System and method for executing control protocols among nodes in separate IP networks
View Patent ↗Systems and methods for ensuring that control protocols can be used between Media Gateways 130, 140 and Media Gateway Controllers 110 that reside on separate IP networks 120, 150 . Network Address Translation (NAT) is strategically implemented to inspect and translate control protocol messages exchanged between nodes on separate IP networks. One method is to add NAT intelligence to a firewall/router 160 giving it the ability to inspect and translate the IP addresses within control protocol messages. Another method is to have a firewall/router 160 forward control protocol messages to a separate NAT server 170 to inspect and translate the IP addresses within control protocol messages. The former implementation places a significant amount of real-time work on the firewall/router which can affect its performance in its core duties. The latter implementation does not affect performance but requires deploying additional hardware.
1. An apparatus for translating IP addresses within control protocol messages, said control protocol messages originating and terminating in different IP networks, said apparatus comprising:
means for receiving a control protocol message from a node on a first IP network;
means for translating an IP address within said control protocol message from the IP address associated with the first IP network to a second IP address associated with a second IP network, said means for translating the IP address within said control protocol message being positioned in a device within said first IP network; and
means for routing the control protocol message to a second node on said second IP network.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said translation is Network Address Translation (NAT).
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the node on said first IP network is a media gateway and the node on said second IP network is a media gateway controller.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control protocol is MEGACO.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said device within said first IP network is selected from the group consisting of: a firewall for the first IP network, a router for the first IP network, and a server positioned within the first IP network behind a firewall.
6. A firewall apparatus for translating an IP address within control protocol messages exchanged between a media gateway on a first IP network and a media gateway controller on a second IP network, said firewall apparatus comprising:
a port having an IP address associated with said first IP network, said port for receiving a control protocol message from the media gateway intended for the media gateway controller, said control protocol message including an IP address associated with said first IP network;
a Network Address Translator for translating the IP address associated with said first IP network included within said control protocol message to an IP address associated with said second IP network; and
a routing component for routing the control protocol message to the media gateway controller.
7. The firewall apparatus of claim 6 wherein the control protocol is MEGACO.
8. The firewall apparatus of claim 6 wherein said port is adapted to listen for a Service Change message indicative of a previously presented media gateway becoming available.
9. The firewall apparatus of claim 8 wherein said Network Address Translator is adapted to place an IP address of the previously presented media gateway in a NAT table of IP addresses.
10. A method of translating IP address within control protocol messages exchanged between a node on a first IP network and a node on a second IP network, said method comprising:
receiving a control protocol message from the node on said second IP network, said control protocol message including an IP address associated with said second IP network;
translating the IP address associated with said second IP network included within said control protocol message to an IP address associated with said first IP network, wherein said translating occurs at a device within said first IP network;
routing the control protocol message to the node on said first IP network; and
wherein the control protocol is MEGACO.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein said translating occurs at a device within said first IP network comprises translating in a device selected from the group consisting of: a firewall for the first IP network, a router for the first IP network, and a server positioned behind a firewall for the first IP network.
12. A computer program product for translating IP addresses within control protocol messages exchanged between a node on a first IP network and anode on a second IP network, the computer program product having a storage medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program product comprising:
computer program code for receiving a control protocol message from the node on said second IP network, said control protocol message including an IP address associated with said second IP network;
computer program code for translating the IP address associated with said second IP network included within said control protocol message to an IP address associated with said first IP network, wherein said translating occurs at a device within said first IP network;
computer program code for routing the control protocol message to the node on said first IP network.
13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the control protocol is MEGACO.
14. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein said computer program code for translating functions on a device selected from the group consisting of: a firewall for the first IP network, a router for the first IP network, and a server positioned behind a firewall for the first IP network.
15. A system for translating IP addresses within control protocol messages, said control protocol messages originating and terminating in different IP networks, said system comprising:
a firewall for:
receiving messages from a node on a first IP network;
offloading control protocol messages to a server; and
routing messages to a node on a second IP network, and
a server positioned within the first IP network behind the firewall for:
receiving control protocol messages from said firewall;
translating IP addresses within said control protocol messages from IP addresses associated with the first IP network to JP addresses associated with the second IP network; and
returning the translated control protocol messages to said firewall.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein the control protocol is MEGACO.
17. A method of translating IP addresses within control protocol messages exchanged between a node on a first IP network and a node on a second IP network comprising:
having a firewall on the first IP network receive a control protocol message from the node on the second IP network;
having the firewall offload the received control protocol message to a server positioned within the first IP network and behind the firewall;
having said server translate IP addresses within said control protocol message from an IP address associated with the second IP network to an IP address associated with the first IP network; and
having said server route the translated control protocol message to a node on said first IP network.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the control protocol is MEGACO.
19. A computer program product for translating IP addresses within control protocol messages, exchanged between a node on a first IP network and a node on a second IP network, the computer program product having a storage medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program product comprising:
computer program code for having a firewall on the first IP network receive a control protocol message from the node on the second IP network;
computer program code for having the firewall offload the received control protocol message to a server positioned within the first IP network and behind the firewall;
computer program code for having said server translate IP addresses within said control protocol message from an IP address associated with the second IP network to an IP address associated with the first IP network; and
computer program code for having said server route the translated control protocol message to the node on said first IP network.
20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the control protocol is MEGACO.