Address assignment and data forwarding in computer networks
AssigneeDell Products L.P.
InventorsPremnath Sundarababu, Karthick Selvaraj
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Abstract
When a network host (110H.1) requests an IP address (via DHCP for example), and a candidate IP address is generated, the candidate IP address and the host's MAC address are installed in the ARP table(s) of at least one router present in the host's LAN. If installation is unsuccessful, e.g. due to the ARP table being full or due to a hash collision, the candidate IP address is declined, and another IP address is generated. Other features are also provided.
Claims18
A method performed by a computer entity, for assigning a first protocol address to a first network node, the method comprising the computer entity performing operations of:
- (a) obtaining a first candidate address for the network node, the first candidate address conforming to the first protocol;
- (b) determining, for at least one network forwarding system (NFS) among one or more NFSs each of which is operable as an intermediate system in communicating between the first network node and one or more other network nodes, whether the NFS is operable to install, in its first database, a mapping of the first candidate address to at least one second address conforming to a second protocol;
- (c) assigning or not assigning the first candidate address to the first network node based at least in part on said determining whether at least one NFS is operable to install, in its first database, said mapping from the first candidate address to the second address;
- wherein in operating as an intermediate system, each NFS is operable to forward one or more data packets by performing operations comprising:
- receiving a data packet comprising a first protocol destination address;
- mapping the first protocol destination address to a second protocol destination address;
- and
- forwarding the packet based on the second protocol destination address;
- wherein said mapping of the first protocol destination address to the second protocol destination address comprises:
- searching the NFS's first database for a mapping of the first protocol destination address to an associated second protocol address;
- if said searching is successful, then using the associated second protocol address as the second protocol destination address;
- if said searching is unsuccessful, then transmitting the first protocol destination address in a network communication to determine the second protocol destination address.
A non-transitory computer readable memory comprising computer instructions for execution by a computer system comprising one or more computer processors to cause the computer system to perform a method for assigning a first protocol address to a first network node, the method comprising the computer system performing operations of:
- (a) obtaining a first candidate address for the network node, the first candidate address conforming to the first protocol;
- (b) determining, for at least one network forwarding system (NFS) among one or more NFSs each of which is operable as an intermediate system in communicating between the first network node and one or more other network nodes, whether the NFS is operable to install, in its first database, a mapping of the first candidate address to a second address conforming to a second protocol;
- (c) assigning or not assigning the first candidate address to the first network node based at least in part on said determining whether at least one NFS is operable to install, in its first database, said mapping from the first candidate address to the second address;
- wherein in operating as an intermediate system, each NFS is operable to forward one or more data packets by performing operations comprising:
- receiving a data packet comprising a first protocol destination address;
- mapping the first protocol destination address to a second protocol destination address;
- and
- forwarding the packet based on the second protocol destination address;
- wherein said mapping of the first protocol destination address to the second protocol destination address comprises:
- searching the NFS's first database for a mapping of the first protocol destination address to an associated second protocol address;
- if said searching is successful, then using the associated second protocol address as the second protocol destination address;
- if said searching is unsuccessful, then transmitting the first protocol destination address in a network communication to determine the second protocol destination address.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.