Community Translation Service Device Port Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network architectures, particularly those using Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) for multiple user devices, face challenges in applying distinct policies due to IP address and port translation methods like PAT, which obscure device identities, leading to inflexible policy application and difficulties in managing different service requirements for devices within a community.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a community translation service device with a translation component and database to assign dedicated port ranges per user device, allowing the aggregation device to classify packets based on source port ranges and retrieve correct user device information for applying per-user policies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If IP address and port translation methods like PAT are used to share network resources among multiple user devices, then resource utilization and cost efficiency are improved, but device identity identification and per-device policy application deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the shared IP address space by allocating dedicated port ranges to each user device. Instead of using a completely shared translation space, the system divides the port range into device-specific segments, allowing the aggregation device to identify the source device based on which port range the packet's source port falls into. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by maintaining resource sharing while preserving device identity information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by giving each user device a unique local characteristic (dedicated port range) within the shared network environment. While all devices share the same public IP address, each device has a distinct local quality in terms of its assigned port range, enabling the aggregation device to differentiate between devices and apply per-device policies despite the shared resource context.
2Quantity of substance
If a single overloaded IP address is used to represent multiple user devices, then network address efficiency is improved, but policy differentiation and service management for individual devices deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the port address space into device-specific ranges while maintaining a single overloaded IP address. Each user device is assigned a unique port range (e.g., device1: 1024-2048, device2: 2049-3072), allowing the system to maintain network address efficiency with one IP address while enabling policy differentiation through port range identification at the aggregation device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the aggregation device with port range mapping tables) that mediates between the overloaded IP address and the multiple user devices. The intermediary maintains mapping relationships between port ranges and device identities, enabling policy differentiation without requiring multiple public IP addresses, thus resolving the contradiction between address efficiency and policy adaptability.
3Productivity
If port address translation is implemented at the CPE level for community devices, then network scalability and cost sharing are improved, but the ability to apply distinct policies per device at the aggregation level deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the aggregation device to identify and apply per-device policies by ensuring that packets from different user devices arrive at the aggregation device with distinguishable local qualities (device-specific port ranges). Even though translation occurs at the CPE level, the dedicated port range allocation ensures that the aggregation device can differentiate devices and apply appropriate policies, resolving the contradiction between scalability and ease of per-device management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-allocating dedicated port ranges to each user device before actual data transmission occurs. This pre-establishment of device-specific port ranges at the CPE enables the aggregation device to immediately identify and apply appropriate policies without complex real-time analysis, thus maintaining both network scalability and ease of per-device policy management.
Data Source
AI summary
A community translation service device for providing a translation service to a community of at least one source device is arranged to receive data traffic from a source device in the community. The traffic includes a native data session identifier and, as a source identifier, a source device identifier. The community translation service device comprises a translation component and a database for storing a pool of assigned data session identifiers associated with the source device. The translation component is arranged to translate the native data session identifier to an assigned data session identifier associated with the source device, the community translation service device further being arranged to forward the data traffic including the assigned data session identifier as data session source device information to a service aggregation device.