Determining network addresses and ports using table from a description file

• US 6,862,267 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2000
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Savage, III, Herbert V., Hughes, Earnest E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US09/728,418
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/389, 370/474, 370/351, 370/392, 370/395.3, 370/395.31, 370/401, 370468-467, 709/245, 709/223, 709/225, 709/238, 709/249
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/25 of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/06 Notations for structuring of protocol data, e.g. abstract syntax notation one [ASN.1]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In one embodiment of the invention, a NAT processor includes a table and a parser. The table stores a plurality of entries for a packet in a sequence of packets of a message transmitted from the first network to the second network. The entries include a first connection identifier corresponding to the first network. The entries are obtained from a description file of the packet. The parser is coupled to the table to parse the sequence of packets using the table. The parser extracts the first connection identifier.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a table to store a plurality of entries for a packet in a sequence of packets of a message transmitted from a first network to a second network, the entries including a first connection identifier corresponding to the first network and a termination entry indicating that subsequent packets do not contain the first connection identifier, the entries being obtained from a description file of the packet; and

a parser coupled to the table to parse the sequence of packets using the table, the parser extracting the first connection identifier and skipping the subsequent packets upon reaching the termination entry.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprises:

a translator coupled to the parser to translate the first connection identifier into a second connection identifier corresponding to the second network.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the table comprises:

at least a message type entry to specify a message type characterizing the message; and

at least a data type entry to specify a data type of a subsequent packet in the sequence of packets.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the at least data type entry indicates a location of the first connection identifier in the subsequent packet.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 where the at least data type entry comprises the termination entry.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first connection identifier is one of an address and a port identifier.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the second connection identifier is one of an address and a port identifier.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first network is one of a private network and a public network.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second network is one of a private network and a public network.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the description file is an abstract syntax notation (ASN) file.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the table is generated by an ASN compiler.

12. A method comprising:

storing in a table a plurality of entries for a packet in a sequence of packets of a message transmitted from a first network to a second network, the entries including a first connection identifier corresponding to the first network and a termination entry indicating that subsequent packets do not contain the first connection identifier, the entries being obtained from a description file of the packet; and

parsing the sequence of packets using the table, the parsing comprising extracting the first connection identifier, and skipping the subsequent packets upon reaching the termination entry.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprises:

translating the first connection identifier into a second connection identifier corresponding to the second network.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein storing comprises:

specifying a message type characterizing the message by at least a message type entry; and

specifying a data type of a subsequent packet in the sequence of packets by at least a data type entry.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least data type entry indicates a location of the first connection identifier in the subsequent packet.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least data type entry comprises the termination entry to indicate that a remaining portion of the sequence of packets does not contain the first connection identifier.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the first connection identifier is one of an address and a port identifier.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the second connection identifier is one of an address and a port identifier.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the first network is one of a private network and a public network.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the second network is one of a private network and a public network.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein the description file is an abstract syntax notation (ASN) file.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the table is generated by an ASN compiler.

23. A computer program product comprising:

a machine useable medium having computer program code embedded therein, the computer program product having;

computer readable program code to store in a table a plurality of entries for a packet in a sequence of packets of a message transmitted from a first network to a second network, the entries including a first connection identifier corresponding to the first network and a termination entry indicating that subsequent packets do not contain the first connection identifier, the entries being obtained from a description file of the packet; and

computer readable program code to parse the sequence of packets using the table, the parser extracting the first connection identifier and skipping the subsequent packets upon reaching the termination entry.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprises:

computer readable program code to translate the first connection identifier into a second connection identifier corresponding to the second network.

25. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein the computer readable program code to store comprises:

computer readable program code to specify a message type characterizing the message by at least a message type entry; and

computer readable program code to specify a data type of a subsequent packet in the sequence of packets by at least a data type entry.

26. The computer program product of claim 25 wherein the at least data type entry indicates a location of the first connection identifier in the subsequent packet.

27. The computer program product of claim 25 wherein the at least data type entry comprises the termination entry.

28. A system comprising:

an end node in a first network to communicate a message to a second network; and

a router coupled to the end node to route the message, the router including a network address translation (NAT) processor, the NAT processor comprising;

a table to store a plurality of entries for a packet in a sequence of packets of the message, the entries including a first connection identifier and a termination entry indicating that subsequent packets do not contain the first connection identifier, corresponding to the fast network, the entries being obtained from a description file of the packet, and

a parser coupled to the table to parse the sequence of packets using the table, the parser extracting the first connection identifier and skipping the subsequent packets upon reaching the termination entry.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the NAT processor filer comprises:

a translator coupled to the parser to translate the first connection identifier into a second connection identifier corresponding to the second network.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the table comprises:

at least a message type entry to specify a message type characterizing the message; and

at least a data type entry to specify a data type of a subsequent packet in the sequence of packets.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the at least data type entry indicates a location of the first connection identifier in the subsequent packet.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein the at least data type entry comprises the termination entry.