Chained registrations for mobile IP

• US 6,571,289 B1
• Filed: 08/03/1998
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Montenegro, Gabriel E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDELMAN, BRADLEY E
• Application Number:
  US09/128,055
• Time in Patent Office: 1,758 Days
• Field of Search: 709/250, 709/223, 709/227, 709/238, 709/245, 370/251, 370/252, 370/401
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]

Abstract

A method for negotiating access to a private network for a mobile node that has migrated beyond the private network. A plurality of tunnel segments are composed with these tunnel segments composing a chain of a registration request from the mobile node to the private network.

Claims

1. A method for establishing remote access of a mobile node to a private network comprising:

creating a plurality of successive tunnel segments between said mobile node and said private network, each successive tunnel segment having a source endpoint and a destination endpoint;

creating a plurality of successively chained registration requests from each of the successive tunnel segments, wherein said plurality of successively chained registration requests are validated;

processing said successively chained registration requests in succession until a secure data transfer pathway is created between said mobile node and said private network, wherein a compound tunnel is composed from the plurality of successive tunnel segments;

pre-pending an information packet having a header for one or more successive tunnel segments with an additional header after said plurality of successively chained registration requests are validated, each additional header including an address for a source endpoint and an address for a destination endpoint for the next successive tunnel segment, wherein the last successive tunnel segment of said plurality of successive tunnel segments has its additional header stripped and has an information packet forwarded to its destination endpoint.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said data transfer pathway has a home agent as its endpoint in the private network.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising discovery of a home address of said mobile node.

4. The method according to claim 2 further comprising discovery of the home agent'"'"'s address.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said creating said plurality of successively chained registration requests includes:

unwrapping each of the plurality of successively chained registration requests at the next tunnel segment until reaching a home agent, wherein said compound tunnel is formed as a result of said plurality of successively chained registration requests.

6. The method according to claim 5 further comprising:

providing a registration reply upon reaching said home agent;

if all registration fields are not complete then sending back to said mobile node the information and codes to complete a full registration request; and

if all registration fields are complete, establishing said secure data transfer pathway.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein said creating of successively chained registration requests by tunnel is repeated with said full registration request.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein one tunnel segment is created by a foreign agent acting between said mobile node and said private network.