Method of and system for support of user devices roaming between routing realms by a single network server

A network server for provisioning multiple Local Area Networks (LANs), the network server comprising:

• a client entry store configured to store records representing a user device connecting to the LAN provisioned by the network server as a roaming visitor of the LAN to gain temporal access to an outside network through the LAN, the LAN having multiple routing realms, the client entry store further configured to store records representing one or more routing realm top-level devices provided on a top level of each routing realm;
• a packet driver module configured to inspect packets arriving from and directed to the user device, and to interact with the client entry store to process the packets;
• and
• a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) request handler configured to examine data in DHCP packets received from the user device and the records in the client entry store,
• wherein at least one of the packet driver module and the DHCP request handler detects roaming between routing realms by the user device based on the data of the packets and the records in the client entry store, and the DHCP request handler, in response to the detection of roaming by the user device, assigns to the user device a new Internet Protocol IP address suitable to a routing realm top-level device of a routing realm into which the user device has roamed,
• the new IP address is assigned, the records representing the user device include a new record having the new IP address and a device address of the routing realm top-level device through which the user device is currently connecting to the network server,
• the packet driver module comprises:
• a packet inspection handler configured to inspect headers of a received packet to obtain address information and a LAN identification of the received packet;
• a client record handler configured to search records in the client entry store for a corresponding record based on the address information;
• and
• a VLAN roaming handler configured to detect VLAN roaming by the user device across the VLANs provisioned by the network server, based on the address information and LAN identification of the received packet and the corresponding record, and
• the DHCP request handler comprises:
• a DHCP packet data handling unit configured to obtain address data in a received DHCP packet;
• a client record handling unit configured to search records in the client entry store for a corresponding record based on the address data;
• a VLAN roaming handling unit configured to determine a VLAN identification of the received packet based on the address data of the received DHCP packet and records, each of which records represents a top-level device provided on a top level of each LAN, and detecting VLAN roaming by the user device across the VLANs provisioned by the network server based on the address data and LAN identification of the received DHCP packet and the corresponding record;
• and
• a routing realm roaming handling unit configured to detect and handle routing realm roaming within one of the VLANs by the user device, based on the address data and VLAN identification of the received DHCP packet and the corresponding record located by the client record handling unit,
• wherein the client record handler assigns a new IP address to the user device and creates a new record for the user device using the new IP address when VLAN roaming or routing realm roaming by the user device is detected.

A method of supporting user device roaming in at least one Local Area Network (LAN), the method comprising the steps of:

• storing in a client entry store of a network server records representing a user device connecting to the LAN provisioned by the network server as a roaming visitor of the LAN to gain temporal access to an outside network through the LAN, the LAN having multiple routing realms;
• storing in the client entry store records representing one or more routing realm top-level devices provided on a top level of each routing realm of the LAN;
• receiving and inspecting packets arriving from and directed to the user device to obtain address information of the packets by at least one of a packet driver module or a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) request handler of the network server;
• searching the records stored in the client entry store for corresponding records that have address information corresponding to the address information of the packets;
• detecting roaming between routing realms by the user device based on the address information of the packets and the corresponding records;
• and
• assigning to the user device a new Internet Protocol (IP) address suitable to a routing realm top-level device of a routing realm into which the user device has roamed, in response to the detection of roaming by the user device,
• including, in the records representing the user device, a new record having the new IP address and a device address of the routing realm top-level device through which the user device is currently connecting to the network server, and
• providing the new IP address to the user device,
• wherein the detecting step comprises the steps by the DHCP request handler of obtaining packet data relating to addresses included in a DHCP request packet received from the user device, and comparing the packet data of the DHCP request packet and the address data of the records in the client entry store, and
• the detecting step detects roaming by the DHCP request handler when a data comparison result meets a predetermined condition;
• and
• the new record including step comprises the step creates the new record by the DHCP request handler.

A method of supporting user device roaming in at least one Local Area Network (LAN), the method comprising the steps of:

• storing in a client entry store records representing a user device connecting to the LAN provisioned by the network server as a roaming visitor of the LAN to gain temporal access to an outside network through the LAN, the LAN having multiple routing realms;
• storing records representing one or more routing realm top-level devices provided on a top level of each routing realm of the LAN;
• receiving and inspecting packets arriving from and directed to the user device to obtain address information of the packets;
• searching the records stored in the client entry store for corresponding records that have address information corresponding to the address information of the packets;
• detecting roaming between routing realms by the user device based on the address information of the packets and the corresponding records;
• and
• assigning to the user device a new Internet Protocol (IP) address suitable to a routing realm top-level device of a routing realm into which the user device has roamed, in response to the detection of roaming by the user device, and
• including, in the records representing the user device, a new record having the new IP address and a device address of the routing realm top-level device through which the user device is currently connecting to the network server,
• wherein the examining step and the detecting step comprise the steps of:
• receiving packet data relating to addresses in the DHCP packet, the packet data including a user MAC address, user original IP address, source IP address, and source MAC address;
• searching for a matching record in the client entry store having the user MAC address and the end-user IP address included in the packet data;
• if there is no matching record located, searching a corresponding record in the client entry store having the user IP address and the source MAC address included in the packet data;
• if a corresponding record is located, determining if a user MAC address of the corresponding record matches the user MAC address included in the packet data;
• if the user MAC address of the corresponding record does not match the user MAC address included in the packet data, updating the corresponding record in the client entry store to have the user MAC address included in the packet data;
• if there is no corresponding record located, searching for a relevant record in the client entry store having the user IP address included in the packet data;
• if a relevant record is located, determining if a router MAC address of the relevant record matches the source MAC address included in the packet data;
• and
• if the router MAC address of the relevant record does not match the source MAC address included in the packet data, determining that the user device traversed from a routing realm to a new routing realm within the VBN.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions or statements for use in the execution in a network server for provisioning at least one Local Area Network (LAN) of a method of supporting user device roaming the LAN, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing in a client entry store of a network server records representing a user device connecting to the LAN provisioned by the network server as a roaming visitor of the LAN to gain temporal access to an outside network through the LAN, the LAN having multiple routing realms;
• storing in the client entry store records representing one or more routing realm top-level devices provided on a top level of each routing realm of the LAN;
• receiving and inspecting packets arriving from and directed to the user device to obtain address information of the packets by at least one of a packet driver module or a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) request handler of the network server;
• searching the records stored in the client entry store for corresponding records based on the address information of the packets;
• detecting roaming by the user device based on the data of the packets and the corresponding records;
• assigning to the user device a new Internet Protocol (IP) address suitable to a routing realm top-level device of a routing realm into which the user device has roamed, in response to the detection of roaming by the user device,
• including, in the records representing the user device, a new record having the new IP address and a device address of the routing realm top-level device through which the user device is currently connecting to the network server, and
• providing the new IP address to the user device,
• wherein the detecting step comprises the step by the DHCP request handler of obtaining packet data relating to addresses included in a DHCP request packet received from the user device, and comparing the packet data of the DHCP request packet and the address data of the records in the client entry store, and
• the detecting step detects roaming by the DHCP request handler when a data comparison result meets a predetermined condition;
• and
• the new record including step comprises the step of creates the new record by the DHCP request handler.