IP address version interworking in communication networks

• US 8,811,393 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2010
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Agarwal, Kaitki, Reddy, Naveen
• Primary Examiner(s): O CONNOR, BRIAN T
• Application Number:
  US12/897,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20120082158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/328, 370/331, 370/338, 370/352, 370/389, 370/466, 370/467
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/045 involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for supporting IPv4-IPv6 interworking of SIP messages in wireless networks and IMS networks. The interworking can be provided to smooth migration to an all-IPv6 IMS network by allowing the use and support of existing legacy IPv4 infrastructure. This functionality may be provided by a call session control function (CSCF) interposed between a user equipment (UE) and an IMS core network with interworking functionality or an interworking module. This device serves as a back-to-back user agent (B2BUA), allocates IP addresses from a pool, performs next-hop route protocol discovery, and maintains and stores information within the gateway as well as interworking and rewriting IP addresses within network messages, while proxying and maintaining sessions between the UE and the IMS core network. This allows for faster call setup, reduced capex/opex, improved debuggability, increased capacity and subscriber density by call processing distribution, and better user experience.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor configured for storing state information relating to a session between a mobile node and a remote endpoint on an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network;

a first network interface for communicating with the mobile node via a radio access network;

a second network interface for communicating with the IMS network;

a back-to-back user agent (B2BUA) module for providing session initiation protocol (SIP) services between the mobile node via the first network interface and the IMS network via the second network interface;

a session module configured to receive packet data units (PDUs) from the first network interface and the second network interface and to use an inbound identifier and an outbound identifier with the session; and

an interworking module coupled to the first network interface and the second network interface that is configured to interwork between SIP messages that use an IPv4 protocol and SIP messages that use an IPv6 protocol by replacing addresses compatible with the IPv4 protocol in a SIP protocol header with addresses compatible with the IPv6 protocol, and is configured to use at least one of the inbound identifier and the outbound identifier to match an incoming SIP message to the session, thereby enabling interworking between IPv4 and IPv6 SIP messages

wherein the apparatus comprises a call session control function (CSCF); and

wherein the interworking module is configured to determine whether to perform interworking based on control information stored at the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interworking module is operable to allocate IP addresses from a pool of IP addresses.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus is operable to perform network address translation (NAT) using the pool of IP addresses.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is operable to use the inbound identifier and the outbound identifier to identify a process instance that is currently handling the session.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inbound identifier and the outbound identifier are stored in an outgoing SIP message in a Record-Route header in conjunction with a custom parameter.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the state information is stored in a memory located at a process instance.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein IPv4 packets are received at a first access service at the apparatus, IPv6 packets are received at a second access service at the apparatus, and the first access service forwards SIP messages to the second access service before interworking is performed.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interworking module determines whether to perform interworking using the availability of a domain name system (DNS) AAAA record for a next-hop routing address.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a serving CSCF, the mobile node is a user equipment (UE), and the radio access network is an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (EUTRAN).

10. A method comprising:

receiving a mobility message at a call session control function (CSCF) from a mobile device for communication on an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) network using a first IP protocol version;

determining, at the CSCF, whether to perform interworking of the mobility message before forwarding the mobility message based on control information stored at the CSCF;

if it is determined to perform interworking, interworking the mobility message at the CSCF from the first IP protocol version to a second IP protocol version by substituting, in a SIP protocol header in the mobility message, addresses compatible with the first IP protocol version with addresses compatible with the second IP protocol version;

populating a mapping table with an inbound call leg identifier and an outbound call leg identifier and session information;

storing the inbound call leg identifier and the outbound call leg identifier in the mobility message; and

forwarding the mobility message from the CSCF to a destination using the second IP protocol version,

thereby operating a back-to-back user agent (B2BUA) for the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the control information stored at the CSCF comprises a previously-set flag.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining whether to perform interworking of the mobility message based on the inbound call leg identifier and the outbound call leg identifier previously stored in the mobility message at the CSCF.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the CSCF uses the availability of a domain name system (DNS) AAAA record to determine whether to perform interworking of the mobility message.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the mobility message is a SIP message and the CSCF is a serving-call session control function (S-CSCF).

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions, which when executed by a computer, are configured to cause the computer to:

receive a message associated with a session using a first IP protocol at a first access service at a call session control function (CSCF) connected to an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) network and to a mobile device over a radio access network;

forward the message to a second access service at the CSCF;

set control information to indicate whether interworking is needed for the session;

if the control information indicates that interworking is needed, interwork a session protocol header in the message from the first IP protocol to a second IP protocol at the CSCF using state information relating to a session in a memory at the CSCF by substituting addresses compatible with the first IP protocol with addresses compatible with the second IP protocol;

send the message from the second access service using the second IP protocol;

and thereby operate a back-to-back user agent (B2BUA) for the mobile device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, the instructions being further configured to cause the computer to interwork the session protocol header in the message from the first protocol to the second protocol at the second access service.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, the instructions being further configured to cause the computer to use the state information to identify pre-interworking IP addresses.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the control information comprises a per-session flag.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, the instructions being further configured to allocate an IP address from a predetermined pool of addresses.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first protocol is IPv4 and the second protocol is IPv6, and wherein the CSCF is a serving-call session control function (S-CSCF), and wherein the state information is a custom parameter in an SIP Record-Route header.