Communicating method between IPv4 terminal and IPv6 terminal and IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus

• US 6,118,784 A
• Filed: 10/28/1997
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tsuchiya, Kazuaki, Ikeda, Naoya, Hamamoto, Shinichi, Watanabe, Ken, Yasue, Toshikazu, Atarashi, Yoshifumi, Sumikawa, Munechika, Miyamoto, Takahisa, Higuchi, Hidemitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuongchau Ba
• Application Number:
  US08/959,462
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 370/465, 370/466, 370/475, 370/400, 370/401, 370/402, 370/389, 370/392, 709/227, 709/245
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• 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 61/2567 for reachability, e.g. inquiring the address of a correspondent behind a NAT server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/167 Adaptation for transition between two IP versions, e.g. between IPv4 and IPv6 translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses H04L61/2503

Abstract

In an apparatus, there are provided an IP transmitting and receiving unit for transmitting and receiving an IPv4 packet and an IPv6 packet; an IP header converting unit for performing a mutual conversion of the IPv4 packet and the IPv6 packet by an IP header conversion; a DNS substituting unit for receiving a domain information capturing request sent from an IPv4 terminal or an IPv6 terminal and substituting its process; an IPv4 address capturing unit for capturing an IPv4 address from a DHCP server; and an IP address conversion information holding unit for holding an IPv6 address of the IPv6 terminal and the IPv4 address captured by the IPv4 address capturing unit in correspondence to each other. Thus, a communication with the IPv4 terminal can be executed without preliminarily fixedly allocating the IPv4 address to the IPv6 terminal.

Claims

1. A method of communicating an IPv4 terminal of an IPv4 network and an IPv6 terminal of an IPv6 network in a communication network system comprising said IPv4 network, said IPv6 network, and an IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus connected to both of said networks, comprising the steps of:

in accordance with that said IPv4 terminal inquires an IP address for a domain name of said IPv6 terminal to said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus, obtaining, in said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus, an IPv6 address for said domain name from a DNSv6 server apparatus for managing domain information of said IPv6 network;

capturing, in said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus, an IPv4 address corresponding to said IPv6 address from a DHCPv4 server apparatus for dynamically allocating IPv4 addresses and notifying said IPv4 terminal;

forming, in said IPv4 terminal, a first IPv4 packet by setting an own IPv4 address to an IPv4 source address and by setting said notified IPv4 address to an IPv4 destination address, and sending said first IPv4 packet to said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus; and

converting, in said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus, the IPv4 source address included in said received first IPv4 packet to an IPv6 source address by adding fixed data to said IPv4 source address, converting an IPv4 destination address included in said IPv4 packet to a corresponding IPv6 address, forming a first IPv6 packet from said first IPv4 packet, and sending said first IPv6 packet to said IPv6 network.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

forming, in said IPv6 terminal, a second IPv6 packet by setting an own IPv6 address to the IPv6 source address and by setting said IPv6 source address included in said received first IPv6 packet to an IPv6 destination address, and sending said second IPv6 packet to said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus; and

converting, in said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus, the IPv6 destination address included in said received second IPv6 packet to the IPv4 destination address by deleting the fixed data from said IPv6 destination address, converting the IPv6 source address included in said IPv6 packet to the corresponding IPv4 address, forming a second IPv4 packet from said second IPv6 packet, and sending said second IPv4 packet to said IPv4 network.

3. A method of communicating an IPv4 terminal of an IPv4 network and an IPv6 terminal of an IPv6 network in a communication network system comprising said IPv4 network, said IPv6 network, and an IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus connected to both of said networks, comprising the steps of:

in accordance with that said IPv6 terminal inquires an IP address for a domain name of said IPv4 terminal to said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus, obtaining, in said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus, an IPv4 address for said domain name from a DNSv4 server apparatus for managing domain information of said IPv4 network, and notifying said IPv6 terminal of an IPv6 address derived by adding fixed data to said IPv4 address;

forming, in said IPv6 terminal, a first IPv6 packet by setting an own IPv6 address to an IPv6 source address and by setting said notified IPv6 address to an IPv6 destination address, and sending said first IPv6 packet to said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus; and

converting, in said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus, said IPv6 destination address included in said received first IPv6 packet to an IPv4 destination address by deleting fixed data from said IPv6 destination address, capturing dynamically an IPv4 address corresponding to the IPv6 source address included in said first IPv6 packet from a DHCPv4 server apparatus for dynamically allocating the IPv4 address, forming a first IPv4 packet from said first IPv6 packet by using said IPv4 address, and sending said first IPv4 packet to said IPv4 network.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

forming, in said IPv4 terminal, a second IPv4 packet by setting its own IPv4 address to the IPv4 source address and by setting said IPv4 source address included in said received first IPv4 packet to an IPv4 destination address, and sending said second IPv4 packet to said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus; and

converting, in said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus, the IPv4 source address included in said received second IPv4 packet to the IPv6 source address by adding fixed data to said IPv4 source address, converting the IPv4 destination address included in said IPv4 packet to a corresponding IPv6 address, forming a second IPv6 packet from said second IPv4 packet, and sending said second IPv6 packet to said IPv6 network.

5. An IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus connected to an IPv4 network and an IPv6 network, comprising:

(a) IPv4 address capturing means for capturing an IPv4 address from a DHCPv4 server of said IPv4 network;

(b) IP address conversion information holding means for holding an IPv6 address of an IPv6 terminal and said captured IPv4 address in correspondence to each other;

(c) IP transmitting and receiving means for transmitting and receiving an IPv4 packet to/from said IPv4 network and for transmitting and receiving an IPv6 packet to/from said IPv6 network;

(d) IP header converting means for converting an IPv4 source address included in said received IPv4 packet to an IPv6 source address by adding fixed data to said IPv4 source address, for converting an IPv4 destination address included in said IPv4 packet to a corresponding IPv6 destination address by using said IP address conversion information holding means, and for forming a corresponding IPv6 packet from said IPv4 packet; and

(e) DNS substituting means for receiving an inquiry of an IP address for a domain name of the IPv6 terminal from the IPv4 terminal, for obtaining an IPv6 address by inquiring to the DNSv6 server, for notifying said IPv4 terminal of said IPv4 address if said IPv4 address corresponding to said IPv6 address has been held in said IP address conversion information holding means, for capturing the IPv4 address by said IPv4 address capturing means if the IPv4 address corresponding to said IPv6 address is not held in said IP address conversion information holding means, for holding said IPv6 address and said captured IPv4 address into said IP address conversion information holding means so as to correspond to each other, for notifying said IPv4 terminal of said IPv4 address, similarly for receiving an inquiry of an IP address for a domain name of the IPv4 terminal from the IPv6 terminal, for obtaining an IPv4 address by inquiring to the DNSv4 server, for notifying said IPv6 terminal of said IPv6 address if the IPv6 address corresponding to said IPv4 address has been held in said IP address conversion information holding means, for capturing the IPv6 address by an IPv6 address capturing means if the IPv6 address corresponding to said IPv4 address is not held in said IP address conversion information holding means, for holding said IPv4 address and said captured IPv6 address into said IP address conversion information holding means so as to correspond to each other, and for notifying said IPv6 terminal of said IPv6 address.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising IPv6 address capturing means for capturing an IPv6 address from a DHCPv6 server of said IPv6 network.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said IP address conversion information holding means deletes an address which is not referred to for a predetermined time in the correspondence of said IPv6 address and IPv4 address held and returns the deleted IPv4 address to said DHCPv4 server of said IPv4 network.

8. An apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising IPv4 address pool means for pooling a plurality of IPv4 addresses, and

wherein said IP address conversion information holding means captures said plurality of IPv4 addresses from said DHCPv4 server of said IPv4 network at the time of activation of the apparatus, pools said captured IPv4 addresses into said IPv4 address pool means, and captures the IPv4 address corresponding to the IPv6 address of said IPv6 terminal from said IPv4 address pool means.

9. An apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising DHCPv4 server means for dynamically allocating the IPv4 address, and

wherein said DHCPv4 server means is used in place of said DHCPv4 server of said IPv4 network.

10. A method of communicating an IPv4 terminal of an IPv4 network and an IPv6 terminal of an IPv6 network in a communication network system comprising said IPv4 network, said IPv6 network, and an IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus connected to both of said networks, comprising the steps of:

in accordance with that said IPv6 terminal inquires an IP address for a domain name of said IPv4 terminal to said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus, obtaining, in said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus, an IPv4 address for said domain name from a DNSv4 server apparatus for managing domain information of said IPv4 network, dynamically obtaining an IPv6 address corresponding to said IPv4 address from a DHCPv6 server apparatus which dynamically allocates the IPv6 address, and notifying said IPv6 terminal of said IPv6 address;

forming, in said IPv6 terminal, a first IPv6 packet by setting an own IPv6 address to an IPv6 source address and by setting said notified IPv6 address to an IPv6 destination address, and sending said first IPv6 packet to said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus; and

converting, in said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus, said IPv6 destination address included in said received first IPv6 packet to an IPv4 destination address to the IPv4 address corresponding to said notified IPv6 address as an IPv4 destination address, capturing dynamically an IPv4 address corresponding to the IPv6 source address included in said first IPv6 packet from a DHCPv4 server apparatus for dynamically allocating the IPv4 address, forming a first IPv4 packet from said first IPv6 packet by using said IPv4 address, and sending said first IPv4 packet to said IPv4 network.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

forming, in said IPv4 terminal, a second IPv4 packet by setting its own IPv4 address to the IPv4 source address and by setting said IPv4 source address included in said received first IPv4 packet to an IPv4 destination address, and sending said second IPv4 packet to said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus; and

converting, in said IPv4-IPv6 converting apparatus, the IPv4 source address included in said received second IPv4 packet to said obtained IPv6 address as an IPv4 source address, converting the IPv4 destination address included in said IPv4 packet to a corresponding IPv6 address, forming a second IPv6 packet from said second IPv4 packet, and sending said second IPv6 packet to said IPv6 network.