Communication device having VPN accommodation function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9413657-B2
Application number	US-201313921754-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2013
Priority date	Jun 16, 2000
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

Fully meshed virtual paths obtained with smaller number of settings, thus facilitating expansion of VPN service. A communication device in a virtual private network (VPN) having a VPN accommodation function for connecting an intra-organization network or inter-organization network through the Internet includes;
a first means for generating a VPN address, a format of which includes both a VPN number for uniquely identifying a VPN in a certain scope and a closed address used in an organization or among organizations, either converting a packet header into a header having the above-mentioned VPN address or adding the above-mentioned VPN address to a packet header for transmission; and a second means for on receiving the packet having a header of the VPN address format, either converting the received packet into a packet format equivalent to an original packet format or removing a header having VPN address format.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of communication between first and second networks providing a virtual private network (VPN) through the Internet, the first and second networks are in compliance with IP version 4 and the Internet is in compliance with IP version 6, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a first IP packet including a first IP address from the first network which is in compliance with IP version 4,
retaining a VPN number identifying the VPN;
converting the first IP address of the first IP packet under IP version 4 into a second IP address of a second IP packet under IP version 6 by combining the VPN number identifying the VPN with said first IP address,
transferring the second IP packet into the Internet, which is in compliance with IP version 6,
receiving the second IP packet including the second IP address from the Internet which is in compliance with IP version 6,
separating the first IP address from the VPN number identifying the VPN from the received second IP packet;
converting the second IP address of the second IP packet under IP version 6 into the first IP address of the first IP packet under IP version 4 by extracting the first IP address, and replacing the second IP address with the first IP address
comparing the retained VPN number with the separated VPN number to discard the received second IP packet if the compared VPN numbers are different; and
transferring the first IP packet with the converted IP address in the first network which is in compliance with IP version 4,
wherein the second IP address under IP version 6 includes the first IP address under IP version 4 and the VPN number identifying said VPN,
wherein the VPN number is uniquely assigned in a region, wherein the region is a region of an internet service provider on the internet, and
wherein the VPN number comprises a format prefix for distinguishing the second IP address from address of other type.

2. An apparatus of communication between first and second networks providing a virtual private network (VPN) through the Internet, the first and second networks are in compliance with IP version 4 and the Internet is in compliance with IP version 6, comprising:
first receiving means for receiving a first IP packet including a first IP address from the first network which is in compliance with IP version 4,
means for retaining a VPN number identifying the VPN;
means for converting the first IP address of the first IP packet under IP version 4 into a second IP address of a second IP packet under IP version 6 by combining the VPN number identifying the VPN with said first IP address,
means for transferring the second IP packet in the Internet, which is in compliance with IP version 6,
second receiving means for receiving the second IP packet including the second IP address from the Internet which is in compliance with IP version 6,
means for separating the first IP address from the VPN number identifying the VPN from the second IP packet;
means for converting the second IP address of the second IP packet under IP version 6 into the first IP address of the first IP packet under IP version 4 by extracting the first IP address, and replacing the second IP address with the first IP address;
means for comparing the VPN number retained by the retaining means with the separated VPN number to discard the received second IP packet if the compared VPN numbers are different; and
means for transferring the first IP packet with the converted IP address in the second first network which is in compliance with IP version 4,
wherein the second IP address under IP version 6 includes the first IP address under IP version 4 and the VPN number identifying said VPN,
wherein the VPN number is uniquely assigned in a region, wherein the region is a region of an internet service provider on the internet, and
wherein the VPN number comprises a format prefix for distinguishing the second IP address from address of other type.

Assignees

• Fujitsu Ltd

Inventors

• Matsuhira Naoki

Classifications

• H04L45/00

  Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks (routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00) · CPC title

• H04L45/741 Primary

  Routing in networks with a plurality of addressing schemes, e.g. with both IPv4 and IPv6 · CPC title

• H04L12/4604 Primary

  LAN interconnection over a backbone network, e.g. Internet, Frame Relay · CPC title

• H04L61/251

  between different IP versions · CPC title

• H04L69/167

  Adaptation for transition between two IP versions, e.g. between IPv4 and IPv6 (translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses H04L61/2503) · CPC title