System and method for using a mobile router tunneling protocol to locate functionality in a distributed architecture
View Patent ↗The system and method provides virtual mobility to an application by using a mobile router tunneling protocol (MRTP). The system and method use a MRTP to enable bi-directional tunneling between gateways so as to facilitate processing at a second network cluster in a way that is transparent to the user.
1. A method performed in an originating gateway communicatively coupled to a first network cluster, comprising:
invoking a trigger by an application in the originating gateway when at least one predetermined circumstance occurs;
upon receipt of the trigger, maintaining a service location in a fixed network environment using a bi-directional tunnel to a second network cluster according to a mobile router tunneling protocol;
receiving a packet addressed in the first network cluster;
resolving a new destination in the second network cluster of the received packet based on the maintaining; and
forwarding the packet to the resolved destination in a manner that is transparent to a sender of the packet and that does not require further authentication of the sender or encapsulation of the packet.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing route optimization.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the maintaining is based on load balancing analysis.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising communicating with the corresponding gateway to determine if a load in the second network cluster exceeds a fixed threshold.
5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising communicating with the corresponding gateway to determine if a load in the second network cluster exceeds a load in the first network cluster.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the maintaining is based on the distance between an origin of the received packet and the second network cluster.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the distance is measured in terms of space coordinates.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the distance is measured in terms of delays.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network cluster runs a first service and the second network cluster runs a second service.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile router tunneling protocol includes the NEMO standardized protocol.
11. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions to cause an originating gateway, communicatively coupled to a first network cluster, to execute a method, the method comprising:
invoking a trigger by an application in the originating gateway when at least one predetermined circumstance occurs;
upon receipt of the trigger, maintaining a service location in a fixed network environment using a bi-directional tunnel to a second network cluster according to a mobile router tunneling protocol;
receiving a packet addressed in the first network cluster;
resolving a new destination in the second network cluster of the received packet based on the maintaining; and
forwarding the packet to the resolved destination in a manner that is transparent to a sender of the packet and that does not require further authentication of the sender or encapsulation of the packet.
12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises performing route optimization.
13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the maintaining is based on load balancing analysis.
14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises communicating with the corresponding gateway to determine if a load in the second network cluster exceeds a fixed threshold.
15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises communicating with the corresponding gateway to determine if a load in the second network cluster exceeds a load in the first network cluster.
16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the maintaining is based on the distance between an origin of the received packet and the second network cluster.
17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the distance is measured in terms of space coordinates.
18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the distance is measured in terms of delays.
19. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the first network cluster runs a first service and the second network cluster runs a second service.
20. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the mobile router tunneling protocol includes the NEMO standardized protocol.
21. A gateway system in an originating gateway communicatively coupled to a first network cluster, comprising:
a gateway data structure capable of listing corresponding network cluster data;
an application for invoking a trigger in the originating gateway when at least one predetermined circumstance occurs; and
a mobile router tunneling protocol engine, communicatively coupled to the gateway data structure and the application, capable of receiving a packet, capable of using the gateway data structure to determine a second network cluster in a fixed network environment that corresponds with the first network cluster and capable of using a mobile router tunneling protocol to establish a bi-directional tunnel between the second network cluster and the originating gateway
wherein upon receipt of the trigger, the mobile router tunneling protocol engine maintains a service location using the bi-directional tunnel to the second network cluster according to a mobile router tunneling protocol, resolves a new destination of a received packet based on the maintained service location and forwards the packet to the resolved destination in a manner that is transparent to a sender of the packet and that does not require further authentication of the sender or encapsulation of the packet.
22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the mobile router tunneling protocol engine is further capable of performing route optimization.
23. The system of claim 21 , wherein the maintaining is based on load balancing analysis.
24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the mobile router tunneling protocol engine is further capable of communicating with the corresponding gateway to determine if a load in the second network cluster exceeds a fixed threshold.
25. The system of claim 23 , wherein the mobile router tunneling protocol engine is further capable of communicating with the corresponding gateway to determine if a load in the second network cluster exceeds a load in the first network cluster.
26. The system of claim 21 , wherein the establishing is based on the distance between an origin of the received packet and the second network cluster.
27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the distance is measured in terms of space coordinates.
28. The system of claim 26 , wherein the distance is measured in terms of delays.
29. The system of claim 21 , wherein the first network cluster runs a first service and the second network cluster runs a second service.
30. The system of claim 21 , wherein the mobile router tunneling protocol includes the NEMO standardized protocol.
31. An originating gateway communicatively coupled to a first network cluster, comprising:
means for invoking a trigger by an application in the originating gateway when at least one predetermined circumstance occurs;
upon receipt of the trigger, means for maintaining a service location in a fixed network environment using a bi-directional tunnel to a second network cluster according to a mobile router tunneling protocol;
means for receiving a packet addressed in the first network cluster;
means for resolving a new destination in the second network cluster of the received packet based on the maintaining; and
means for forwarding the packet to the resolved destination in a manner that is transparent to a sender of the packet and that does not require further authentication of the sender or encapsulation of the packet.