Packet communication method and apparatus and a recording medium storing a packet communication program

• US 6,580,717 B1
• Filed: 02/25/1999
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Higuchi, Hidemitsu, Yasue, Toshikazu, Watanabe, Ken, Tsuchiya, Kazuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Seema S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong, Frank
• Application Number:
  US09/257,003
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: 370/392, 370/401, 370/402, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 709/227, 709/249, 709/245
• US Class Current: 370/401
• 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 61/2525 Translation at a client
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2542 involving dual-stack hosts
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2546 Arrangements for avoiding unnecessary translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

A packet communication method and a packet communication system capable of making an IPv4-compatible application operating on an information processing apparatus communicate with another information processing apparatus connected to an IPv6 network without using an address translation router. In the information processing apparatus connected to the IPv6 network incorporates, an IPv4-to-IPv6 protocol conversion control function is incorporated in a LAN driver. A protocol conversion control module receives an IPv4 packet from a protocol control module. When a send destination IPv4 address contained in a header of the packet is registered in an address translation table incorporated in the protocol conversion control module, an IPv6 address is generated to be sent onto a LAN. Unless the send destination IPv4 address contained in the packet header is registered in the address translation table incorporated in the protocol conversion control module, the IPv4 packet as received is intactly sent onto the LAN.

Claims

1. A packet communication method in a network system comprising a first network corresponding to a first communication protocol, a second network corresponding to a second communication protocol and a plurality of packet communication apparatuses connected to at least one of said first network and said second network, comprising the steps of:

in a first packet communication apparatus which is connected to said second network and in which an application program compatible with said first communication protocol can operate, storing correspondence between network addresses of a first type compatible with said first communication protocol and network addresses of a second type compatible with said second communication protocol for said plurality of packet communication apparatuses, respectively;

upon packet communication between said application program and said second network in said first packet communication apparatus, performing address translation between said first type network address and said second type network address for a send destination address contained in the packet on the basis of the correspondence of said network addresses, to thereby perform header conversion between said first communication protocol and said second communication protocol for said packet; and

when said application program sends a packet corresponding to said first communication protocol to said second network in said first packet communication apparatus, converting a send destination address contained in said packet for sending from said first type network address to said second type network address on the basis of the correspondence of said network addresses, to thereby convert a header of said packet for sending from a header of said first communication protocol to a header of said second communication protocol.

2. A packet communication system for a network system comprising a first network corresponding to a first communication protocol, a second network corresponding to a second communication protocol and a plurality of packet communication apparatuses connected to at least one of said first network and said second network, comprising:

an address translation table for storing correspondences between first type network addresses compatible with said first communication protocol and second type network addresses compatible with said second communication protocol for said plurality of packet communication apparatuses, respectively;

protocol conversion means for a packet transferred for communication between an application program compatible with the first communication protocol and said second network; and

address translation means for performing address translation between said first type network address and said second type network address for a send destination address contained in said packet on the basis of said address translation table, to thereby perform header conversion between said first communication protocol and said second communication protocol for said packet.

3. A packet communication system according to claim 2,

wherein said first communication protocol is an IPv4 and said second communication protocol is an IPv6.

4. A packet communication method in a network system comprising a first network corresponding to a first communication protocol, a second network corresponding to a second communication protocol and a plurality of packet communication apparatuses connected to at least one of said first network and said second network, comprising the steps of:

in a first packet communication apparatus which is connected to said second network and in which an application program compatible with said first communication protocol can operate, storing correspondence between network addresses of a first type compatible with said first communication protocol and network addresses of a second type compatible with said second communication protocol for said plurality of packet communication apparatuses, respectively; and

upon packet communication between said application program and said second network in said first packet communication apparatus, performing address translation between said first type network address and said second type network address for a send destination address contained in the packet on the basis of the correspondence of said network addresses, to thereby perform header conversion between said first communication protocol and said second communication protocol for said packet,

wherein said first communication protocol is an IPv4 and said second communication protocol is an IPv6.

5. A packet communication method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of:

when said application program sends an IPv4 packet to said network, translating a send destination address contained in said IPv4 packet to an IPv6 address from the IPv4 address on the basis of said network address correspondence, to thereby convert a header of said IPv4 packet to said Ipv6 header with said first packet communication apparatus.

6. A packet communication method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of:

reserving IPv4 addresses for said plurality of packet communication apparatuses are reserved in said first packet communication apparatus,

allocating one of said reserved IPv4 addresses is allocated to a second packet communication apparatus of said plurality of packet communication apparatuses, and storing correspondence between the IPv6 address of said second packet communication apparatus and said allocated IPv4 address as the correspondence of said network addresses, and

when said application program sends the IPv4 packet to said second packet communication apparatus by way of said second network, setting said IPv4 address allocated as said send destination address to said IPv4 with said first packet communication apparatus.

7. A packet communication method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of:

when the send destination address contained in said IPv4 packet is not included in said network address correspondence, sending said IPv4 packet intactly to said network with said first packet communication apparatus.

8. A packet communication method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of:

when said application program receives an IPv6 packet from said second network, translating a send destination address contained in said IPv6 packet to an Ipv4 address from the IPv6 address on the basis of said network address correspondence with said first packet communication address, to thereby convert a header of said IPv6 packet to a header of the IPv4 header.

9. A packet communication method in a network system comprising a first network corresponding to a first communication protocol, a second network corresponding to a second communication protocol and a plurality of packet communication apparatuses connected to at least one of said first network and said second network, comprising the steps of:

in a first packet communication apparatus which is connected to said second network and in which an application program compatible with said first communication protocol can operate, storing correspondence between network addresses of a first type compatible with said first communication protocol and network addresses of a second type compatible with said second communication protocol for said plurality of packet communication apparatuses, respectively;

upon packet communication between said application program and said second network in said first packet communication apparatus, performing address translation between said first type network address and said second type network address for a send destination address contained in the packet on the basis of the correspondence of said network addresses, to thereby perform header conversion between said first communication protocol and said second communication protocol for said packet; and

when said application program receives a packet corresponding to said second communication protocol from said second network in said first packet communication apparatus, converting a send destination address contained in said received packet from said second type network address to said first type network address on the basis of the correspondence of said network addresses, to thereby convert a header of said received packet from a header of said second communication protocol to a header of said first communication protocol.