System, Method, and Computer Program Product For Resolving Addressing In A Network Including A Network Address Translator

A computer implemented method for performing address resolution, comprising the steps of:

• determining by a controller that at least one a first node and a second node of a communication session are behind a network address translator;
• categorizing by the controller a result of the determining step as one of the first node is not behind a network address translator and the second node is behind a network address translator, the first node is behind a first network address translator and the second node is behind a second network address translator, and the first node and the second node are both behind a same network address translator;
• and
• performing address resolution by the controller based on a result of the categorizing step.

A system for performing address resolution, comprising:

• means for determining by a controller that at least one a first node and a second node of a communication session are behind a network address translator;
• means for categorizing by the controller a result of the means for determining as one of the first node is not behind a network address translator and the second node is behind a network address translator, the first node is behind a first network address translator and the second node is behind a second network address translator, and the first node and the second node are both behind a same network address translator;
• and
• means for performing address resolution by the controller based on a result of the means for categorizing.

A device for coordinating network address translation, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a computer readable medium encoded with processor readable instructions that when executed by the processor implement:
• a network address translator detection mechanism configured to determine that a first node is behind a first network address translator and that a second node is behind a second network address translator, and
• an address resolution mechanism configured to determine a first external address for the first node and a second external address for the second node and to provide the first external address to the second node and the second external address to the first node.

A device for coordinating network address translation, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a computer readable medium encoded with processor readable instructions that when executed by the processor implement:
• a translation case determination mechanism configured to characterize a communication session between a first node and a second node as one of:
• case zero when none of the first node and the second node is behind a network address translator,
• case one when the first node is behind a network address translator and the second node is not behind a network address translator,
• case two when the first node is behind a first network address translator and the second node is behind a second network address translator, and
• case three when the first node and the second node are both behind a same network address translator;
• a case one processor configured to determine an external address for the first node and to provide the external address to the second node when the translation case determination mechanism has characterized the communications session as case one;
• a case two processor configured to determine a first external address for the first node and a second external address for the second node and to provide the first external address to the second node and the second external address to the first node when the translation case determination mechanism has characterized the communications session as case two;
• and
• a case three processor configured to cause the first node to communicate with the second node using internal addresses when the translation case determination mechanism has characterized the communications session as case three.

A computer program product, comprising:

• a computer storage medium;
• and
• a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a computer to coordinate network address translation between a first node and a second node in a communication session, the computer program code mechanism having
• a first computer code device configured to determine that the first node is behind a first network address translator and that the second node is behind a second network address translator, and
• a second computer code device configured to determine a first external address for the first node and a second external address for the second node and to provide the first external address to the second node and the second external address to the first node.

A computer program product, comprising:

• a computer storage medium;
• and
• a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a computer to coordinate network address translation between a first node and a second node in a communication session, the computer program code mechanism having
• a first computer code device configured to characterize the communication session between the first node and the second node as one of case zero when none of the first node and the second node is behind a network address translator, case one when the first node is behind a network address translator and the second node is not behind a network address translator, case two when the first node is behind a first network address translator and the second node is behind a second network address translator, and case three when the first node and the second node are both behind a same network address translator;
• a second computer code device configured to determine an external address for the first node and to provide the external address to the second node when the first computer code device has characterized the communications session as case one;
• a third computer code device configured to determine a first external address for the first node and a second external address for the second node and to provide the first external address to the second node and the second external address to the first node when the first computer code device has characterized the communications session as case two;
• and
• a fourth computer code device configured to cause the first node to communicate with the second node to communicate using internal addresses when the first computer code device has characterized the communications session as case three.