Network access device having internetworking driver with active control

• US 7,028,104 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2002
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Luo, Hui, Henry, Paul Shala, Lin, Meng-Ju
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gillis, Brian J.
• Application Number:
  US10/138,099
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 709/205, 709/220, 709/226, 709/229, 709/249, 709/250, 719/315
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/12 Protocol engines
• 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 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A network interface driver embodied in a processor readable medium comprising executable program instructions that, when executed by a processor, independently process internetworking protocols for a host computer (or other network access device) with another computer on a remote network. The driver appears to the operating system as a regular network interface driver, but it can support enhanced kernel-level internetworking protocols by using a state machine to generate, drop, and change incoming and outgoing IP packets in a manner transparent to the operating system.

Claims

1. A network access device including a network interface driver embodied in a processor readable medium comprising executable program instructions that, when executed by a processor, independently process internetworking protocols for the network access device with another device on a remote network, wherein the executable program instructions incorporate a state machine having a plurality of states, each state associated with a plurality of threads and waited events for performing a method on a processor, comprising the steps of:

processing outgoing packets from an operating system associated with the network access device, in at least one of the plurality of states;

processing incoming packets to an access network, in at least one of the plurality of states; and

processing at least one of a plurality of time-out events in at least one of the plurality of states.

2. The network access device recited in claim 1, wherein the processing steps are all instant actions, comprising:

generating a new packet and sending it to the operating system or the access network, dropping a packet received from the operating system or the access network, revising the content of a received packet and then sending it to the operating system or the access network, registering a time-out event with the operating system, and changing the state of the driver.

3. The network access device recited in claim 2, wherein the driver:

obtains a care-of IP address from the access network;

establishes an IP tunnel with a remote home agent with the care-of IP address;

encapsulates IP packets that are communicated to the access network; and

decapsulates IP packets destined for the network access device.

4. The network access device of claim 2, wherein the driver identifies the type of local access network.

5. The network access device of claim 1, wherein the driver is configured as a seven state machine, including:

a Wait-Host-DHCP-Discover State;

a Wait-Local-DHCP-Offer State;

a Wait-Local-DHCP-Ack State;

a Wait-Router-ARP-Reply Slate;

a Wait-Host-DHCP-Request State; and

an Operating State.

6. A network access device, comprising:

a network interface driver embodied in a processor readable medium comprising executable program instructions that, when executed by a processor, independently process internetworking protocols for the network access device with another device on a remote network,

the executable program instructions incorporating a state machine having a plurality of states, each state associated with a plurality of threads and waited events for;

processing outgoing packets from an operating system associated with the network access device, in at least one of the plurality of states;

processing incoming packets to an access network, in at least one of the plurality of states; and

processing at least one of a plurality of time-out events in at least one of the plurality of states.

7. The network access device recited in claim 6, wherein the processing steps are all instant actions, comprising:

generating a new packet and sending it to the operating system or the access network, dropping a packet received from the operating system or the access network, revising the content of a received packet and then sending it to the operating system or the access network, registering a time-out event with the operating system, and changing the state of the driver.

8. A network access device, comprising:

a network interface driver embodied in a processor readable medium comprising executable program instructions that, when executed by a processor, independently process internetworking protocols for the network access device with another device on a remote network,

the executable program instructions incorporating a state machine having a plurality of states, each state associated with a plurality of threads and waited events for;

processing outgoing packets from an operating system associated with the network access device, in at least one of the plurality of states;

processing incoming packets to an access network, in at least one of the plurality of states; and

processing at least one of a plurality of time-out events in at least one of the plurality of states,

wherein, the processing steps are all instant actions, comprising;

generating a new packet and sending it to the operating system or the access network, dropping a packet received from the operating system or the access network, revising the content of a received packet and then sending it to the operating system or the access network, registering a time-out event with the operating system, and changing the state of the driver.