Method enabling network address translation of incoming session initiation protocol connections base on dynamic host configuration protocol address assignments

Abstract

A system for using Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) address assignments to determine a local destination address of a received packet in a Network Address Translation (NAT) environment. The system includes a DHCP server to assign local IP addresses to devices on a network. The system has a NAT device to execute network address translation, and a packet device to receive packets. The system further includes an addressing device to determine the local destination address of a packet received by the packet device. The addressing device uses an association table created from symbolic names of the devices on the network and the local IP addresses associated with the devices.

1 - 26 . (canceled)  
   
   
       27 . A method, comprising: 
 receiving, at a first network device, respective Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) requests issued by respective devices in a set of devices, respective ones of the DHCP requests including a symbolic identifier of the device issuing the DHCP request in an options field of the DHCP request;    responding, by the first network device, to the respective DHCP requests with respective DHCP responses, respective ones of the DHCP responses including an Internet Protocol address assigned by the first network device to the device issuing the DHCP request;    storing, by the first network device, data associating the respective Internet Protocol addresses assigned by the first network device with the, respective, symbolic identifiers;    receiving, at the first network device, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) packet to initiate an SIP Internet Protocol telephone connection from a device other than a device that issues a DHCP request to the first network device, the SIP packet including one of the symbolic identifiers and the Internet Protocol address of the first network device;    performing a lookup of the one of the symbolic identifiers in the received SIP packet in the data associating the respective Internet Protocol addresses assigned by the first network device with the, respective, symbolic identifiers; and    routing an SIP packet to initiate an Internet Protocol telephone connection to the device corresponding to the Internet Protocol address associated with the symbolic identifier included in the received SIP packet.    
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the received SIP packet includes the one of the symbolic identifiers and the Internet Protocol of the first network device in a format of: 
 symbolic-identifier@Internet-Protocol-address-of-the-first-network-device.    
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising: 
 receiving, at the first network device from a one of the set of devices that issued a DHCP request to the first network device, an SIP packet to initiate an SIP Internet Protocol telephone connection that includes the Internet Protocol address of the device that issued a DHCP request to the first network device and a destination Internet Protocol address; and    transmitting an SIP packet toward the destination Internet Protocol address that replaces the Internet Protocol address of the device that issued a DHCP request to the first network device with the Internet Protocol address of the first network device.    
   
   
       30 . An apparatus, comprising logic to: 
 receive, at a apparatus, respective Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) requests issued by respective devices in a set of devices, respective ones of the DHCP requests including a symbolic identifier of the device issuing the DHCP request in an options field of the DHCP request;    respond, by the apparatus, to the respective DHCP requests with respective DHCP responses, respective ones of the DHCP responses including an Internet Protocol address assigned by the apparatus to the device issuing the DHCP request;    store, by the apparatus, data associating the respective Internet Protocol addresses assigned by the apparatus with the, respective, symbolic identifiers;    receive, at the apparatus, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) packet to initiate an SIP Internet Protocol telephone connection from a device other than a device that issues a DHCP request to the apparatus, the SIP packet including one of the symbolic identifiers and the Internet Protocol address of the apparatus;    perform a lookup of the one of the symbolic identifiers in the received SIP packet in the data associating the respective Internet Protocol addresses assigned by the apparatus with the, respective, symbolic identifiers; and    route an SIP packet to initiate an Internet Protocol telephone connection to the device corresponding to the Internet Protocol address associated with the symbolic identifier included in the received SIP packet.    
   
   
       31 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the received SIP packet includes the one of the symbolic identifiers and the Internet Protocol of the apparatus in a format of: 
 symbolic-identifier@Internet-Protocol-address-of-the-apparatus.    
   
   
       32 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , further comprising logic to: 
 receive, at the apparatus from a one of the set of devices that issued a DHCP request to the apparatus, an SIP packet to initiate an SIP Internet Protocol telephone connection that includes the Internet Protocol address of the device that issued a DHCP request to the apparatus and a destination Internet Protocol address; and    transmit an SIP packet toward the destination Internet Protocol address that replaces the Internet Protocol address of the device that issued a DHCP request to the apparatus with the Internet Protocol address of the apparatus.    
   
   
       33 . A system, comprising: 
 multiple networked devices including a first network device; and    logic to provide Internet Protocol telephone connections by: 
 receiving, at a first network device, respective Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) requests issued by respective devices in a set of devices, respective ones of the DHCP requests including a symbolic identifier of the device issuing the DHCP request in an options field of the DHCP request;  
 responding, by the first network device, to the respective DHCP requests with respective DHCP responses, respective ones of the DHCP responses including an Internet Protocol address assigned by the first network device to the device issuing the DHCP request;  
 storing, by the first network-device, data associating the respective Internet Protocol addresses assigned by the first network device with the, respective, symbolic identifiers;  
 receiving, at the first network device, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) packet to initiate an SIP Internet Protocol telephone connection from a device other than a device that issues a DHCP request to the first network device, the SIP packet including one of the symbolic identifiers and the Internet Protocol address of the first network device;  
 performing a lookup of the one of the symbolic identifiers in the received SIP packet in the data associating the respective Internet Protocol addresses assigned by the first network device with the, respective, symbolic identifiers; and  
 routing an SIP packet to initiate an Internet Protocol telephone connection to the device corresponding to the Internet Protocol address associated with the symbolic identifier included in the received SIP packet.  
   
   
   
       34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the received SIP packet includes the one of the symbolic identifiers and the Internet Protocol of the first network device in a format of: 
 symbolic-identifier@Internet-Protocol-address-of-the-first-network-device.    
   
   
       35 . The system of  claim 33 , further comprising: 
 receiving, at the first network device from a one of the set of devices that issued a DHCP request to the first network device, an SIP packet to initiate an SIP Internet Protocol telephone connection that includes the Internet Protocol address of the device that issued a DHCP request to the first network device and a destination Internet Protocol address; and    transmitting an SIP packet toward the destination Internet Protocol address that replaces the Internet Protocol address of the device that issued a DHCP request to the first network device with the Internet Protocol address of the first network device.