Maintaining network address translations

• US 9,071,578 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2013
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SSH Communications Security Oyj
• Original Assignee: SSH Communications Security Oyj
• Inventors: Kivinen, Tero, Ylonen, Tatu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cervetti, David Garcia
• Application Number:
  US14/012,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20130346556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 726/14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/663 Transport layer addresses, e.g. aspects of transmission control protocol [TCP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/026 Details of "hello" or keep-alive messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/25 of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2553 Binding renewal aspects, e.g. using keep-alive messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/256 NAT traversal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2564 for a higher-layer protocol, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2575 using address mapping retrieval, e.g. simple traversal of user datagram protocol through session traversal utilities for NAT [STUN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2578 without involvement of the NAT server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• 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 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/165 : Combined use of TCP and UDP protocols; selection criteria therefor

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer-readable media are presented that provide a configuration that sets up and maintains communication connections through the use of Network Address Translation. The configuration includes communicating, by a device, packets from and/or to another device, in which the communication involves a network address translation, and maintaining the network address translation by transmitting, by the device, packets using the network address translation frequently enough to prevent any intermediate device from deleting a mapping for the network address translation from a cache of the intermediate device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

communicating, by a device, packets from and/or to another device, wherein the communication involves a network address translation; and

maintaining the network address translation by transmitting, by the device, packets using the network address translation frequently enough to prevent any intermediate device from deleting a mapping for the network address translation from a cache of the intermediate device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the packets are other packets than specific keepalive packets.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the packets are data packets.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the packets are User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the packets are other UDP packets than specific keep-alive UDP packets.

6. An apparatus comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to

communicate packets, wherein the communication involves a network address translation;

and

maintain the network address translation by transmitting packets using the network address translation frequently enough to prevent any intermediate device from deleting a mapping for the network address translation from a cache of the intermediate device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the packets are other packets than specific keepalive packets.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the packets are data packets.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the packets are User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the packets are other UDP packets than specific keep-alive UDP packets.

11. A non-transitory computer readable media, comprising program code for causing a processor to perform instructions for

communicating, by a device, packets from and/or to another device, wherein the communication involves a network address translation;

and

maintaining the network address translation by transmitting, by the device, packets using the network address translation frequently enough to prevent any intermediate device from deleting a mapping for the network address translation from a cache of the intermediate device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the packets are other packets than specific keepalive packets.

13. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12, wherein the packets are data packets.

14. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the packets are User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets.

15. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14 wherein the packets are other UDP packets than specific keep-alive UDP packets.