Transport gateway between a native network and a mixed network

• US 5,802,053 A
• Filed: 10/13/1995
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hogan, Kathleen Marie, Morse, Alisa Lynn, Sarkar, Soumitra, Bollella, Gregory, Pozefsky, Diane Phylis, Kompella, Vachaspathi Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGO, RICKY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US08/543,252
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401, 370/402, 370/411, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 370/469, 370/471, 370/400, 370/403, 370/404, 370/405, 370/406
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In order to more fully support the need to interconnect dissimilar networks, methods and apparatus are set forth which allow a transport gateway between a native (SNA/APPN) network and a mixed or non-native network to preserve the dynamic functions of the native network. The functions of fully dynamic directory and route selection are supported, in addition to the ability to use parallel gateways when connecting a native network to a mixed network. The ability to route information through a gateway from a dependent LU requester in a non-native network to a dependent LU server in a SNA/APPN network is also demonstrated. This allows concatenation of native and non-native networks while maintaining the addressability and accessibility of the native network.

Claims

1. A method of routing information from an SNA/APPN network having standard APPN LOCATE functions through a gateway and across one or more non-native networks to a target node wherein said fictitious control point name is stored in an unused address location in an IP reverse address table, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing a unique, fictitious APPN node having a control point name for each non-native network attached through said gateway; and

,

utilizing the standard APPN LOCATE functions to locate said target node utilizing said fictitious APPN node control point name to route information to said target node via said gateway and through at least one of said non-native networks to reach said target node.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said unused address is address 127.0.0.3 in the IP reverse address table.

3. A method of routing information from an SNA/APPN network having standard APPN LOCATE functions through a gateway and across one or more non-native networks to a target node, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing a unique, fictitious APPN node having a control point name for each non-native network attached through said gateway;

utilizing the standard APPN LOCATE functions to locate said target node utilizing said fictitious APPN node control point name to route information to said target node via said gateway and through at least one of said non-native networks to reach said target node; and

indicating that each said gateway and all target nodes in a non-native network are connected to a unique connection network,

wherein said connection network indicator is stored in an unused address in an IP reverse address table.

4. A method as in claim 3, wherein said unused address is address 127.0.0.4 in the IP reverse address table.

5. A method of accessing one or more dependent Logical Units (LUs) in a non-SNA network, from one or more LUs on an SNA network, such that each said dependent LU can be reached through an SNA over TCP/IP gateway, said method comprising:

establishing a fictitious connection network name;

associating said fictitious connection network with the non-SNA network;

associating each Dependent Logical Unit DLU in the non-SNA network with said fictitious connection network name;

establishing a session, through the gateway, between said one or more dependent LUs and said one or more LUs on the SNA network;

mapping each said dependent Logical Unit twice, each mapping represented as an entry, said entries referred to as a first entry and a second entry;

said first entry mapping said dependent LU to its IP address; and

said second entry mapping the dependent LU to a predetermined, arbitrarily chosen invalid, IP address which signifies that the LU is dependent.

6. A method of determining whether a particular LU in an Multi Protocol Transport Networking MPTN network is dependent, said method comprising the steps of:

determining whether said LU is mapped to a unique, predetermined address in a reverse address table, indicating that said LU is dependent if mapped to said unique predetermined address.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said unique, predetermined address in the reverse address table is IP address 127.0.0.2.

8. A method of mapping one or more dependent Logical Units (LUs) enabling each said dependent LU to be reached through an SNA over TCP/IP gateway, said method comprising:

mapping in the gateway each said dependent LU twice, each mapping represented as an entry, said entries referred to as a first entry and a second entry;

said first entry mapping said dependent LU to its IP address; and

said second entry mapping the dependent LU to IP address 127.0.0.2, which signifies that the LU is dependent.

9. A method of routing information from an SNA/APPN network having standard APPN LOCATE functions through a gateway and across one or more non-native networks to a target node wherein said fictitious control point name is stored in an unused address location in an IP reverse address table, said method comprising the steps of:

is establishing a unique, fictitious APPN node having a control point name for each non-native network attached through said gateway;

utilizing the standard APPN LOCATE functions to locate said target node utilizing said fictitious APPN node control point name to route information to said target node via said gateway and through at least one of said non-native networks to reach said target node; and

indicating that each said gateway and all target nodes in a non-native network are connected to a unique connection network.