Communications gateway mapping internet address to logical-unit name

• US 6,122,276 A
• Filed: 07/09/1997
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Boe, Michael, Bolton, Derek W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US08/890,610
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/466, 370/331, 364/228.2, 364/228.4, 364/228.5, 364/242.93, 709/229, 709/231, 709/236
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/26 Special purpose or proprietary protocols or architectures network applications for proprietary or special purpose networking environments H04L67/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

When a TN3270 client (14) uses the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol ("TCP/IP")to initiate contact with a TN3270 server (18) to obtain access to an applications program running on a host (12) with which the server (18) employs the Systems Network Architecture ("SNA")protocol to communicate, the server'"'"'s SNA physical-unit process sends the host'"'"'s systems service control point an SNA NMVT message that includes a physical-location subfield in a product-set-attributes subvector of a product-set-ID vector. The physical-location subfield includes the client'"'"'s IP address and TCP port number so that host management applications can determine individual clients'"'"' usages without interrupting communications with the server.

Claims

1. In a communications gateway for forwarding to a Systems Network Architecture channel in a session between logical units information received from a client by way of an Internet Protocol link in Internet Protocol datagrams that include a source Information Protocol address and a Transmission Control Protocol port number, the improvement comprising circuitry that for each such session transmits over the SNA channel a Reply Product Set Id (PSID) vector that includes a physical-location subvector whose contents represent at least one of the Internet Protocol address and the Transmission Control Protocol port number.

2. A communications gateway as defined in claim 1 wherein the contents of the PSID vector'"'"'s physical-location subvector represent both the Internet Protocol address and the Transmission Control Protocol port number.

3. A communications gateway as defined in claim 1 wherein the gateway transmits the Reply PSID vector in response to connection with the client.

4. A communications gateway as defined in claim 3 wherein the Reply PSID vector includes a power-on-indicating subfield.

5. A communications gateway as defined in claim 3 wherein the gateway additionally responds to disconnection from the client by transmitting a Reply PSID vector that includes a physical-location subvector whose contents represent the Internet Protocol address and/or Transmission Control Protocol port number.

6. A communications gateway as defined in claim 5 wherein the Reply PSID vector transmitted in response to the client'"'"'s disconnection includes a power-off-indicating subfield.

7. In the method of forwarding to a Systems Network Architecture channel in a session between logical units information received from a client by way of an Internet Protocol link in Internet Protocol datagrams that include a source Information Protocol address and a Transmission Control Protocol port number, the improvement comprising transmitting over the SNA channel for each such session a Reply Product Set ID (PSID) vector that includes a physical-location subvector whose contents represent at least one of the Internet Protocol address and the Transmission Control Protocol port number.

8. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein the contents of the PSID vector'"'"'s physical-location subvector represent both the Internet Protocol address and the Transmission Control Protocol port number.

9. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein the step of transmitting the Reply PSID vector is performed in response to connection to the client.

10. A method as defined in claim 9 wherein the Reply PSID vector includes a power-on-indicating subfield.

11. A method as defined in claim 9 further including the step of responding to disconnection from the client by transmitting a Reply PSID vector that includes a physical-location subvector whose contents represent the Internet Protocol address and/or Transmission Control Protocol port number.

12. A method as defined in claim 11 wherein the Reply PSID vector transmitted in response to the client'"'"'s disconnection includes a power-off-indicating subfield.