MANET with DNS database resource management and related methods

• US 9,185,070 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stingray IP Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: McPhee, Michael Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Jimmy H
• Application Number:
  US13/473,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20130311661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories

Abstract

A network includes a first MANET subnet including a first collector node and first client nodes sending first resource status messages to the first collector node. The first collector node maintains a first DNS database based upon the first resource status messages. The network includes a second MANET subnet including a second collector node and second client nodes sending second resource status messages to the second collector node. The second collector node maintains a second DNS database based upon the second resource status messages. The network includes a transit router node sending updates from the first DNS database to the second collector node, and sending updates from the second DNS database to the first collector node. The first and second collector nodes each maintain and synchronize a combined DNS database from the first and second DNS databases, providing resource availability and status throughout the combined network to their respective clients.

Claims

1. A network comprising:

a first mobile ad hoc network (MANET) subnet comprising a first collector node and a first plurality of client nodes configured to send first resource status messages to said first collector node;

each of said first collector node and said first plurality of client nodes being associated with an Internet Protocol (IP) address and comprising a hardware processor, and a wireless transceiver coupled thereto;

said first collector node configured to maintain a first domain name server (DNS) database based upon the first resource status messages;

a second MANET subnet comprising a second collector node and a second plurality of client nodes configured to send second resource status messages to said second collector node;

each of said second collector node and said second plurality of client nodes being associated with an IP address and comprising a hardware processor, and a wireless transceiver coupled thereto;

said second collector node configured to maintain a second DNS database based upon the second resource status messages; and

a transit router node comprising a hardware processor, and a wireless transceiver coupled thereto, and configured to send an update from the first DNS database to said second collector node, and to send an update from the second DNS database to said first collector node;

said first and second collector nodes each configured to

maintain and synchronize a combined DNS database from the first and second DNS databases and with respective IP addresses for each node therein,

append an identifier address to the respective IP addresses for unique nodes having overlapping IP addresses, and to

inform at least one inquiring node of location and availability of resources based upon the combined DNS database.

2. The network of claim 1 wherein each node of said first and second MANET subnets is configured to duplicate the combined DNS database.

3. The network of claim 2 wherein at least one other node from said first and second pluralities of client nodes is configured to maintain and synchronize the combined DNS database when said first collector node or said second collector node is unavailable.

4. The network of claim 1 wherein said first collector node is configured to send the update for the combined DNS database to said transit router node when a first resource status message is received;

and wherein said second collector node is configured to send the update for the combined DNS database to said transit router node when a second resource status message is received.

5. The network of claim 1 wherein said transit router node is configured to periodically request the update for the combined DNS database from said first and second collector nodes.

6. The network of claim 1 wherein said first and second collector nodes are configured to store a collector node origin value for each node in the combined DNS database.

7. The network of claim 1 wherein each first client node and each second client node are configured to respectively send the first and second resource status messages comprising Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) messages.

8. A network comprising:

a first mobile ad hoc network (MANET) subnet comprising a first collector node and a first plurality of client nodes configured to send first resource status Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) messages to said first collector node;

each of said first collector node and said first plurality of client nodes being associated with an Internet Protocol (IP) address and comprising a hardware processor, and a wireless transceiver coupled thereto;

said first collector node configured to maintain a first domain name server (DNS) database based upon the first resource status XMPP messages;

a second MANET subnet comprising a second collector node and a second plurality of client nodes configured to send second resource status XMPP messages to said second collector node;

each of said second collector node and said second plurality of client nodes being associated with an IP address and comprising a hardware processor, and a wireless transceiver coupled thereto;

said second collector node configured to maintain a second DNS database based upon the second resource status XMPP messages; and

a transit router node comprising a hardware processor, and a wireless transceiver coupled thereto, and configured to send an update from the first DNS database to said second collector node, and to send an update from the second DNS database to said first collector node;

said first and second collector nodes each configured to

maintain and synchronize a combined DNS database from the first and second DNS databases and with respective IP addresses for each node therein,

append an identifier address to the respective IP addresses for unique nodes having overlapping IP addresses, and to

inform at least one inquiring node of location and availability of resources based upon the combined DNS database, each node of said first and second MANET subnets being configured to duplicate the combined DNS database.

9. The network of claim 8 wherein at least one other node from said first and second pluralities of client nodes is configured to maintain and synchronize the combined DNS database when said first collector node or said second collector node is unavailable.

10. The network of claim 8 wherein said first collector node is configured to send the update for the combined DNS database to said transit router node when a first resource status XMPP message is received;

and wherein said second collector node is configured to send the update for the combined DNS database to said transit router node when a second resource status XMPP message is received.

11. The network of claim 8 wherein said transit router node is configured to periodically request the update for the combined DNS database from said first and second collector nodes.

12. The network of claim 8 wherein said first and second collector nodes are configured to store a collector node origin value for each client node in the combined DNS database.

13. A method of operating a network including a first mobile ad hoc network (MANET) subnet comprising a first collector node and a first plurality of client nodes, and a second MANET subnet comprising a second collector node and a second plurality of client nodes, the method comprising:

sending first resource status messages to the first collector node using the first plurality of client nodes;

maintaining a first domain name server (DNS) database based upon the first resource status messages using the first collector node;

sending second resource status messages to the second collector node using the second plurality of client nodes;

maintaining a second DNS database based upon the second resource status messages using the second collector node;

providing an update from the first DNS database to the second collector node, and providing an update from the second DNS database to the first collector node using a transit router node; and

maintaining and synchronizing a combined DNS database from the first and second DNS databases and with respective Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for each node therein, appending an identifier address to the respective IP addresses for unique nodes having overlapping IP addresses, and informing at least one inquiring node of location and availability of resources based upon the combined DNS database using the first and second collector nodes.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising duplicating the combined DNS database with each node of the first and second MANET subnets.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising maintaining and synchronizing the combined DNS database with at least one other node from the first and second pluralities of client nodes when the first collector node or the second collector node is unavailable.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

sending the update for the combined DNS database from the first collector node to the transit router node when a first resource status message is received; and

sending the update for the combined DNS database from the second collector node to the transit router node when a second resource status message is received.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising periodically requesting the update from the transit router node for the combined DNS database from the first and second collector nodes.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising storing a collector node origin value for each client node in the combined DNS database with the first and second collector nodes.