Managing multiple private data networks using network and payload address translation

• US 6,581,108 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1999
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Denison, Brett Alan, Sugla, Binay, Raz, Danny
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNSON, MARLON B
• Application Number:
  US09/450,931
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 709/245, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2535 Multiple local networks, e.g. resolving potential IP address conflicts
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2585 through application level gateway [ALG]

Abstract

A network system receives incoming packets from multiple private networks with potentially conflicting Internet Protocol (IP) address spaces, and performs header and payload address translation operations to ensure that the IP address spaces of the incoming packets are made non-conflicting, such that the packets can be managed using a single network management platform. A router in the system receives the packets and performs Network Address Translation (NAT) on IP header information. Packets identified as being associated with a particular protocol, e.g., a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), are redirected by the router to a Management Payload Address Translator (MPAT) that applies a fast parsing process to the packet payloads to identify IP address-related information therein, and if necessary applies an appropriate translation of the identified information before routing the packets to a network management platform. The fast parsing process is an efficient object-based process which avoids the need to parse the entire packet payload.

Claims

1. A method for providing address translation for a plurality of packets received in a network system, the method comprising the steps of:

performing network address translation operations on at least a subset of the packets;

identifying particular ones of the translated packets as being associated with a designated network management protocol;

parsing the identified network management protocol packets to determine if the payload of a given one of the network management protocol packets contains additional address information requiring further translation, wherein the parsing step as applied to the given network management protocol packet parses the payload of that packet to identify if any of a plurality of different object types are present in the payload, the plurality of different object types comprising at least an address object type, an object identifier object type, and a sequence indicator object type; and

applying an additional translation operation to the additional address information of at least one of the identified network management protocol packets as determined in the parsing step, such that the packets are thereby provided with non-conflicting address spaces.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the designated network management protocol comprises a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the address information comprises Internet Protocol (IP) address information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the packets are associated with a plurality of distinct networks having at least partially conflicting address spaces.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the parsing step comprises an object-based parsing which utilizes a pointer to an object associated with a given one of the packets.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the parsing step comprises determining if a given one of the packets includes one or more of IP address information, a specified object identifier (OID) and a sequence indicator.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the additional translation operation utilizes an IP map data structure and an OID data structure for translating IP address and OID information, respectively, in a payload of a given one of the packets.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the parsing and additional translation steps are implemented in a management payload address translator which receives the identified translated packets from a router with network address translation capability.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the management payload address translator and the router are implemented on separate machines, both of which are connected to communicate with a network management platform.

10. An apparatus for providing address translation for a plurality of packets received in a network system, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor-based device operative;

(i) to perform network address translation operations on at least a subset of the packets;

(ii) to identify particular ones of the translated packets as being associated with a designated network management protocol;

(iii) to parse the identified network management protocol packets to determine if the payload of a given one of the network management protocol packets contains additional address information requiring further translation, wherein the parsing step as applied to the given network management protocol packet parses the payload of that packet to identify if any of a plurality of different object types are present in the payload, the plurality of different object types comprising at least an address object type, an object identifier object type, and a sequence indicator object type; and

(iv) to apply an additional translation operation to the additional address information of at least one of the identified network management protocol packets as determined in the parsing step, such that the packets are thereby provided with non-conflicting address spaces.

11. An apparatus for providing address translation for a plurality of packets received in a network system, the apparatus comprising:

a network address translator operative to perform network address translation operations on at least a subset of the packets; and

a management payload address translator operative to receive from the network address translator particular ones of the translated packets identified as being associated with a designated network management protocol;

to parse the identified network management protocol packets to determine if the payload of a given one of the network management protocol packets contains additional address information requiring further translation, wherein the parsing step as applied to the given network management protocol packet parses the payload of that packet to identify if any of a plurality of different object types are present in the payload, the plurality of different object types comprising at least an address object type, an object identifier object type, and a sequence indicator object type; and

to apply an additional translation operation to the additional address information of at least one of the identified network management protocol packets as determined in the parsing step, such that the packets are thereby provided with non-conflicting address spaces.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the designated network management protocol comprises a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the address information comprises Internet Protocol (IP) address information.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the packets are associated with a plurality of distinct networks having at least partially conflicting address spaces.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the management payload address translator implements an object-based parsing process which utilizes a pointer to an object associated with a given one of the packets.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the parsing process determines if a given one of the packets includes one or more of IP address information, a specified object identifier (OID) and a sequence indicator.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the additional translation operation utilizes an IP map data structure and an OID data structure for translating IP address and OID information, respectively, in a payload of a given one of the packets.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the management payload address translator receives the identified translated packets from a router which implements the network address translator.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the management payload address translator and the router are implemented on separate machines, both of which are connected to communicate with a network management platform.

20. An article of manufacture comprising a machine-readable storage medium for storing one or more software programs for performing address translation operations for a plurality of packets received in a network system, wherein the one or more software programs when executed implement the steps of:

performing network address translation operations on at least a subset of the packets;

identifying particular ones of the translated packets as being associated with a designated network management protocol;

parsing the identified network management protocol packets to determine if the payload of a given one of the network management protocol packets contains additional address information requiring further translation, wherein the parsing step as applied to the given network management protocol packet parses the payload of that packet to identify if any of a plurality of different object types are present in the payload, the plurality of different object types comprising at least an address object type, an object identifier object type, and a sequence indicator object type; and

applying an additional translation operation to the additional address information of at least one of the identified network management protocol packets as determined in the parsing step, such that the packets are thereby provided with non-conflicting address spaces.