System and method for automatic routing of dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) traffic

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9300627-B2
Application number	US-201313831049-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

At an intermediary dynamic host configuration protocol relay device, over a network, a dynamic host configuration protocol message is obtained from one of a plurality of remote dynamic host configuration protocol relay devices in communication with the intermediary dynamic host configuration protocol relay device over the network. The intermediary dynamic host configuration protocol relay device accesses data pertaining to a plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers logically fronted by the intermediary dynamic host configuration protocol relay device. Based on information in the dynamic host configuration protocol message and the data pertaining to the plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers, the dynamic host configuration protocol message is routed to an appropriate one of the plurality of back-end dynamic host configuration protocol servers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising the steps of:
obtaining, at an intermediary dynamic host configuration protocol relay device connected between a plurality of remote dynamic host configuration protocol relay devices and a plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers, over a network, a dynamic host configuration protocol message from one of said plurality of remote dynamic host configuration protocol relay devices in communication with said intermediary dynamic host configuration protocol relay device over said network wherein:
the dynamic host configuration protocol message comprises a request for at least one of the plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers to provide client configuration information; and
the dynamic host configuration protocol message further comprises information which includes at least an identifier of said one of a plurality of remote dynamic host configuration protocol relay devices and at least one data item;
accessing, by said intermediary dynamic host configuration protocol relay device, from a mapping database, configuration data pertaining to said plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers logically fronted by said intermediary dynamic host configuration protocol relay device wherein:
said configuration data maps given ones of said plurality of remote dynamic host configuration protocol relay devices to corresponding ones of said plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol backend servers; and
said configuration data was obtained at least in part from the plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers and aggregated in said mapping database;
based on said information in said dynamic host configuration protocol message and said configuration data pertaining to said plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers, routing said dynamic host configuration protocol message to an appropriate one of said plurality of back-end dynamic host configuration protocol servers; and
updating the mapping database by an aggregation server when the aggregation server receives an updated configuration file from at least one of the plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in said obtaining step, said remote dynamic host configuration protocol relay devices comprise cable modem termination systems and said network comprises a cable network.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in said obtaining step, said network comprises a municipal wireless network and said remote dynamic host configuration protocol relay devices each comprise remote dynamic host configuration protocol relay devices located at one of a network address translation router, a policy enforcer, a tunnel terminator, and a wireless access point of said municipal wireless network.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting at least one conflict in said map data between at least two of said plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers; and
resolving said conflict by giving priority to one of said at least two of said plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers associated with an earliest time stamp.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in said routing step, said information in said dynamic host configuration protocol message comprises information other than an identifier of said one of said plurality of remote dynamic host configuration protocol relay devices.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in said obtaining and routing steps, said dynamic host configuration protocol message comprises a DHCPv4 lease request, further comprising:
obtaining, at said intermediary dynamic host configuration protocol relay device, over a network, a DHCPv6 lease request from another one of said plurality of remote dynamic host configuration protocol relay devices;
accessing, by said intermediary dynamic host configuration protocol relay device, said data pertaining to said plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers logically fronted by said intermediary dynamic host configuration protocol relay device; and
based on information in said DHCPv6 lease request and said data pertaining to said plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers, routing said DHCPv6 lease request to another appropriate one of said plurality of back-end dynamic host configuration protocol servers.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising said intermediary dynamic host configuration protocol relay device modifying said dynamic host configuration protocol message to affect how said appropriate one of said plurality of back-end dynamic host configuration protocol servers processes said dynamic host configuration protocol message.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising periodically re-assigning at least one of said plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers from one of said plurality of remote dynamic host configuration protocol relay devices to another one of said plurality of remote dynamic host configuration protocol relay devices.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said request for at least one of the plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers to provide client configuration information comprises a dynamic host configuration protocol lease request.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said request for at least one of the plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers to provide client configuration information comprises at least one of: a DHCPv4 DHCPDISCOVER packet, a DHCPv4 DHCPREQUEST packet, a DHCPv6 SOLICIT message, and a DHCPv6 REQUEST message.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said request for at least one of the plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers to provide client configuration information comprises at least one of: a DHCPv6 RENEW message, a DHCPv6 REBIND message, a DHCPv6 INFORMATION-REQUEST message, a DHCPv6 CONFIRM message, a DHCPv6 RELEASE message, or a DHCPv6 DECLINE message.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein a single physical server comprises said intermediary dynamic host configuration protocol relay device and at least one of said mapping database and said aggregation server.

13. An intermediary dynamic host configuration protocol relay device connected between a plurality of remote dynamic host configuration protocol relay devices and a plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers over a network, the intermediary dynamic host configuration protocol relay device comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor, coupled to said memory and operative to:
obtain, over said network, a dynamic host configuration protocol message from one of said plurality of remote dynamic host configuration protocol relay devices in communication with said intermediary dynamic host configuration protocol relay device over said network wherein:
the dynamic host configuration protocol message comprises a request for at least one of the plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers to provide client configuration information; and
the dynamic host configuration protocol message further comprises information which includes at least an identifier of said one of a plurality of remote dynamic host configuration protocol relay devices and at least one data item;
access from a mapping database, configuration data pertaining to said plurality of dynamic host configuration protocol back-end servers logically fronted by said intermediary dynamic host configuration protocol relay device wherein:
said configuration data maps gi

Assignees

• Time Warner Cable Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Danforth Andrew

Classifications

• H04L41/0893

  Assignment of logical groups to network elements · CPC title

• H04L41/0894

  Policy-based network configuration management · CPC title

• H04L45/74

  Address processing for routing · CPC title

• H04L67/63 Primary

  Routing a service request depending on the request content or context · CPC title

• H04L61/2061

  Electricity · mapped topic