Address tagging for network address translation (NAT) traversal

A computer system operable to send data from a first node to a second node, the computer system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• one or more memory, wherein at least one of the processors and memory are adapted for:
• prior to sending a data packet having a header and a payload for an application that requires an IP address to be embedded in the payload, generating the data packet to include (i), in the header, a tag that is adjacent to the IP address that is required by the application whereby the header and
• (ii), in the payload, the same tag as a replacement for the IP address that is required by the application such that the IP address is not embedded in the payload;
• and
• sending the data packet with the header including the tag and the adjacent IP address and the payload including the same tag as a replacement to the IP address that is required by the application such that the IP address is not embedded in the payload, wherein the tag comprises an application type field that identifies the application that uses the IP address and a tag field and wherein the application type field is adjacent to the tag field in the payload.

A computer program product for sending data from a first node to a second node, the computer program product comprising:

• at least one computer readable medium;
• computer program instructions stored within the at least one computer readable product configured for:
• prior to sending a data packet having a header and a payload for an application that requires an IP address to be embedded in the payload, generating the data packet to include (i), in the header, a tag that is adjacent to the IP address that is required by the application whereby the header and
• (ii), in the payload, the same tag as a replacement for the IP address that is required by the application such that the IP address is not embedded in the payload;
• and
• sending the data packet with the header including the tag and the adjacent IP address and the payload including the same tag as a replacement to the IP address that is required by the application such that the IP address is not embedded in the payload, wherein the tag comprises an application type field that identifies the application that uses the IP address and a tag field and wherein the application type field is adjacent to the tag field in the payload.

An apparatus for sending data from a first node to a second node, comprising:

• means for prior to sending a data packet having a header and a payload for an application that requires an IP address to be embedded in the payload, generating, by the first node, the data packet to include (i), in the header, a tag that is adjacent to the IP address that is required by the application whereby the header and
• (ii), in the payload, the same tag as a replacement for the IP address that is required by the application such that the IP address is not embedded in the payload;
• and
• means for sending, by the first node, the data packet with the header including the tag and the adjacent IP address and the payload including the same tag as a replacement to the IP address that is required by the application such that the IP address is not embedded in the payload, wherein the tag comprises an application type field that identifies the application that uses the IP address and a tag field and wherein the application type field is adjacent to the tag field in the payload.

A method of translating data sent from a first node to a second node, comprising:

• receiving, by a translation device, a data packet having a header and a payload for an application that requires an IP address to be embedded in the payload, whereby the data packet includes (i), in the header, a tag, wherein the tag comprises of an application type field and a tag field, that is adjacent to the IP address that is required by the application and (ii), in the payload, the same tag comprises of an application type field and a tag field, as a replacement for the IP address that is required by the application such that the IP address is not embedded in the payload;
• translating, by a translation device, the IP address only in the header and not searching the payload for the IP addresses or translating such IP address in the payload, even though the application for which such data packet was generated requires the IP address to be embedded in the payload;
• and
• forwarding, by a translation device, the translated data packet towards its destination.

A computer system operable to translate data sent from a first node to a second node, the computer system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• one or more memory, wherein at least one of the processors and memory are adapted for:
• receiving a data packet having a header and a payload for an application that requires an IP address to be embedded in the payload, whereby the data packet includes (i), in the header, a tag, wherein the tag comprises of an application type field and a tag field, that is adjacent to the IP address that is required by the application and (ii), in the payload, the same tag comprises of an application type field and a tag field, as a replacement for the IP address that is required by the application such that the IP address is not embedded in the payload;
• translating the IP address only in the header and not searching the payload for the IP addresses or translating such IP address in the payload, even though the application for which such data packet was generated requires the IP address to be embedded in the payload;
• and
• forwarding the translated data packet towards its destination.

A computer program product for translating data sent from a first node to a second node, the computer program product comprising:

• at least one computer readable medium;
• computer program instructions stored within the at least one computer readable product configured for:
• receiving a data packet having a header and a payload for an application that requires an IP address to be embedded in the payload, whereby the data packet includes (i), in the header, a tag, wherein the tag comprises of an application type field and a tag field, that is adjacent to the IP address that is required by the application and (ii), in the payload, the same tag comprises of an application type field and a tag field, as a replacement for the IP address that is required by the application such that the IP address is not embedded in the payload;
• translating the IP address only in the header and not searching the payload for the IP addresses or translating such IP address in the payload, even though the application for which such data packet was generated requires the IP address to be embedded in the payload;
• and
• forwarding the translated data packet towards its destination.

An apparatus for translating data sent from a first node to a second node, comprising:

• means for receiving a data packet having a header and a payload for an application that requires an IP address to be embedded in the payload, whereby the data packet includes (i), in the header, a tag, wherein the tag comprises of an application type field and a tag field, that is adjacent to the IP address that is required by the application and (ii), in the payload, the same tag comprises of an application type field and a tag field, as a replacement for the IP address that is required by the application such that the IP address is not embedded in the payload;
• means for translating the IP address only in the header and not searching the payload for the IP addresses or translating such IP address in the payload, even though the application for which such data packet was generated requires the IP address to be embedded in the payload;
• and
• means for forwarding the translated data packet towards its destination.

A method of processing data sent from a first node to a second node, comprising:

• receiving, by a second node, a data packet having a header and a payload for an application that requires an IP address to be embedded in the payload;
• when it is determined that the header includes a tag that is adjacent to the IP address that is required by the application and that the payload includes the same tag as a replacement for the IP address that is required by the application such that the IP address is not embedded in the payload, replacing at least a portion of the tag in the payload with the IP address from the header that is associated with the tag, wherein the tag comprises an application type field that identifies the application that uses the IP address and a tag field and wherein the application type field is adiacent to the tag field in the payload;
• and
• processing, by a second node, the IP address of the payload after at least a portion of the tag has been replaced with such IP address.

A computer system operable to process data sent from a first node to a second node, the computer system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• one or more memory, wherein at least one of the processors and memory are adapted for:
• receiving a data packet having a header and a payload for an application that requires an IP address to be embedded in the payload;
• when it is determined that the header includes a tag that is adjacent to the IP address that is required by the application and that the payload includes the same tag as a replacement for the IP address that is required by the application such that the IP address is not embedded in the payload, replacing at least a portion of the tag in the payload with the IP address from the header that is associated with the tag, wherein the tag comprises an application type field that identifies the application that uses the IP address and a tag field and wherein the application type field is adiacent to the tag field in the payload;
• and
• processing the IP address of the payload after at least a portion of the tag has been replaced with such IP address.

A computer program product for processing data sent from a first node to a second node, the computer program product comprising:

• at least one computer readable medium;
• computer program instructions stored within the at least one computer readable product configured for:
• receiving a data packet having a header and a payload for an application that requires an IP address to be embedded in the payload;
• when it is determined that the header includes a tag that is adjacent to the IP address that is required by the application and that the payload includes the same tag as a replacement for the IP address that is required by the application such that the IP address is not embedded in the payload, replacing at least a portion of the tag in the payload with the IP address from the header that is associated with the tag, wherein the tag comprises an application type field that identifies the application that uses the IP address and a tag field and wherein the application type field is adiacent to the tag field in the payload;
• and
• processing the IP address of the payload after at least a portion of the tag has been replaced with such IP address.

An apparatus for processing data sent from a first node to a second node, comprising:

• means for receiving a data packet having a header and a payload for an application that requires an IP address to be embedded in the payload;
• means for replacing at least a portion of the tag in the payload with the IP address from the header that is associated with the tag, wherein the tag comprises an application type field that identifies the application that uses the IP address and a tag field and wherein the application type field is adiacent to the tag field in the payload, when it is determined that the header includes a tag that is adjacent to the IP address that is required by the application and that the payload includes the same tag as a replacement for the IP address that is required by the application such that the IP address is not embedded in the payload;
• and
• processing the IP address of the payload after at least a portion of the tag has been replaced with such IP address.

A computer system operable to forward data from a first node to a second node, the computer system comprising:

• a first node configured for:
• prior to sending a data packet having a header and a payload for an application that requires an IP address to be embedded in the payload, generating the data packet to include (i), in the header, a tag that is adjacent to the IP address that is required by the application whereby the header and
• (ii), in the payload, the same tag as a replacement for the IP address that is required by the application such that the IP address is not embedded in the payload;
• and
• sending the data packet with the header including the tag and the adjacent IP address and the payload including the same tag as a replacement to the IP address that is required by the application such that the IP address is not embedded in the payload, wherein the tag comprises an application type field that identifies the application that uses the IP address and a tag field and wherein the application type field is adjacent to the tag field in the payload:
• a translation device configured for:
• receiving the data packet sent by the first node;
• translating an IP address or port only in the header and not searching the payload for any embedded IP addresses or translating any IP addresses in the payload;
• and
• forwarding the translated data packet towards its destination.