are respectively changed to the common address and associated connection address before the message is forwarded to the intended recipient.
160 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A network addressing arrangement for use in an internetwork comprising
at least first and second networks forming said internetwork, said first and second networks being arranged to exchange messages with one another, each of said messages containing source and destination addresses, means for assigning a common, first internetwork address to said first and second networks for use as a respective source address, means, operative prior to the actual exchange of said messages, for dynamically assigning to said first and second networks respective second internetwork addresses, and means, responsive to receipt of a message from said first network, for changing the source and destination addresses contained in said message respectively to the second internetwork address assigned to said first network and the second internetwork address assigned to said second network, and for then supplying the resulting message to said second network.
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3. An arrangement for assigning network addresses in an internetwork formed from a first network and a plurality of second networks, said networks requiring respective internetwork addresses in order to exchange messages with one another, said networks being associated with respective interconnected switching nodes, said arrangement comprising
means for assigning to each of said networks a first internetwork address common to said networks, and means, contained in a node associated with said first network and operative responsive to a connection being established between said first network and one of said second networks, for dynamically associating said first network with a second internetwork address and associating said connection with a third internetwork address, for supplying said third internetwork address to said first network as the address of said one of said second networks, and for supplying said second internetwork address to a node associated with said one of said second networks as the internetwork address of said first network.
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8. A method of dynamically assigning network addresses in an internetwork composed of at least first and second networks arranged to exchange messages with one another, in which each of said messages contain source and destination addresses, said method comprising the steps of
assigning a first internetwork address to said first and second networks for use as as a common source address, dynamically assigning to said first and second networks, just prior to the actual exchange of said messages, respective second internetwork addresses, and responding to receipt of a message from said first network by changing the source and destination addresses contained in said message respectively to the second internetwork address assigned to said first network and second internetwork address assigned to said second network, and then supplying said message to said second network.
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9. A method of assigning network addresses in an internetwork formed from a first network and a plurality of second networks, said networks requiring respective internetwork addresses in order to exchange messages with one another, said networks being associated with respective interconnected switching nodes, said method comprising the steps of
assigning a first common internetwork address to each of said networks, responding to a connection established between said first network and one of said second networks by dynamically associating said first network with a second internetwork address and associating said connection with a third internetwork address, and then supplying said third internetwork address to said first network as the address of said one of said second networks, and supplying said second internetwork address to a node associated with said one of said second networks as the internetwork address of said first network.
Specification