Inter private network communications between IPv4 hosts using IPv6

• US 7,277,453 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chin, Kwan Wu, Judge, John Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao; Seema S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Russell; Wanda Z
• Application Number:
  US10/448,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20040240468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 370/466, 370/392, 370/395.5, 370/401, 370/474, 370/475, 709/230
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/659 Internet protocol version 6 [IPv6] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/251 between different IP versions
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]

Abstract

A method (500), a system and a gateway (400) for communicating between hosts in private networks having IPv4 address spaces are disclosed. One or more DNS query messages for resolving resource records are transmitted (502) from a first private network for a remote host in a second private network. One or more DNS replies comprising a private IPv4 address for the remote host are received (504). If the one or more DNS replies comprise a synthesized IPv6 address, the IPv6 address is extracted from the replies and a peer IPv4 address in the first network is allocated for the remote host (508). The IPv6 address comprises a global IPv6 prefix and the private IPv4 address for the remote host. The peer IPv4 address is associated with an extracted IPv6 address for the remote host. The remote host is addressed using the IPv6 address for transmission of IPv4 packets from the first network addressed using the peer IPv4 address (510). The system comprises an application-level gateway of a domain name system (DNS-ALG), a virtual table, and a translator. The gateway comprises the foregoing system and a domain name system (DNS) server.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between IPv4 hosts in networks having private IPv4 address spaces, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting from a first private network one or more DNS queries for a remote IPv4 host in a second private network, said one or more DNS queries containing one or more resource record questions for said remote host name based on information from a requesting private IPv4 host in said first private network;

receiving at said first private network one or more DNS replies from said second private network in response to said one or more DNS queries;

detecting whether said one or more DNS replies comprises a private IPv4 address for said remote host in said second private network;

effecting extracting if said one or more DNS replies comprise a synthesized IPv6 address, said effecting extracting in said first private network said IPv6 address for said remote host from said one or more DNS replies, said synthesized IPv6 address including a global IPv6 prefix and said private IPv4 address for said remote host, and allocating a peer IPv4 address in an address space of said first private network for said remote host, said peer IPv4 address associated with said extracted IPv6 address for said remote host; and

addressing said remote host using said IPv6 address associated with said peer IPv4 address for transmission of IPv4 packets from said first private network addressed using said peer IPv4 address.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein if said one or more DNS replies comprises said private IPv4 address but not a synthesized IPv6 address, the method performs transmitting from said first private network one or more IPv6 address DNS queries for said remote IPv4 host in said second private network, and receiving at said first private network one or more IPv6 address DNS replies from said second private network containing said synthesized IPv6 address.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of constructing an IPv6 address DNS query as one of said DNS queries in response to an IPv4 address DNS query from said requesting private IPv4 host, said remote host name extracted from said IPv4 address DNS query, said step of constructing being effected after the step of detecting.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of allocating an IPv4 to IPv6 address mapping in said first private network for associating said peer IPv4 address with said extracted IPv6 address for said remote host, said step of allocating an IPv4 to IPv6 address being effected after the step of detecting.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of allocating a peer IPv4 to IPv6 address mapping in said second private network, said step of allocating a peer IPv4 to IPv6 address being effected after the step of transmitting.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of determining whether a private address of said queried remote host is registered in a domain name system of said second private network, and if so, returning said synthesized IPv6 address in said one or more DNS replies.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of translating IPv4 packets into IPv6 packets, said step of translating being effected after the step of addressing.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of transmitting said IPv6 packets via an IPv6 global network to said remote host in said second private network.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of transmitting said IPv6 packets via an IPv4 global network using IPv6-over-IPv4 tunneling to said remote host in said second private network, said step of transmitting said IPv6 packets being effected after the step of addressing.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of receiving said one or more DNS queries in said second private network, and transmitting said one or more DNS replies from said second private network, said step of receiving said one or more DNS queries being effected after the step of addressing.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of requesting by a translator an application-level gateway of a DNS (DNS-ALG) for a peer IPv4 address upon receiving a connection from said remote host with a synthesized IPv6 address, said step of requesting being effected after the step of addressing.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of translating IPv6 packets into IPv4 packets in said second private network, said step of translating IPv6 packets into IPv4 packets in said second private network being effected after the step of addressing.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of transmitting said IPv4 packets in said second private network to said remote host.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of requesting by a translator a DNS (DNS-ALG) for a peer IPv4 address upon receiving a connection from a remote host with an IPv6 synthesized address.

15. A system for communicating via a gateway between IPv4 hosts in different networks having private IPv4 address spaces and separated by a global network, said system comprising:

an application-level gateway of a domain name system (DNS-ALG) capable of being coupled to a gateway having a domain name system (DNS) server, said DNS-ALG detecting a need for communications between a first IPv4 host in a first private network and a second IPv4 host in a second private network via said global network using IPv6 packets, said second private network being a different one to said first private network, said DNS-ALG adapted for synthesizing an IPv6 address using a global IPv6 address prefix and a private IPv4 address for said host;

a virtual table coupled to said DNS-ALG for storing a mapping between IPv4 and IPv6 addresses of one of said first and second IPv4 hosts; and

a translator coupled to said virtual table for communication with said DNS-ALG, said translator capable of translating IPv4 addresses to IPv6 addresses and IPv6 addresses to IPv4 addresses, and terminating an IPv6 connection through said gateway.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein a gateway includes a DNS server and said DNS-ALG, said virtual table, and said translator.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein said translator comprises a network address translator adapted to intercept connections for a peer IPv4 address and an IPv6 address and adapted to request said DNS-ALG to obtain a peer address allocation.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein said global network IPv4 addressing, and further comprising a 6to4 mechanism coupled to said translator, IPv6 packets being communicated between said 6to4 mechanism and said translator and IPv4 packets being transmitted between said 6to4 mechanism and said global network.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein a gateway has an associated IPv6 address prefix.

20. A gateway communicating between IPv4 hosts in different networks having private IPv4 address spaces and separated by a global network, said gateway comprising:

a domain name system (DNS) server;

an application-level gateway of a domain name system (DNS-ALG) coupled to said DNS server, said DNS-ALG detecting a need for communications between a first IPv4 host in a first private network and a second IPv4 host in a second private network via said global network using IPv6 packets, said second private network being a different one to said first private network, said DNS-ALG adapted for synthesizing an IPv6 address using a global IPv6 address prefix of said gateway and a private IPv4 address for said host;

a virtual table coupled to said DNS-ALG for storing a mapping between IPv4 and IPv6 addresses of one of said first and second IPv4 hosts; and

a translator coupled to said virtual table for communication with said DNS-ALG, said translator capable of translating IPv4 addresses to IPv6 addresses and IPv6 addresses to IPv4 addresses, and terminating an IPv6 connection through said gateway.

21. The gateway according to claim 20, wherein said translator comprises a network address translator adapted to intercept connections for a peer IPv4 address and an IPv6 address and adapted to request said DNS-ALG to obtain a peer address allocation.

22. The gateway according to claim 20, wherein said global network utilizes IPv4 addressing, and further comprising a 6to4 mechanism coupled to said translator, IPv6 packets being communicated between said 6to4 mechanism and said translator and IPv4 packets being transmitted between said 6to4 mechanism and said global network.