Systems, methods, media, and means for hiding network topology

• US 8,929,360 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Agarwal, Kaitki, Ghai, Rajat
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks Harold, Marsha D
• Assistant Examiner(s): WYLLIE, CHRISTOPHER T
• Application Number:
  US11/939,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20080137686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,610 Days
• Field of Search: 370/245, 370/352, 370/401, 709/213, 709/238, 709/245, 455/445
• US Class Current: 370/356
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/72 Routing based on the source address
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/7453 using hashing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2483 involving identification of individual flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1045 Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/912 Applications of a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/918 Location

Abstract

Systems, methods, media, and means for hiding network topology are provided. In some embodiments, methods for hiding network topology are provided, the methods including: receiving a message including topology information from a sender; removing at least part of the topology information; associating the removed topology information with an identifier; saving the topology information; sending the message to a receiver; receiving a response from the receiver; retrieving the removed topology information based on the identifier; inserting the removed topology information into the response; and sending the response to the sender.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at an intermediate, a message including topology information from a sender in an internal network, the topology information identifying in the internal network at least two network devices between the sender and the intermediate that the message traveled through, wherein the identification of the at least two network devices defines at least part of a network topology of the internal network, the message addressed to a receiver in an external network;

determining whether to remove all of the topology information in the message or only a part of the topology information in the message based at least in part on at last one of an address of the sender, an address of the intermediate, and a type of the topology information;

if the determination is to remove only a part of the topology information, identifying parts of the topology information to remove based at least in part on at least one of the address of the sender, the address of the intermediate, and the type of the topology information;

removing, from the message, the identified at least parts of the topology information, identifying the at least two network devices in the internal network such that the message no longer includes the removed topology information or any variations thereof;

associating the removed topology information with an identifier;

saving the removed topology information;

sending the message to the receiver in the external network;

receiving a response from the receiver;

retrieving the removed topology information based on the identifier;

inserting the removed topology information into the response; and

sending the response to the sender.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting at least part of the topology information; and

decrypting the encrypted topology information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate is a proxy server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate is a Call Session Control Function.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate is a Proxy Call Session Control Function.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate is a Serving Call Session Control Function.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate is an Interrogating Call Session Control Function.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is part of a call session and further comprising:

allocating a memory space in response to an establishment of the call session to store the removed topology information and, if requested, to return the stored topology information based on the identifier; and

deallocating the memory space in response to a termination of the call session.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate is located at a network boundary.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a public user identifier.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the message and the response are in unified messaging mapping (UMM) format.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the topology information is part of a header.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier includes a user identifier.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving at an intermediate a message including topology information from a sender in an internal network, the topology information identifying in the internal network at least two network devices between the sender and the intermediate that the message traveled through, wherein the identification of the at least two network devices defines at least part of a network topology of the internal network, the message addressed to a receiver in an external network;

determining whether to remove all of the topology information in the message or only a part of the topology information in the message based at least in part on at least one of an address of the sender, an address of the intermediate, and a type of the topology information;

if the determination is to remove only a part of the topology information, identifying parts of the topology information to remove based at least in part on at least one of the address of the sender, the address of the intermediate, and the type of the topology information;

removing from the message at least part of the topology information identifying the at least two network devices in the internal network such that the message no longer includes the removed topology information or any variations thereof;

associating the removed topology information with an identifier;

saving the removed topology information;

sending the message to a receiver;

receiving a response from the receiver;

retrieving the removed topology information based on the identifier;

inserting the removed topology information into the response; and

sending the response to the sender.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, the method further comprising:

encrypting at least part of the topology information; and

decrypting the encrypted topology information.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the intermediate is a proxy server.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the intermediate is a Proxy Call Session Control Function.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the intermediate is a Serving Call Session Control Function.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the intermediate is an Interrogating Call Session Control Function.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the message is part of a call session and the method further comprising:

allocating a memory space in response to an establishment of the call session to store the removed topology information and, if requested, to return the stored topology information based on the identifier; and

deallocating the memory space in response to a termination of the call session.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the identifier includes a user identifier.

22. An intermediate apparatus in a network, comprising:

a memory;

an interface; and

a processor in communication with the memory and the interface, wherein the processor;

receives a message including topology information from a sender in an internal network, the topology information identifying in the internal network at least two network devices between the sender and the intermediate apparatus that the message traveled through, wherein the identification of the at least two network devices defines at least part of the network topology of the internal network, the message addressed to a receiver in an external network from the interface;

determines whether to remove all of the topology information in the message or only a part of the topology information in the message based at least in part on at least one of an address of the sender, an address of the intermediate, and a type of the topology information;

if the determination is to remove only a part of the topology information, identifying parts of the topology information to remove based at least in part on at least one of the address of the sender, the address of the intermediate, and the type of the topology information;

removes from the message at least part of the topology information identifying the at least two network devices in the internal network such that the message no longer includes the removed topology information or any variations thereof;

associates the removed topology information with an identifier;

saves the removed topology information in the memory;

sends the message through the interface;

receives a response from the interface;

retrieves the removed topology information from the memory based on the identifier;

inserts the removed topology information into the response; and

sends the response to the through the interface.

23. The intermediate apparatus of claim 22, wherein the intermediate apparatus is a proxy server.

24. The intermediate apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processor further:

encrypts at least part of the topology information; and

decrypts the encrypted topology information.

26. The intermediate apparatus of claim 22, wherein the identifier includes a user identifier.

27. The intermediate apparatus of claim 22, wherein the message is part of a call session and wherein the processor further:

allocates a memory space in response to an establishment of the call session to store the removed topology information and, if requested, to return the stored topology information based on the identifier; and

de-allocates the memory space in response to a termination of the call session.

25. A wireless communication system comprising:

means, responsive to receiving at an intermediate a message including topology information from a sender in an internal network, the topology information identifying in the internal network at least two network devices between the sender and the intermediate that the message traveled through, wherein the identification of the at least two network devices defines at least part of a network topology of the internal network, the message addressed to a receiver in an external network, for determining whether to remove all of the topology information the message or only a part of the topology information in the message based at least in part on at least one of an address of the sender, an address of the intermediate, and a type of the topology information, and if the determination is to remove only a part of the topology information, identifying parts of the topology information to remove based at least in part on at least one of the address of the sender, the address of the intermediate, and the type of the topology information, and for removing from the message at least part of the topology information identifying the at least two network devices in the internal network such that the message no longer includes the removed topology information or any variations thereof;

means for associating the removed topology information with an identifier;

means for saving the removed topology information;

means for sending the message to a receiver;

means, responsive to receiving a response from the receiver, for retrieving the removed topology information based on the identifier;

means for inserting the removed topology information into the response; and

for sending the response to the sender.