Apparatus and methods for providing communication between systems having different protocol versions

• US 7,340,746 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2003
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Deshpande, Sachin G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Van H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VERDI, KIMBLEANN C
• Application Number:
  US10/637,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20050034131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,671 Days
• Field of Search: 719/310, 719/313, 719/328, 709/200, 709/203, 709/220, 709/223, 709/227, 709/228, 709/230, 709/236, 709/238, 709/245, 709/249, 709/250, 703/2, 703/27, 370/392, 370/401, 370/464, 370/466
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system for enabling an IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) application to communicate across a computer network with an IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) system. The system includes a computing device and executable instructions. Executable instructions are configured to make a function call to an IPv4 socket Application Programming Interface (API). The instructions translate the function call to a translated function call wherein the translated function call uses raw sockets. Another function call is made to the IPv4 socket API for the translated function call that uses raw sockets. A packet is passed to an IPv4 stack.

Claims

1. A method for a computer system for providing communication between a first system and a second system, wherein the first system uses IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) and the second system uses IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6), the method comprising:

providing an IPv4 application on the first system;

inserting an Application Programming Interface (API) level translator layer, wherein the API level translator layer is implemented without using an IPv6 stack;

making a function call to a socket API for IPv4;

intercepting the function call by the API level translator layer, wherein interception of the function call is not required to occur after a packet is passed to an IPv4 stack;

translating the function call to a translated function call wherein the translated function call uses raw sockets;

making a function call to the socket API for the translated function call that uses raw sockets;

setting the socket option on a raw socket to supply new IP headers;

passing the packet to the IPv4 stack;

providing an alternate implementation for a sending-related IPv4 socket function, wherein the alternate implementation comprises;

intercepting an IPv4 socket API call to send a packet;

translating the IPv4 socket API call to use a raw socket;

providing transport and IPv6 headers ahead of user supplied payload data;

fragmenting the packet as required;

calling a corresponding IPv4 socket API function for the raw socked; and

passing the packet to the IPv4 stack; and

providing an alternate implementation for a reception-related IPv4 socket function, wherein the alternate implementation comprises;

receiving an incoming packet on a raw socket;

checking a source host to determine the proper destination for the incoming packet as required;

checking a port number for the incoming packet;

stripping transport and IP headers from the incoming packet; and

passing a payload to the IPv4 application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising supplying IP headers only once.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented by inserting an API level translator layer between a socket API layer and a TCP/IPv4 layer.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising passing the packet to a network card driver.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing tunneling of IPv6 packets over IPv4 routing infrastructure.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a Name Resolver service to perform name to address resolution related functions.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the Name Resolver service is configured to run on a separate host that includes an IPv4 stack and an IPv6 stack.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein name to address resolution functions of the Name Resolver service use the IPv6 stack.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the Name Resolver service is further configured to receive a query from the first system, use the address resolution functions to obtain a record and send the record to the first system.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising passing the packet to a network card driver.

11. A set of executable instructions on a computer readable medium for providing communication between an IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) system and an IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) system, the instructions being configured to:

provide an IPv4 application on the IPv4 system;

insert an Application Programming Interface (API) level translator layer, wherein the API level translator layer is implemented without using an IPv6 stack;

make a function call to an IPv4 socket API;

intercept the function call by the API level translator layer, wherein interception of the function call is not required to occur after a packet is passed to an IPv4 stack;

translate the function call to a translated function call wherein the translated function call uses raw sockets;

make another function call to the IPv4 socket API for the translated function call that uses raw sockets;

set the socket option on a raw socket to supply new IP headers;

pass the packet to the IPv4 stack;

provide an alternate implementation for a sending-related IPv4 socket function, wherein the alternate implementation comprises;

intercepting an IPv4 socket API call to send a packet;

translating the IPv4 socket API call to use a raw socket;

providing transport and IPv6 headers ahead of user supplied payload data;

fragmenting the packet as required;

calling a corresponding IPv4 socket API function for the raw socket; and

passing the packet to the IPv4 stack; and

provide an alternate implementation for a reception-related IPv4 socket function, Wherein the alternate implementation comprises;

receiving an incoming packet on a raw socket;

checking a source host to determine the proper destination for the incoming packet as required;

checking a port number for the incoming packet;

stripping transport and IP headers from the incoming packet; and

passing a payload to the IPv4 application.

12. The set of executable instructions of claim 11, further comprising supplying IP headers only once.

13. The set of executable instructions of claim 11, wherein the instructions are implemented by inserting an API level translator layer between a socket API layer and a TCP/IPv4 layer.

14. The set of executable instructions of claim 11, further comprising performing tunneling of IPv6 packets over IPv4 routing infrastructure.

15. The set of executable instructions of claim 11, further comprising passing the packet to a network card driver.

16. A system for enabling an IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) application to communicate across a computer network using an IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) system, the system comprising:

a computing device;

executable instructions executable on the computing device, wherein the executable instructions are configured to;

insert an Application Programming Interface (API) level translator layer, wherein the API level translator layer is implemented without using an IPv6 stack;

make a function call to an IPv4 socket API;

intercept the function call by the API level translator layer, wherein interception of the function call is not required to occur after a packet is passed to an IPv4 stack;

translate the function call to a translated function call wherein the translated function call uses raw sockets;

make another function call to the IPv4 socket API for the translated function call that uses raw sockets;

set the socket option on a raw socket to supply new IP headers;

pass the packet to the IPv4 stack;

provide an alternate implementation for a sending-related IPv4 socket function,

wherein the alternate implementation comprises;

intercepting an IPv4 socket API call to send a packet;

translating the IPv4 socket API call to use a raw socket;

providing transport and IPv6 headers ahead of user supplied payload data;

fragmenting the packet as required;

calling a corresponding IPv4 socket API function for the raw socket; and

passing the packet to the IPv4 stack; and

provide an alternate implementation for a reception-related IPv4 socket function, wherein the alternate implementation comprises;

receiving an incoming packet on a raw socket;

checking a source host to determine the proper destination for the incoming packet as required;

checking a port number for the incoming packet;

stripping transport and IP headers from the incoming packet; and

passing a payload to the IPv4 application.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising an API level translator layer between a socket API layer and a TCP/IPv4 layer.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising performing tunneling of IPv6 packets over IPv4 routing infrastructure.