Method and system for address server redirection for multiple address networks

• US 6,768,743 B1
• Filed: 10/26/1999
• Issued: 07/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Grabelsky, David, Borella, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAH, CHIRAG G
• Application Number:
  US09/426,616
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/400, 370/401, 370/410, 370/389, 370/475
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/251 between different IP versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2564 for a higher-layer protocol, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]

Abstract

A method and system for address server redirection for multiple address networks. A primary network address and an address of a secondary network address server are requested by a network device from a primary network address server. The address of the secondary network address server is requested in an option field in a request message sent to the primary network address server to request a primary network address. The request message may be sent through one or more routers. The primary network address is used by a network device to communicate with other network devices on a first network. The secondary network address is used by the network device to communicate with other network devices on a second network. For example, the primary network address may be a private Internet Protocol address or an Internet Protocol version-6 address and the secondary network address may be a public Internet Protocol address or an Internet Protocol version-4 address. The method and system may also allow existing primary network address servers such as Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (“DHCP”) servers, and new secondary network address servers, such as Distributed Network Address Translation (“DNAT”) or Realm Specific Internet Protocol (“RSIP”) servers, to be reached via routers without any changes to any existing routers in existing networks. The method and system can be used to acquire virtually any type of primary network addresses and secondary network address from virtually any type of primary network address server or secondary network address servers. The method and system allow multiple types of network addresses for multiple address networks to be allocated.

Claims

1. In a first network with a plurality of network devices connected to a second network, a method of allocating primary network addresses and secondary network addresses, comprising the steps of:

creating a request message in a first protocol on a first network device to request a primary network address from a primary network address server on a first network, wherein the primary network address is used by the first network device to communicate with other network devices on a first network;

setting an option field in the request message to request an address of a secondary network address server, wherein the secondary network address server is used to request a secondary network address that is used by the first network device to communicate with other network devices on a second network; and

sending the request message from the first network device to the primary network address server to request the primary network address and the network address of the secondary network address server.

2. A computer readable medium have stored therein instructions for causing a central processing unit to execute the method of claim 1.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a response message with the first protocol from the primary network address server, wherein the response message includes a primary network address for the first network device and a network address for a secondary network address server; and

sending a second request message with a second protocol from the first network device to the secondary network address server to request a secondary network address, wherein the secondary network address that is used by the first network device to communicate with other network devices on a second network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the request message is any of a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol discover or a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol request message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the primary network address server is a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol address server.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the primary network address is a private Internet Protocol address.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the secondary network address server is any of a Distributed Network Address Translation server or a Realm Specific Internet Protocol server.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the secondary network address is a public Internet Protocol address.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the secondary network address is a combination network address including a common public Internet Protocol address and a locally unique port used for Distributed Network Address Translation or Realm Specific Internet Protocol to uniquely identify the first network device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of setting an option field in the request message includes setting a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol option field with an address server redirect option.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein the response message is any of a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol offer or a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol acknowledgment message.

12. The method of claim 3 wherein the second protocol is any of a Distributed Network Address Translation protocol or a Realm Specific Internet Protocol.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the primary network address is an Internet Protocol version-4 address and the secondary network address is an Internet Protocol version-6 address.

14. In a first network with a plurality of network devices connected to a second network, a method of allocating primary network addresses and secondary network addresses, comprising the steps of:

maintaining a table of network addresses for secondary network servers on a primary network address server, wherein the secondary network address servers are used to allocate secondary network addresses to network devices on a first network, wherein the secondary network addresses are used by a network device to communicate with other network devices on a second network;

receiving a request message for a primary network address on the primary network address server from a first network device on a first network with a first protocol, wherein the primary network address is used by the first network device to communicate with other network devices on the first network;

adding a primary network address allocated for the first network device to a response message;

determining whether the request message includes an option field including an option to request an address of a secondary network address server, and if so, adding a secondary network address server network address from the table to an option field included in the response message, wherein the secondary network address server network address in the option field is used by the first network device to locate a secondary network address server that supplies a secondary network address that is used by the first network device to communicate with other network devices on the second network; and

sending the response message to the first network device including the primary network address and the secondary network address server network address in the option field.

15. A computer readable medium have stored therein instructions for causing a central processing unit to execute the method of claim 14.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the option is a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol message option for address server redirect.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the secondary network address includes an Internet Protocol address for a Distributed Network Address Translation server.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the primary network address includes a private Internet Protocol address.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the request message includes any of a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol discover message or a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol request message.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the response message includes of any Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol offer message or a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol acknowledgment message.

21. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

determining whether the request message includes an option field including an option to request an address of a secondary network address server, and if not, sending the response message to the first network device including only the primary network address allocated by the primary network address server and not a network address for a secondary network address server.

22. A multi-address network system, comprising in combination:

a primary network address server for allocating a primary network address with a first protocol and for supplying a secondary network address server network address with the first protocol,

a secondary network address server for allocating a secondary network address; and

a client network device for communicating with other network devices on a first network and for communicating with other network devices on a second network,

wherein the primary network address is used to identify the client network device for communication with other network devices on the first network, and

wherein the secondary network address server network address is used by the client network device to request a secondary network address from a secondary network address server, and

wherein the secondary network address is used to identify the client network device for communication with other network devices on the second network.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the first protocol is a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the primary network address server is a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server and the secondary network address server is a Distributed Network Address Translation server.