Method and system for dual-network address utilization

• US 6,708,219 B1
• Filed: 10/26/1999
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Grabelsky, David, Borella, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason D.
• Application Number:
  US09/426,614
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• Field of Search: 709/245, 709/246, 709/228, 709/230, 340/3.5, 340/3.53, 340/3.54, 370/389, 370/392, 370/393, 370/400
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• 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 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 61/2542 involving dual-stack hosts
• 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

The methods and system described herein help the transition from Internet Protocol version-4 (“IPv4”) networks to Internet Protocol version-6 (“IPv6”) networks. Dual address allocation of IPv4 and/or IPv6 network addresses is provided via a dual protocol stack. Network devices may communicate with legacy IPv4 networks while using IPv6 network addresses on an IPv6 network for local communications. IPv6 over IPv4 remote virtual tunnels are used to allow network devices using IPv6 network addresses on a local IPv6 network to communicate with remote IPv6 networks over IPv4 public networks IPv4 over IPv6 local virtual tunnels may be used to allow network devices to using IPv4 network addresses on a local IPv6 network to communicate with remote IPv4 public networks. The IPv4 addresses allocated include IPv4 addresses that may be allocated and used for Distributed Network Address Translation (“DNAT”) and/or the Realm Specific Internet Protocol (“RSIP”).

Claims

1. A method for dual network address utilization, comprising the steps of:

receiving an data packet in a dual protocol stack on a first network device on a local first network for a second network device on a remote second network, wherein the local first network uses X-bit network addresses, the remote second network uses X-bit network addresses and the local first network is connected to the remote second network by a third network that uses Y-bit network addresses;

determining from the dual protocol stack whether the data packet will use an X-bit network address, and if so,

selecting a first portion of the dual protocol stack including networking protocols using X-bit network addresses,

adding a header with an X-bit network addresses to the data packet,

transmitting the data packet to a local virtual tunnel gateway on the local first network using the X-bit network addresses, wherein the local virtual tunnel gateway adds a remote virtual tunnel header with Y-bit network addresses and transmits the data packet to the second network device on the remote second network over a remote virtual tunnel via the third network that uses Y-bit network addresses;

determining from the dual protocol stack whether the data packet will use an X-bit network addresses, and if not,

selecting a second portion of the dual protocol stack including networking protocols using Y-bit network addresses,

adding a header with a Y-bit addresses to the data packet,

adding a local virtual tunnel header with X-bit network addresses to the data packet,

transmitting the data packet to the virtual tunnel gateway over a local virtual tunnel using the X-bit network addresses in the virtual tunnel header,

removing the X-bit tunnel header on the local virtual tunnel gateway, and

transmitting the data packet from the local virtual tunnel gateway on the local first network to the second network device on the remote second network over the third network using the Y-bit network addresses in the data packet.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the third network includes an Internet Protocol version-4 network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the third network is the Internet.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the Y-bit network address includes any of a Y-bit Distributed Network Address Translation or a Realm Specific Internet Protocol network address.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the Y-bit network address includes a combination network address including a common public Internet Protocol version-4 address and a locally unique port used for Distributed Network Address Translation or Realm Specific Internet Protocol to uniquely identify the first network device.

6. A computer readable medium have stored therein instructions for causing a central processing unit to execute the method of claim 1.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the local first network and the remote second network include any of Internet Protocol version-6 subnets or dual Internet Protocol version-4/Internet Protocol version-6 subnets.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the X-bit network address includes a 128-bit Internet Protocol version-6 network address and the Y-bit network address includes a 32-bit Internet Protocol version-4 network address.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first portion of the protocol stack includes an Internet Protocol version-6 portion of the protocol stack and the second portion of the protocol stack is an Internet Protocol version-4 portion of the protocol stack.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first network device and the second network device include any of a computer, printer, personal digital assistant or telephone.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a data packet on a remote virtual tunnel gateway on the remote second network with a virtual tunnel header including Y-bit network addresses;

removing the virtual tunnel header on the remote virtual tunnel gateway;

transmitting the data packet to the second network device using X-bit network addresses from a header in the data packet, wherein the remote second network uses X-bit network addresses for data packets.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the data packet with a header including Y-bit network addresses on a remote virtual tunnel gateway on the remote second network;

adding a virtual tunnel header with X-bit network addresses to the data packet on the remote virtual tunnel gateway;

transmitting the data packet to the second network device using the X-bit network addresses in the tunnel header, wherein the remote second network uses X-bit network addresses for data packets and the data packet includes a header with Y-bit network addresses.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the networking protocols of the dual protocol stack include any of Internet Protocol version-4 or Internet Protocol version-6.

14. A dual network address utilization system, comprising in combination:

a dual protocol stack, wherein the dual protocol stack includes a first portion for networking protocols using X-bit network addresses and a second portion for networking protocols using Y-bit network addresses;

a plurality of network devices including the dual protocol stack;

a local network using X-bit network addresses;

a remote network using X-bit network addresses;

an intermediate network using Y-bit network addresses;

a virtual tunnel gateway for adding a remote tunnel header for a remote virtual tunnel for a data packet with a header including X-bit network addresses sent from a local network device on a local network using X-bit network addresses across an intermediate network using Y-bit network addresses to a remote network device on a remote network using X-bit network addresses for removing a local tunnel header including X-bit network addresses for a data packet with a header including Y-bit network addresses, and for transmitting the data packet with the header including Y-bit network address across the intermediate network using Y-bit network addresses.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the Y-bit network address includes any of a Y-bit Distributed Network Address Translation or a Realm Specific Internet Protocol network address.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the Y-bit network address includes a combination network address including a common public Internet Protocol version-4 address and a locally unique port used for Distributed Network Address Translation or Realm Specific Internet Protocol to uniquely identify the first network device.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the X-bit network address is a 128-bit Internet Protocol version-6 network address and the Y-bit network address is a 32-bit Internet Protocol version-4 network address.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the plurality of network devices include any of a computers, printers, personal digital assistants or telephones.

19. A method for dual network address utilization, comprising the steps of:

receiving an data packet in a dual Internet Protocol stack on a first network device on a local Internet Protocol network for a second network device on a remote Internet Protocol network, wherein the local Internet Protocol network uses 128-bit Internet Protocol version-6 addresses, the remote second network uses 128-bit Internet Protocol Network addresses and the local Internet Protocol network is connected to the remote Internet Protocol network by a third Internet Protocol network that uses 32-bit Internet Protocol addresses;

determining from the dual Internet Protocol stack whether the data packet will use a 128-bit Internet Protocol version-6 address, and if so,

selecting a first portion of the dual Internet Protocol stack using 128-bit Internet Protocol version-6 addresses,

adding a header to the data packet including a 128-bit Internet Protocol version-6 network addresses,

transmitting the data packet to a local virtual tunnel gateway on the local Internet Protocol network using the header with 128-bit Internet Protocol version-6 network addresses, wherein the local virtual tunnel gateway adds a remote virtual tunnel header including 32-bit Internet Protocol version-4 network addresses and transmits the data packet to the second network-device on the remote Internet Protocol network over a remote virtual tunnel via the third Internet Protocol network that uses 32-bit Internet Protocol version-4 addresses;

determining from the dual Internet Protocol stack whether the data packet will use a 128-bit Internet Protocol version-6 address, and if not,

selecting a second portion of the dual Internet Protocol stack using 32-bit Internet Protocol version-4 addresses,

adding a header to the data packet including 32-bit Internet Protocol version-4 network addresses,

adding a virtual tunnel header to the data packet including 128-bit Internet Protocol version-6 network addresses,

transmitting the data packet in a local virtual tunnel to the local virtual tunnel gateway using the 128-bit Internet Protocol addresses version-6 in the virtual tunnel header,

removing the virtual tunnel header with the 128-bit Internet Protocol addresses version-6 on the local virtual tunnel gateway, and

transmitting the data packet from the local virtual tunnel gateway on the local Internet Protocol network to the second network device on the remote Internet Protocol network over the third Internet Protocol network using the 32-bit Internet Protocol version-4 addresses in the data packet.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the 32-bit Internet Protocol network address includes any of a 32-bit Internet Protocol version-4 Distributed Network Address Translation network address or a Realm Specific Internet Protocol network address.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the 32-bit Internet Protocol network address includes a combination network address with a common public Internet Protocol version-4 address and a locally unique port used for Distributed Network Address Translation or Realm Specific Internet Protocol to uniquely identify the first network device.

22. A computer readable medium have stored therein instructions for causing a central processing unit to execute the method of claim 19.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the third Internet Protocol Network is the Internet.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the local Internet Protocol network and the remote Internet Protocol network include dual Internet Protocol version-4/Internet Protocol version-6 subnets.