Virtualized Network Functions Using NAT Overlay Tunnels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Centralized network architectures face scalability and resilience issues due to the need for large-scale network appliances to manage network address translation and other functions, leading to potential failures affecting a significant number of network nodes.
Innovation Solution
A distributed network architecture where customer edge routers perform Network Address Translation (NAT) and maintain state information, using tunnels to aggregation routers for overlay networking, minimizing scaling issues and enhancing resilience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If centralized network architecture is used with large-scale network appliances to manage network address translation, then network management capability is improved, but system reliability deteriorates due to potential failures affecting a significant number of network nodes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized NAT function into distributed NAT capabilities across multiple customer edge routers. Each router performs NAT independently for its connected networks, eliminating the single point of failure in centralized architectures while maintaining overall network management through standardized protocols and coordination mechanisms.
2Adaptability or versatility
If centralized network appliances are used to manage network address translation, then address space management is improved, but scalability deteriorates due to the need for large-scale infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables customer edge routers to perform NAT functions autonomously without requiring centralized management appliances. Each router independently manages its own address translation operations, reducing the need for large-scale centralized infrastructure and improving scalability while maintaining effective address space management through distributed intelligence.
Data Source
AI summary
In some examples, an example method to provide a virtualized Carrier-grade Network Address Translation (CGN) at a first customer edge router may include establishing a tunnel between the first customer edge router and each aggregation router among one or more aggregation routers, performing a Network Address Translation (NAT) on a first data packet to create a NAT'ed first data packet, selecting a first aggregation router from amongst the one or more aggregation routers to send the NAT'ed first data packet to, encapsulating the NAT'ed first data packet with overlay information corresponding to a tunnel established between the first customer edge router and a first aggregation router, and sending the encapsulated NAT'ed first data packet through the tunnel to the first aggregation router.