Zero configuration networking
AssigneeMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
InventorsDavid Braun, Sarit Mukherjee, Cuneyt Akinlar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The Routing Information Protocol [RIP] is extended to include a network-wide unique interface identifier [UID] that allows the zeroconfiguration multiple router [R1, R2] network to detect subnet conflicts. Detected conflicts are automatically repaired by the respective routers assigning and advertising new subnet mappings. The extended, Zeroconfiguration Routing Information Protocol [ZRIP] employs a NORMAL/CHANGE status flag associated with each routing table entry to resolve ambiguity between normal routing advertisements and conflict notifications. Address re-mapping and name-to-address resolution is provided to support both network address translation [NAT] and virtualized address paradigms.
Claims29
A method for automatically processing subnet conflicts in a network defined by plural routers, each having interfaces to which segments are connected to support networked communication, comprising:
- identifying all segments connected the interfaces of said routers by assigning a unique interface identifier (UID) value to each segment;
- defining a zero-configuration routing information protocol (ZRIP) data structure that includes a UID structure for storing a UID value;
- establishing a routing table associated with each of said routers, the routing tables being based on said ZRIP protocol and defining routing table entry (RTE) records for storing the subnet mappings of the associated router;
- further defining each of said RTE records to include said UID structure as a data field associated with each of said subnet mappings;
- employing each router to assign subnet mappings to each segment connected to its interfaces and to populate the RTE records of its routing table with said subnet mappings in association with the UID values of each connected segment;
- exchanging RTE records between said routers and employing each router to compare RTE records received during said exchange with the RTE records in its routing table to detect if two or more subnet mappings are the same, whereupon a subnet conflict is declared.
A method for identifying segments on a network without administrative intervention, the method comprising the steps of:
- using a first router to identify a first network segment;
- advertising the identification of the first segment to a second router;
- detecting an address collision at the second router, wherein a second segment has identical identification as the first segment;
- using the second router to inform the first router of the address collision;
- using the first router to change the address of the first segment;
- wherein the first and second segments are uniquely identified.
A method of exchanging information between routers on a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:
- uniquely identifying each segment coupled to a first router in a first sub-network and storing this identification information in a first routing table;
- uniquely identifying each segment coupled to a second router in a second sub-network and storing this identification information in a second routing table;
- connecting the first sub-network to the second sub-network;
- advertising the routes of the first router to the second router, wherein a route of the first router includes information on the path information must travel from the second router to get to a point on a segment coupled to the first router, and wherein these routes are communicated using routing table entries;
- augmenting the second routing table with the routing table entries advertised by the first router;
- detecting an address collision, wherein an address collision takes place if a first point on a first segment coupled to the first router has an identical address as a second point on a second segment coupled to the second router;
- sending a notification from the second router to the first router including the address collision information;
- and
- changing the identification of the first segment on the first router, wherein the new identification is unique throughout the entire network.
A method of identifying a point on a network such that requires no user configuration, the method comprising the steps of:
- randomly selecting a network address for the point;
- broadcasting that address to a second point on the network;
- comparing the address of the second point to the address of the first point;
- broadcasting the results of the comparison to the first node;
- and
- if the address of the first point and the address of the second point are identical, randomly selecting a new network address for the first point.
An apparatus for communicating computer information, the apparatus comprising:
- a computer network;
- a first network node coupled to the computer network, the first node comprising an address selector for randomly selecting a network address, a network broadcaster for broadcasting that address to another network node, and a network receiver for receiving replies from another network node;
- a second network node coupled to the computer network having a unique network address, the second node comprising a network listener for receiving the network address from the first node, an address comparator for comparing the address of the first node to the address of the second node, and a network broadcaster for sending the comparator results to the network listener of the first node.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.