Connection and packet level multiplexing between network links

Details Connection and packet level multiplexing between network links Connection and packet level multiplexing between network links

1997-04-04

2001-06-05

Martin-Wallace, Valencia (Department: 3713)

Multiplex communications

Pathfinding or routing

Switching a message which includes an address header

C370S401000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06243379

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to electronic communication, particularly to multiplex techniques for connecting multiple links between networked computers for digital packet transfer.
2. Description of Background Art
With the explosive growth of electronic networks and data communications, there has been increased need for improved ways for interconnecting computers, particularly as configured in local-area networks (LAN), wide-area networks (WAN), and other network configurations. Conventional networking equipment, such as routers and modems, provide connections for exchanging data between computers; however, current connection capacity and performance are limited.
Moreover, various Internet Service Providers (ISP) offer users individual or corporate accounts through which users may communicate with others across the Internet, for example, by sending and receiving electronic mail messages as well as setting-up and accessing world-wide web sites. Typically, a user installs modem equipment to connect his or her personal computer through a telephone line by dialing a local phone number to access an Internet account maintained by an ISP on its server. The ISP server is then connected directly to the wide-area networks which are collectively interconnected and known generally as the Internet.
Although ISP servers are configured currently to provide single-user accounts, each having a single Internet Protocol (IP) address wherein such accounts are extendible via known techniques such as address translation to support multiple users, conventional use of such single-user account is insufficient for satisfying the increased bandwidth requirements of multiple users. There is a need, therefore, to provide an improved methodology and system for connecting users seamlessly to the Internet through multiple single-user ISP accounts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention resides in digital communications equipment configured with an Internet Protocol (IP) routing facility which couples one or more processors in a network to one or more processors in another network for electronic packet transfer over multiple links therebetween selectively according to multiple single-user IP account addressing schemes. In particular, limited resource allocation is accomplished by multiplexing network links through a programmable reference scheme, such as a software or firmware look-up table or another associative data structure implemented in computer storage, which provides bi-directional, inbound-outbound translation and assignment of IP addresses and port assignments for packet transfer selectively over available links.
Connection or packet-level multiplexing for sending packets through certain network links, for example, corresponding to multiple single-user ISP accounts, is enabled effectively by modifying or replacing packet address and port assignment while routing data between internal and external computer networks preferably according to multiplexed connections programmed in look-up table.
Connection-level multiplexing (CLM) provides packet transfer through multiple single-user IP address accounts between multiple users in a Local-Area Network (LAN) and multiple destinations or host processors in a Wide-Area Network (WAN). In particular, during outbound LAN-WAN packet processing, source IP address and port number of outgoing packet are replaced with valid IP address and port number. Moreover, during inbound WAN-LAN packet processing, destination IP address and port number of incoming packet are replaced with internal IP address and port number.
Packet-level multiplexing (PLM), which is similar to CLM in an analogous but functionally reverse manner, provides packet transfer through multiple single-user IP address accounts between individual users in different public or private LAN clusters, which may also be connected to other WAN users. In particular, during outbound LAN1-LAN2 packet processing, destination IP address and port number of outgoing packet are replaced with external IP address and port number. Moreover, during inbound LAN2-LAN1 packet processing, source IP address and port number of incoming packet are replaced with internal IP address and port number.
Preferably, during packet processing according to CLM or PLM as described herein, route link establishment and packet address replacement are performed by maintaining, checking, and updating entries in look-up table in memory. Furthermore, network resource assignment, such as WAN-LAN or LANA-LANB link selections, may be optimized according to round-robin, bandwidth loading, or other resource-sharing criteria.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5790548 (1998-08-01), Sistanizadeh et al.
patent: 5793763 (1998-08-01), Mayes et al.
patent: 5806044 (1998-09-01), Powell

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