Apparatus and method for NAT/NAPT session management

An apparatus for Network Address Translation (NAT)/Network Address-Port Translation (NAPT) session management used in a switch controller comprising a packet translation module for performing NAT/NAPT of packets, the switch controller being embodied in hardware, the apparatus comprising:

• a translation table, which is coupled to the packet translation module, comprising a plurality of storage locations, wherein each storage location is used to store related information of a NAT/NAPT session, and the related information comprises at least an indication and a connection time;
• a control logic, coupled to the packet translation module and the translation table, accessing the related information, and managing the NAT/NAPT session based on the related information;
• wherein the control logic stores the related information into the translation table, wherein the connection time is equal to a predetermined value of T and the indication shows that the related information is valid, then the control logic increases the connection time by a first value every default unit time and changes the indication to show that the related information is invalid if the connection time reaches a first threshold, and the related information further comprises a Connection bit, whose initial value is false, for indicating if the session is fully established, and if the Connection bit is true, the control logic sets the connection time as a predetermined value of Tlong when the switch controller receives a second packet of the session and SYN, FIN and RST flags of the second packet are not set,
• wherein the NAT/NAPT session uses TCP, and T is equal to a predetermined value of Tfast;
• if the switch controller receives a RST control packet of the session, then the control logic changes the indication to show that the related information is invalid, and
• a register, which is coupled to and accessed by the control logic, storing the predetermined value T, the unit time, the first value, and the first threshold.

An apparatus for Network Address Translation (NAT)/Network Address-Port Translation (NAPT) session management used in a switch controller comprising a packet translation module for performing NAT/NAPT of packets, the switch controller being embodied in hardware, the apparatus comprising:

• a translation table, which is coupled to the packet translation module, comprising a plurality of storage locations, wherein each storage location is used to store related information of a NAT/NAPT session, and the related information comprises at least an indication and a connection time;
• a control logic, coupled to the packet translation module and the translation table, accessing the related information, and managing the NAT/NAPT session based on the related information;
• wherein the control logic stores the related information into the translation table, wherein the connection time is equal to a predetermined value of T and the indication shows that the related information is valid, then the control logic increases the connection time by a first value every default unit time and changes the indication to show that the related information is invalid if the connection time reaches a first threshold, and the related information further comprises a Connection bit, whose initial value is false, for indicating if the session is fully established, and a two-way indication, whose initial value is false, for showing if the switch controller receives one of two-way SYN control packets and two-way FIN control packets;
• if the Connection bit is false, then when the switch controller receives the two-way SYN control packets of the session, the control logic sets both of the two-way indication and the Connection bit as true, and changes the connection time as a predetermined value of Tlong,
• wherein the NAT/NAPT session uses TOP, and T is equal to a predetermined value of Tfast;
• if the switch controller receives a RST control packet of the session, then the control logic changes the indication to show that the related information is invalid, and
• a register, which is coupled to and accessed by the control logic, storing the predetermined value T, the unit time, the first value, and the first threshold.

A switch controller for managing Network Address Translation (NAT)/Network Address-Port Translation (NAPT) sessions, the switch controller being embodied in hardware, comprising:

• a translation table having a plurality of storage locations, wherein each storage location is used to store related information of a NAT/NAPT session, and the related information comprises an indication and a connection time;
• a packet translation module, coupled to the translation table, performing NAT/NAPT of packets;
• a control logic, coupled to the packet translation module and the translation table, accessing the related information, and managing the NAT/NAPT session based on the related information;
• wherein the control logic selecting a predetermined value T, the unit time, the first value and the first threshold based on a protocol which the session uses,
• wherein the control logic stores the related information into the translation table, wherein the connection time is equal to a predetermined value T and the indication shows that the related information is valid, then the control logic increases the connection time by a first value every default unit time and changes the indication to show that the related information is invalid if the connection time reaches a first threshold, and a register, which is coupled to and accessed by the control logic, storing the predetermined value T, the unit time, the first value, and the first threshold.