Central Notification Server for NAT Traversal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing notification methods for equipment in private networks connected to the Internet via an Internet gateway are inefficient, particularly due to the high resource costs associated with managing Network Address Translation (NAT) routers and the need for specific adaptations for each equipment and service, which limits scalability and flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A data processing method that uses a central notification server to manage notifications by determining an identifier for a service-device pair, storing reachability addresses, and transmitting notification messages through the external network, allowing for flexible and scalable routing and reducing the burden on service platforms by delegating complex network access management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If SNMP protocol is used to manage NAT router traversal, then notification can be transmitted to equipment, but the solution is inefficient and resource-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a central notification server as an intermediary between the notification source and the equipment behind NAT routers. This server maintains a mapping between equipment identifiers and their public IP addresses, enabling efficient notification routing without requiring direct peer-to-peer connection management or resource-intensive protocols like SNMP.
2Reliability
If Websocket, http long polling, or STUN protocol is used for NAT traversal, then notification can be transmitted, but resource costs are very high due to requiring established connections between each service platform and each device
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the notification routing function into a single central server that handles multiple equipment devices. Instead of establishing separate connections from each service platform to each device (which would require many active connections), the system consolidates connection management at the central server, dramatically reducing the number of active connections and associated resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The central notification server acts as an intermediary that receives notifications and routes them to the appropriate equipment. This eliminates the need for direct established connections between service platforms and individual devices, reducing resource costs while maintaining reliable notification delivery.
3Reliability
If notification methods are specifically adapted to each equipment and service, then notification can be transmitted, but the system lacks flexibility and scalability for adding new equipment and services
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal notification system where the central server handles routing for multiple equipment types and services through a common interface. The system uses generic identifiers and a standardized routing process that works across different equipment and services, eliminating the need for specific adaptations while maintaining reliable notification delivery. This universal approach enables easy addition of new equipment and services without modifying the core notification mechanism.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
The invention relates to the processing of data for the notification of at least one device (4, 5) of a private network (1), connected to an external network (3) via a local gateway (2). The invention is characterised in that it comprises the following steps: in a service platform (7, 8) hosting a service, a) determining an identifier characterising a pair formed by the service and at least one destination device, and b) transmitting the determined identifier to a central notification server (9) comprising a database in which the identifiers and the associated reachability addresses are stored; and, in the central notification server (9), c) comparing the identifier received from the service platform with the identifiers stored in the database, in order to determine a reachability address associated with a stored identifier corresponding to the received identifier, and d) transmitting a notification message via the external network to the device (4, 5) having said reachability address.