Dynamic session maintenance for mobile computing devices

• US 7,991,854 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2004
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bahl, Pradeep
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baturay; Alicia
• Application Number:
  US10/804,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20050210150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,692 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-224, 709227-229
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS

Abstract

A framework and method are disclosed for supporting changed addresses by mobile network nodes. Such support is provided through enhancements to the mobile network nodes and utilizes DNS servers, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), and virtual private network (VPN) servers—or their functional equivalents—to dynamically assign a current network address to a mobile node, provide the current network address to an authoritative name server, and thereafter have correspondent nodes update their addresses for the mobile node based upon an address provided by the authoritative name server. A mobile node registers all of its name-to-address mappings with its authoritative DNS server using a time to live of zero. Furthermore, when a mobile node moves outside its home security domain, the mobile node initiates a virtual private network connection to a virtual private server for a security domain.

Claims

1. A method implemented at least in part by a mobile node, the method comprising:

creating a connection to a correspondent node and communicating from the mobile node to the correspondent node over the connection, while the mobile node is at a first address;

connecting to a network location;

receiving, in response to connecting to the network location, a second address differing from the first address;

registering the second address with an authoritative name server without using a home agent, wherein the registering comprises;

specifying the second address for the mobile node; and

specifying a supplementary value configured to prevent the second address from being cached within one or more non-authoritative name servers;

issuing a first binding update to the correspondent node, wherein a specified destination address for the first binding update specifies a first correspondent node address;

registering, in response to issuing the first binding update, a binding update failure with regard to the first binding update issued to the correspondent node at the first correspondent node address;

issuing a naming query requesting a current address of the correspondent node;

receiving a naming query response to the naming query including a second correspondent node address for the correspondent node that differs from the first correspondent node address;

issuing a second binding update to the correspondent node, wherein a specified destination address for the second binding update specifies the second correspondent node address;

receiving, at the mobile node while at the second address, a communication from the correspondent node that indicates that a destination of the communication is the second address;

replacing the destination address of the communication with the first address such that the destination of the communication is the first address; and

making the communication available to a client program executing on the mobile node.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the mobile node, a binding update acknowledgement from the correspondent node; and

restoring a disrupted connection between the mobile node and correspondent node.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the network location resides outside a home network of the mobile node, and wherein the method further comprises:

establishing a tunnel connection between the mobile node and a virtual private network server; and

receiving, by the mobile node, a local network address specified by the virtual private network server, wherein the second address corresponds to the local network address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network location resides outside of a home network of the mobile node, the method further comprising initiating, by the mobile node, a binding connection through a rendezvous server residing outside the home network.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein specifying the supplementary value comprises specifying a time-to-live (TTL) value of zero.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the authoritative name server comprises a domain name system (DNS) server.

7. One or more computer storage media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, are configured to cause the computing device to implement a method comprising:

creating a connection from a mobile node to a correspondent node and communicating from the mobile node to the correspondent node over the connection, while the mobile node is at a first address and the correspondent node is at a third address;

detecting, while a communication session is open, that a second address differing from the first address has been assigned to the mobile node, the first address being previously registered with an authoritative name server as being associated with the mobile node;

connecting to a network location;

receiving, in response to connecting to the network location, the second address;

registering the second address with the authoritative name server without using a home agent, wherein the registering comprises;

specifying the second address for the mobile node; and

specifying a supplementary value configured to prevent the second address from being cached within one or more non-authoritative name servers;

issuing a first binding update to the correspondent node, a specified destination address for the first binding update specifying the third address;

registering a binding update failure with regard to the first binding update issued to the correspondent node at a first correspondent node address;

issuing a naming query requesting a current address of the correspondent node;

receiving the indication from the authoritative name server in response to the naming query;

issuing a second binding update to the correspondent node, wherein a specified destination address for the second binding update specifies a second correspondent node address;

receiving from the authoritative name server an indication that the correspondent node is at a fourth address; and

communicating from the mobile node to the correspondent node over the connection, while the mobile node is at the second address and the correspondent node is at the fourth address.

8. The one or more computer storage media of claim 7 wherein the network location resides outside a home network of the mobile node, the method further comprising:

establishing a tunnel connection between the mobile node and a virtual private network server; and

receiving, by the mobile node, a local network address specified by the virtual private network server, wherein the second address corresponds to the local network address.

9. The one or more computer storage media of claim 7, wherein the network location resides outside of a home network of the mobile node, the method further comprising

initiating, by the mobile node, a binding connection through a rendezvous server residing outside the home network.

10. The one or more computer storage media of claim 7 wherein specifying the supplementary value comprises specifying a time-to-live (TTL) value of zero.

11. The one or more computer storage media of claim 7 wherein the authoritative name server comprises a domain name system (DNS) server.

12. A method implemented at least in part by a mobile node, the method comprising:

creating a connection to a correspondent node and communicating from the mobile node to the correspondent node over the connection, while the mobile node is at a first address;

connecting, with the mobile node, to a network location;

receiving, in response to the connecting, a second address differing from the first address, the first address being previously registered with an authoritative name server;

registering the second address, for the mobile node, with the authoritative name server without using a home agent, wherein the registering comprises;

specifying the second address for the mobile node; and

specifying a supplementary value configured to prevent the second address from being cached within one or more non-authoritative name servers;

issuing, subsequent to registering the second address, a first binding update to the correspondent node, wherein a specified destination address for the first binding update specifies a first correspondent node address;

in response to issuing the first binding update;

registering a binding update failure with regard to the first binding update issued to the correspondent node at the first correspondent node address,

issuing a naming query requesting a current address of the correspondent node,

receiving a naming query response to the naming query including a second correspondent node address for the correspondent node that differs from the first correspondent node address, and

issuing a second binding update to the correspondent node, wherein a specified destination address for the second binding update specifies the second correspondent node address;

receiving, at the mobile node while at the second address, a communication from the correspondent node that indicates that a destination of the communication is the second address;

editing the communication such that the destination is the first address; and

making the communication available to a client program executing on the mobile node.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the network location resides outside a home network of the mobile node, the method further comprising:

establishing a tunnel connection between the mobile node and a virtual private network server; and

receiving, by the mobile node, a local network address specified by the virtual private network server, wherein the second address corresponds to the local network address.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the network location resides outside of a home network of the mobile node, the method further comprising initiating, by the mobile node, a binding connection through a rendezvous server residing outside the home network.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein specifying the supplementary value comprises specifying a time-to-live (TTL) value of zero.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the authoritative name server comprises a domain name system (DNS) server.