Network Address Translation Load Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network address translators (NATs) often become overloaded when the number of devices requesting outside addresses exceeds the available pool, leading to communication disruptions and service issues, as they are typically configured with a limited number of outside addresses.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing multiple network address translators, where overloaded translators can pass-through or redirect messages to backup translators with available outside addresses, maintaining state information to ensure proper communication and address translation, thereby alleviating overload conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a translation device is assigned a limited number of outside addresses, then the device complexity is reduced and configuration is simplified, but the translation device becomes overloaded when the number of inside devices exceeds the available outside addresses, resulting in communication disruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the translation device functionality across multiple independent translation devices. Each translation device maintains a limited set of outside addresses, but the collective group of translation devices provides a larger pooled address space. When one translation device becomes overloaded, it can redirect traffic to other translation devices with available addresses, thus maintaining communication reliability without requiring any single device to be overly complex
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple translation devices are merged into a coordinated system where their outside address pools are combined. The translation devices work together as a unified address translation system, sharing the load and providing redundant capacity. This merging allows the system to handle more inside devices than any single translation device could manage alone
2Productivity
If the number of outside addresses assigned to a translation device is increased to support more inside devices, then the translation capacity is improved, but the device becomes overloaded and service disruptions occur when demand exceeds capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic load balancing where translation devices can dynamically redirect traffic based on current load conditions. When a translation device detects it is approaching capacity, it dynamically routes excess traffic to other translation devices with available capacity. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain high translation capacity while preventing overload-induced service disruptions
Solution Approach 2:
A coordination mechanism acts as an intermediary between multiple translation devices, managing the distribution of translation requests. This intermediary layer balances the load across translation devices and ensures that no single device becomes overloaded, while collectively providing high translation capacity through the pooled resources of all devices
3Reliability
If multiple network address translators are used to handle overload conditions, then the system reliability is improved and communication continuity is maintained, but the device complexity and system configuration become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Translation devices automatically detect their own load conditions and self-manage traffic distribution without requiring complex external coordination. Each translation device monitors its own capacity and autonomously redirects excess traffic to peer devices, maintaining reliability through self-organizing behavior while keeping system configuration relatively simple
Data Source
AI summary
Address translation sufficient for use in translating addresses included in messages carried or otherwise transmitted between inside and outside network is contemplated. The contemplated address translation may facilitate operation of a network address translator (NAT), carrier grade network address translator (CGN), or other device similarly configured to facilitate translating inside addresses used to address messages carried over the inside network relative to outside addresses used to facilitate carrying messages over the outside network.