IP Address Resolver for 5G NAT Traffic Recognition
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In 5G cellular communication networks, conventional Software Defined Networks (SDNs) struggle to recognize and route traffic effectively for User Equipment (UE) devices behind Network Address Translation (NAT) or Carrier Grade NAT (CGNAT) services, as these services replace private IP addresses with public ones, leading to undirected traffic and inadequate service delivery.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an IP Address Resolver system that constructs and provides real-time or near-real-time IP address maps, allowing third-party applications to obtain the original private IP addresses of UE devices by correlating public IP addresses and port ranges assigned by the User Plane Function (UPF), enabling proper traffic routing and service delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If NAT or CGNAT services are deployed to replace private IP addresses with public ones, then network address sharing and security are improved, but the ability to recognize and route traffic for individual UE devices deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an IP Address Resolver as an intermediary component that sits between the NAT/CGNAT service and the SDN controller. This resolver correlates public IP addresses with private IP addresses and provides the mapping information to the controller, enabling the controller to recognize individual UE devices behind NAT while maintaining the address sharing benefits. The intermediary resolves the contradiction by bridging the information gap created by NAT.
2Device complexity
If conventional SDN is used with NAT/CGNAT services, then network simplicity is maintained, but traffic routing effectiveness deteriorates due to undirected traffic
Solution Approach 1:
The IP Address Resolver performs preliminary action by pre-establishing and maintaining correlation mappings between public and private IP addresses before traffic routing decisions are needed. The resolver proactively provides this mapping information to the SDN controller, enabling effective traffic routing without requiring complex real-time analysis or additional overhead during data plane operations.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If private IP addresses are replaced with public ones behind NAT, then network security is improved, but service delivery accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the IP Address Resolver continuously monitors and correlates public IP address assignments with private IP addresses, providing updated mapping information back to the SDN controller. This feedback loop ensures that the controller always has accurate information about which private device corresponds to which public address, enabling reliable service delivery while maintaining the security benefits of NAT.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, devices, and methods for resolving the original private Internet Protocol (IP) address of a User Equipment (UE) device in a cellular communication network; particularly where the UE device is behind a Network Address Translation (NAT) service which replaces the original private IP address of the UE device with a replacement public IP address. An IP address resolver performs an active resolution process which injects a new IP packet to the network, or performs a passive or comparison-based resolution process which compares headers of IP packets, to determine a pair of (i) an original private IP address of a particular UE device, and (ii) a replacement public IP address that is assigned to the UE device by a User Plane Function (UPF) unit. The correlation data or IP address mapping data is provided to servers or applications, to enable them to provide services to the UE device using its original private IP address.