System for converting data based upon IPv4 into data based upon IPv6 to be transmitted over an IP switched network

• US 7,920,589 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2008
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bruno, Aurelien, Galand, Claude, Giroir, Didier, Le Pennec, Jean-Francois
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar; Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones; Prenell P
• Application Number:
  US12/101,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20080192771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 370/217, 370/221, 370/392, 370/225, 370/395, 370/254, 370/231, 370/252, 370/352, 370/469, 370/466, 370/389, 370400-402, 709/220, 709/222, 709/238, 709/236, 713/156, 725/109
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/251 between different IP versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2557 Translation policies or rules
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• 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 69/167 Adaptation for transition between two IP versions, e.g. between IPv4 and IPv6 translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses H04L61/2503

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments provide a method for converting data packets based upon IPv4 protocol into data packets based upon IPv6 protocol, said method comprising converting any data packet based upon the IPv4 protocol into a data packet based upon the IPv6 protocol before transmitting it to an IP switched network using information provided by an external server, and converting any data packet based upon the IPv6 protocol provided by said IP switched network into a data packet based upon the IPv4 protocol before transmitting it to a first or second workstation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6 ) data packet via a Virtual Private Network (VPN), the IPv6 data packet converted from an Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4 ) data packet, wherein the IPv6 data packet comprises a packet header comprising;

a Provider Edge (PE) field storing data corresponding to a PE device;

a VPN identification field storing data related to an IPv4 address that was in a packet header of the IPv4 data packet; and

a location identification field storing data to identify a geographic location of a site;

wherein at least one of the data stored in the VPN identification field and the data stored in the location identification field is identified via an inverse Domain Name Server (DNS) lookup on a DNS server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

validating at least one field of the packet header of the IPv6 data packet.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a verification of the packet header of the IPv6 data packet, rebuilding an original address field via a swap table.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding at least one field of the packet header of the IPv6 data packet.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

via an address resolution protocol request, validating a media access control (MAC) address of a sending device of the IPv4 data packet, the MAC address used in a field of the packet header of the IPv6 data packet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the packet header of the IPv6 data packet comprises a host identification field that identifies a workstation that has transmitted the IPv4 data packet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the packet header of the IPv6 data packet comprises a host identification field that identifies a workstation that has transmitted the IPv4 data packet, the host identification field configured to contain a media access control address of the workstation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the packet header of the IPv6 data packet comprises a provider identification field that identifies a provider that transmits the IPv6 data packet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the packet header of the IPv6 data packet comprises a source IPv4 address that is present in the IPv4 data packet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the packet header of the IPv6 data packet comprises a destination IPv4 address that is present in the IPv4 data packet.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

at least one field of the packet header of the IPv6 data packet is validated via a certificate request on a Certificate Authority server.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

information used to convert the IPv4 data packet to the IPv6 data packet is obtained from a Directory server.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

information used to convert the IPv4 data packet to the IPv6 data packet is obtained from a Route Reflector.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

information used to convert the IPv4 data packet to the IPv6 data packet is obtained from a Network Management tool.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the IPv4 data packet is a Multi Protocol Label Switching protocol packet.

11. A method comprising:

transmitting an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) data packet via a Virtual Private Network (VPN), the IPv6 data packet converted from an Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) data packet, wherein the IPv6 data packet comprises a packet header comprising;

a Provider Edge (PE) field containing data corresponding to a PE device;

a VPN identification field containing data related to an IPv4 address that was in a packet header of the IPv4 data packet; and

a location identification field containing data that identifies a geographic location of a site;

wherein at least one of the data in the VPN identification field and the data in the location identification field that identifies the geographic location of the site is identified via a Whois server.

16. A method comprising:

transmitting an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6 ) data packet via a Virtual Private Network (VPN), the IPv6 data packet converted from an Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) data packet, wherein the IPv6 data packet comprises a packet header comprising;

a Provider Edge (PE) field including information corresponding to a PE device; and

a VPN identification field including information related to an IPv4 address that was in a packet header of the IPv4 data packet;

wherein information used to convert the IPv4 data packet to the IPv6 data packet is obtained from an Address Resolution Protocol Proxy.

18. A system comprising:

a first packet builder between a packet transmitting workstation and an Internet Protocol (IP) switched network, the first packet builder configured to convert an IP version 4 (IPv4) data packet to an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) data packet, the IPv6 data packet transmittable via a Virtual Private Network (VPN), wherein the IPv6 data packet comprises a packet header comprising;

a Provider Edge (PE) field to store data corresponding to a PE device; and

a VPN identification field to store data related to an IPv4 address that was in a packet header of the IPv4 data packet, wherein the VPN identification field is to store data identified via an inverse Domain Name Server (DNS) lookup on a DNS server.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a second packet builder between the IP switched network and a packet receiving workstation, the second packet builder configured to convert the IPv6 data packet to a restored version of the IPv4 data packet.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the first packet builder is integrated into device located at an edge of a provider network.

21. A tangible machine-readable storage medium excluding propagating signals and storing machine readable instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

transmit an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6 ) data packet via a Virtual Private Network (VPN), the IPv6 data packet converted from an Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) data packet, wherein the IPv6 data packet comprises a packet header comprising;

a Provider Edge (PE) field to store data corresponding to a PE device;

a VPN identification field to store data related to an IPv4 address that was in a packet header of the IPv4 data packet; and

a location identification field that identifies a geographic location of a site;

wherein at least one of the VPN identification field and the location identification field is identified via an inverse Domain Name Server (DNS) lookup on a DNS server.