Network address translation
AssigneeCable Television Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsVikas Sarawat, Karthik Sundaresan, Christopher J. Donley, Christopher Grundemann
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Abstract
Address translation sufficient for use in translating addresses included in messages carried or otherwise transmitted between inside and outside network is contemplated. The contemplated address translation may facilitate operation of a network address translator (NAT), carrier grade network address translator (CGN), or other device similarly configured to facilitate translating inside addresses used to address messages carried over the inside network relative to outside addresses used to facilitate carrying messages over the outside network.
Claims20
A network address translation system operable to translate network addresses between inside and outside network addresses, the system comprising:
- a first network address translator (NAT) configured to translate a first plurality of inside addresses associated with a first plurality of messages relative to a first plurality of outside addresses, the first plurality of inside addresses addressing the first plurality of messages over a first inside network, the first plurality of outside addresses addressing the first plurality of messages over an outside network;
- a second NAT configured to translate a second plurality of inside addresses associated with a second plurality of messages relative to a second plurality of outside addresses, the second plurality of inside addresses addressing the second plurality of messages over a second inside network, the second plurality of outside addresses addressing the second plurality of messages over the outside network;
- wherein, in the event the first NAT experiences an overload condition:
- i) the first NAT translates the first plurality of inside addresses of overload messages relative to a second NAT address sufficient to address the overload messages to the second NAT, the overload messages being messages received by the first NAT while the overload condition is being experienced;
- and
- ii) the second NAT translates the second NAT address of the overload messages relative to the second plurality of outside addresses.
- wherein the second NAT translates the second plurality of outside addresses associated with each of a third plurality of responses generated in response to the overload messages to a first NAT address of the first NAT;
- and
- wherein the first NAT translates the first NAT address of the third plurality of responses to the first plurality of inside addresses associated therewith.
A network address translation system operable to translate network addresses between inside and outside network addresses, the system comprising:
- a first network address translator (NAT) configured to translate inside addresses relative to a first plurality of outside addresses, the inside addresses addressing messages when carried over an inside network, the first plurality of outside addresses addressing messages when carried over an outside network;
- a second NAT configured to translate the inside addresses relative to a second plurality of outside addresses, the inside addresses addressing messages when carried over the inside network, the second plurality of outside addresses addressing messages when carried over the outside network;
- and
- wherein, in the event one of the first and second NAT experiences an overload condition (overloaded NAT) and the other one of the first and second NAT is not experiencing an overload condition (non-overloaded NAT):
- i) the overloaded NAT directs overload messages to the non-overloaded NAT for network address translation, the overload messages being messages received by the overloaded NAT while the overload condition is being experienced;
- and
- ii) the non-overloaded NAT translates the inside addresses of the overload messages relative to the second plurality of outside addresses wherein the second NAT translates the second plurality of outside addresses associated with each of a third plurality of responses generated in response to the overload messages to facilitate transmission to the first plurality of inside addresses associated therewith.
The network address translation system of claim 8 wherein the overloaded NAT performs a pass-through to direct the overload messages to the non-overloaded NAT.
The network address translation system of claim 9 wherein the pass-through is performed without the overloaded NAT translating inside address associated with the overload messages prior to receipt by the non-overloaded NAT.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium having non-transitory instructions, operable with a processor, to facilitate translating network addresses between inside and outside network addresses using at least a first network address translator (NAT) and a second NAT, the first NAT translating a first plurality of inside addresses associated with a first plurality of messages relative to a first plurality of outside addresses, the first plurality of inside addresses addressing the first plurality of messages relative when carried over a first inside network, the first plurality of outside addresses addressing the first plurality of messages when carried over an outside network, the second NAT translating a second plurality of inside addresses associated with a second plurality of messages relative to a second plurality of outside addresses, the second plurality of inside addresses addressing the second plurality of messages when carried over a second inside network, the second plurality of outside addresses addressing the second plurality of messages relative when carried over the outside network, the computer-readable medium comprising instructions sufficient for:
- determining an overload condition at the first NAT when the first plurality of outside address is insufficient to facilitate translating each of the first plurality of messages relative to the first plurality of inside and outside addresses;
- and
- while the overload condition is being experienced, instructing the first NAT to facilitate transmission of the overloaded messages at the second NAT, the overload messages being messages received by the first NAT while the overload condition is being experienced.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.