Communication Control via Domain Name Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Administrators face difficulties in easily setting permitted or restricted communication in communication devices due to dynamic IP address assignment by DHCP, making it hard to manage source or destination IP addresses for permitted or restricted communication.
Innovation Solution
A communication system that includes a packet transfer mechanism and a control mechanism to set control information based on header information, where the control mechanism holds a list of items that can be specified from an IP address and sets control information in the packet transfer mechanism when notified of new packets with unspecified control information, using this list to determine whether to permit or inhibit communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If IP addresses are used for communication control settings, then communication permission control is achieved, but administrator operation difficulty increases due to dynamic IP assignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mapping relationship between domain names and IP addresses. Instead of directly using IP addresses for control settings, the system allows administrators to set communication permissions using domain names as intermediaries. The control device maintains a mapping table that resolves domain names to IP addresses dynamically, enabling accurate communication control without requiring administrators to directly manage changing IP addresses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter used for communication control from IP addresses to domain names. By shifting the control parameter from a technical identifier (IP address) to a human-readable identifier (domain name), the system maintains control accuracy while significantly improving ease of operation. The control device internally handles the parameter transformation by resolving domain names to their corresponding IP addresses before applying control rules.
2Ease of operation
If domain names are used instead of IP addresses, then ease of operation improves, but system complexity increases due to additional mapping management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service functionality where the control device automatically maintains the domain name to IP address mapping without requiring manual intervention. The system autonomously resolves domain names to IP addresses using built-in DNS resolution capabilities or pre-configured mapping tables, and automatically updates control rules when mappings change. This automation eliminates the need for administrators to manually manage the complexity of mapping relationships.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring domain name to IP address mapping tables and establishing resolution mechanisms before communication control is needed. The control device proactively maintains updated mappings and prepares control rules in advance, so that when communication permission checks are required, the system can quickly resolve domain names and apply appropriate controls without ad-hoc complexity management.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a communication system in which an administrator can easily perform setting for communication. When having received a new packet, which is a packet for which control information conforming to header information has not been set yet, a packet transfer means 72 notifies a control means 71 of header information of the new packet. The control means 71 holds a list of items that can be specified from an IP address, and sets control information in the packet transfer means 72 on the basis of an item specified from an IP address included in the header information and on the basis of the list, when the header information is notified from the packet transfer means 72.