Method and system for identifying embedded addressing information in a packet for translation between disparate addressing systems

• US 7,215,669 B1
• Filed: 12/04/2002
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rao, Satyanarayana B.
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Doris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hyun; Soon D.
• Application Number:
  US10/310,566
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2517 using port numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2564 for a higher-layer protocol, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2585 through application level gateway [ALG]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function

Abstract

Embedded addressing information is identified in a packet by providing a database including a plurality of records. Each record is operable to identify a packet having embedded addressing information and the embedded addressing information in the packet. Packets are compared to the database records to determine whether the packets include embedded addressing information. In response to determining that a packet includes embedded addressing information, the embedded addressing information is identified in the packet for translation between disparate addressing systems.

Claims

1. A method for identifying embedded addressing information in a packet payload of a packet for translation between disparate addressing systems, comprising:

providing a database including a plurality of records identifying a packet having embedded addressing information and the embedded addressing information in the packet;

determining, using the database, that the packet carries the embedded addressing information in the packet payload;

comparing at least a portion of the packet, including the packet payload, to the records in the database to determine whether the packet includes embedded addressing information; and

in response to determining a packet includes embedded addressing information, identifying the embedded addressing information in the packet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each record comprises:

protocol information of the packet;

port information of the packet;

a keyword associated with the packet; and

offset information indicating a location of the embedded addressing information in the packet payload.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the embedded addressing information in the packet comprises identifying the embedded addressing information using the offset information in the record.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining that the packet is a type that is operable to carry the embedded addressing information comprises using the protocol information and the port information to determine that the packet carries the embedded addressing information.

5. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

after identifying the embedded addressing information in the packet, extracting the identified embedded addressing information from the packet;

translating the extracted addressing information from a private address to a public address; and

embedding the translated addressing information into the packet.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein comparing at least a portion of the packet, including the packet payload, to the records in the database comprises comparing the keyword in the record and a same keyword in the packet payload, and determining that the keyword and the same keyword are equal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the records are stored within a table in the database.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is provided at a translation point and each packet received at the translation point is compared to the records in the database to determine whether the packet includes embedded addressing information.

9. The method of claim 1, and further comprising permitting identification of embedded addressing information in a new packet by updating the database to include a new record identifying the new packet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is updated to include the new record by user interface (UI) commands.

11. A method for identifying embedded addressing information in a packet payload of a packet for translation between disparate addressing systems, comprising:

providing a database including a plurality of records identifying a packet having embedded addressing information and the embedded addressing information in the packet;

determining, using the database, that the packet carries the embedded addressing information in the packet payload;

comparing at least a portion of the packet, including the packet payload, to the records in the database to determine whether the packet includes embedded addressing information; and

in response to determining a packet includes embedded addressing information, identifying the embedded addressing information in the packet;

wherein each of the records comprises,

protocol information of the packet,

port information of the packet,

a keyword associated with the packet, and

offset information indicating a location of the embedded addressing information in the packet payload;

wherein identifying the embedded addressing information in the packet comprises identifying the embedded addressing information using the offset information in the record;

wherein determining that the packet carries the embedded addressing information comprises using the protocol information and the port information to determine that the packet carries the embedded addressing information;

wherein comparing at least a portion of the packet, including the packet payload, to the records in the database comprises comparing the keyword in the record and a same keyword in the packet payload, and determining that the keyword and the same keyword are equal.

12. The method of claim 11, and further comprising:

after identifying the embedded addressing information in the packet, extracting the identified embedded addressing information from the packet;

translating the extracted addressing information from a private address to a public address; and

embedding the translated addressing information into the packet.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the records are stored within a table in the database.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the database is provided at a translation point and each packet received at the translation point is compared to the records in the database to determine whether the packet includes embedded addressing information.

15. The method of claim 11, and further comprising permitting identification of embedded addressing information in a new packet by updating the database to include a new record operable to identify the new packet.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the database is updated to include the new record by user interface (UI) commands.

17. An apparatus for identifying embedded addressing information in a packet payload of a packet, comprising:

a program stored on a computer readable medium and operable, when executed on a processor, to;

access a database including a plurality of records identifying a packet having embedded addressing information and the embedded addressing information in the packet;

determine, using the database, that the packet carries the embedded addressing information in the packet payload;

compare at least a portion of the packet, including the packet payload, to the records in the database to determine whether the packet includes embedded addressing information; and

in response to a determination that a packet includes embedded addressing information, identify the embedded addressing information in the packet.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein each record comprises:

protocol information of the packet;

port information of the packet;

a keyword associated with the packet; and

offset information indicating a location of the embedded addressing information in the packet payload.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the program is operable to identify the embedded addressing information in the packet by identifying the embedded addressing information using the offset information in the record.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein determining that the packet is a type that is operable to carry the embedded addressing information comprises using the protocol information and the port information to determine that the packet is the type that is operable to carry the embedded addressing information.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the program is further operable to:

extract the identified embedded addressing information from the packet after identifying the embedded addressing information in the packet;

translate the extracted addressing information from a private address to a public address; and

embed the translated addressing information into the packet.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the program is operable to compare at least a portion of the packet, including the packet payload, to the record in the database by comparing the keyword in the record and a same keyword in the packet payload, and determining that the keyword and the same keyword are equal.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the records are stored within a table in the database.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the program is further operable to permit identification of embedded addressing information in a new packet by updating the database to include a new record identifying the new packet.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the program is further operable to update the database to include the new record by user interface (UI) commands.

26. An apparatus for identifying embedded addressing information in a packet payload of a packet for translation between disparate addressing systems, comprising:

means for identifying a packet having embedded addressing information and the embedded addressing information in the packet; and

means for determining that the packet carries the embedded addressing information in the packet payload, comparing at least a portion of the packet, including the packet payload, to records in a database to determine whether the packet includes embedded addressing information, and identifying the embedded addressing information in the packet in response to a determination that a packet includes embedded addressing information.