Title of Invention

METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONFIGURING IPV6-in-IPV4 TUNNELS USING ICMPV6 MESSAGES

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for automating the configuration of IPv6-in-IPv4 (IPv6 packets encapsulated in an IPv4 packet) tunnels using ICMPv6 messages (Internet Control Messages for IPv6) pursuant to the configuration of tunnel end-point information by the administrator on the Main Border Router to facilitate IPv6 connectivity for the new cloud IPv6 nodes in a system having two or more Border Routers (BR) connected through IPv4 with one of them designated as Main Border Router (MBR). The method automates the configuration of tunnel end-points on Dual-Stack (IPv4/IPv6) Border Routers when a new IPv6 cloud network joins IPv4 backbone providing an almost zero-configuration solution. It employs IPv6-in-IPv4 encapsulation/decapsulation to send/receive the ICMPv6 messages.

Full Text

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY This invention relates to the field of communication with Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). Further, this invention relates to a method for automating the configuration of IPv6 packets encapsulated in an IPv4 packet (IPv6-in-IPv4) tunnels using new ICMPv6 (Internet Control Messages for IPv6) message types to facilitate the communication between multiple IPv6-clouds separated by IPv4 Network. More particularly, this invention relates to a method for configuring tunnel end point using ICPMv6. It is pertinent herein to refer to co-pending application number 1473 CHE 2004. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART IPv4 to IPv6 Transition is currently in the infant stage. Hence, many IPv6 networks are coming up and there is need for connectivity between these clouds through IPv4 backbone. A number of IPv4 to IPv6 Transition mechanisms such as Tunneling, Translation and Dual-Stack Transition Mechanisms are currently being used to enable IPv4 and IPv6 to co-exist and co-work during the transition phase. Tunneling is the most common transition mechanism deployed worldwide. IPv6-in-IPv4 tunnels between the clouds establish the IPv6 connectivity transparently to the IPv6 nodes in the clouds over IPv4 backbone/infrastructure. There is a growing awareness among the standards committees like IETF, 3GPP and 3GPP2 to make efforts to develop and deploy methods to automate the process of establishing IPv6-in-IPv4 tunnels so that isolated IPv6 networks or hosts can obtain connectivity to other such IPv6 networks or hosts over IPv4 backbone networks with very minimal changes to existing protocols and equipments. Presently there are mainly two methods generally employed for the configuration. f. Manual configuration In the case of manual configuration, bi-directional IPv6-in-IPv4 tunnels have to be configured to reach each and every IPv6 network that attaches to the IPv4 backbone / infrastructure. 2. Configuration on DHCPvB Servers ttian a Router This method is found published as an IETF draft from HP & Samsung. According to this method the tunnel end-point configuration list is maintained at the DHCPv6 servers and shared with the nodes belonging to the same network as the DHCPv6 server. Even though the above-mentioned methods are satisfactory in accomplishing the objectives, they have some limitations. Needless to mention here that the manual method is tedious, requires the presence of network administrator at all times and proper co-ordination. Similarly for the configuration using DHCPv6, it calls for manual configuration on each site on DHCPv6 server than having it on a router. In view of the above drawbacks in state of the art, the present invention proposes a method for configuring tunnel end-point on Dual-Stack (IPv4/IPv6) Border Routers (BR) belonging to isolated IPv6 clouds that joins / attaches to IPv4 backbone / infrastructure, using new ICMPv6 message types. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary object of this invention is therefore to provide a method to automate the configuration of tunnel end-points on Dual-Stack (IPv4/IPv6) Border Routers when a new IPv6 cloud network joins IPv4 backbone. It is another object of the invention to provide an almost zero-configuration solution wherein Border Routers belonging to isolated IPv6 clouds joins / attach to IPv4 backbone / infrastructure It is also an object of the invention to employ IPv6-in-IPv4 encapsulation / decapsulation to send / receive the ICMPv6 messages. Accordingly, the invention provides a method for automating the configuration of IPv6-in-IPv4 (IPv6 packets encapsulated in an IPv4 packet) tunnels using ICMPv6 messages (Internet Control Messages for IPv6) pursuant to the configuration of tunnel end-point information by the administrator on the Main Border Router to facilitate IPv6 connectivity for the new cloud IPv6 nodes in a system having two or more Border Routers (BR) connected through IPv4 with one of them designated as Main Border Router (MBR), the method comprising the steps of, a) Main Router sending ICMPv6 CTEP Information message to all the existing clouds (border routers) of the tunnel network; b) Border routers of the existing clouds configuring the IPv6-in-IPv4 tunnel to the new cloud upon receiving the above said ICMPv6 CTEP Information message, and sending ICMPv6 CTEP Acknowledgement back to Main Border Router; and c) Main Border Router sending the total configuration to the new cloud's border router so as to facilitate its integration with the system. These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from a reading of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS Figure 1 depicts an example scenario where the method of the present invention is helpful. Figure 2 shows the operation and message sequence when a new IPv6 network attached to R3 joins the IPv4 backbone comprising of R1 and R2. Figure 3 shows the operation and message sequence when a new IPv6 network attached to R4 joins the IPv4 backbone comprising of R1, R2 and R3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood however that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. The following description and drawings are not to be construed as limiting the invention and numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention, as the basis for the claims and as a basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to make and/or use the invention. However in certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention in detail. The method according to the invention can be used to automate the process of configuhng tunnel end-points for IPv6-in-IPv4 Tunnels between Dual-Stack Border Routers, attached to IPv6 networks, over IPv4 backbone. This method uses new ICMPv6 message types for carrying such configuration information. The dual-stack border router exchanges the ICMPv6 messages as soon as the administrator configures the tunnel end-point of a newly attached IPv6 network. The method uses IPv6-in-IPv4 encapsulation/decapsulation to send/receive the ICMPv6 messages defined in this invention. The invention proposes to automate the configuration of tunnel-endpoints when a new IPv6 network joins IPv4 backbone. This method tries to provide an almost zero-configuration solution. If there exists an n-cloud mesh topology IPv4 network and (n+1)th network cloud wants to attach to the n-cloud mesh then the no. of manual configurations = 2*n. According to the invention, we assume the presence of Border Routers with Dual-Stack (supports both IPv4 and IPv6) capability. One of the Border Routers (BR) is designated as Main Border Router with respective administrator's perspective. These border routers will act as default/gateway routers for one or more IPv6 networks connected to its downstream links. The upstream links from these border routers are connected to IPv4 backbone networks. The following broad steps are involved in the proposed invention: A. Admin configures the New Network's data on the Main Border Router. B. Main Router sends ICMPv6 CTEP Info Message to all the existing clouds (border routers) of the tunnel network C. The existing clouds' border routers after receiving this ICMPv6 CTEP Info Message, configure IPv6-in-IPv4 tunnel to the new cloud and send ICMPv6 CTEP Ack back to Main Border Router. D. Main Border Router also sends the total configuration to the new cloud's border router. The method will be triggered when the administrator configures the tunnel end-point information at the main border router. The details procedures are described below. > At the Main Border Router (MBR): Admin keys-in the new network's data Adding the new network's data to the "IPv6 Networks List" ill. Configuring the IPv6-in-IPv4 tunnel to new Network's BR. iv. Constructing and Sending ICMPv6 CTEP Info message with all the existing networks' data from "IPv6 Networks List" V. Constructing and Sending ICMPv6 CTEP Info message with the new network's data to all the existing Border Routers of "IPv6 Networks List", vi. Ensuring the reliability of the ICMPv6 CTEP Information dispatch using ICMPv6 CTEP Ack vii. Recording the No. of failures reported by each Border Router viii. Refreshing the BR for full data on administrator's command MBR device comprises of the following to facilitate the above procedures I) Supporting means for sending of ICMPv6 CTEP Info Message II) Supporting means for receiving and processing of ICMPv6 CTEP Ack Message III) Means for alerting the administrator using different media (Ex: SMS, Mail, Logging to a file ... etc) > PROCEDURES at BR i. Receiving the ICMPv6 TEP Info from MBR ii. For each network's data entry, configuring IPv6-in-IPv4 tunnel to the IPv6 cloud of the entry iii. Reporting the status of the processing to MBR using ICMPv6 TEP Ack In order to achieve the above BR device requires i) Means for supporting receiving and processing of ICMPv6 CTEP Info Message; ii) Means for supporting the sending of ICMPv6 CTEP Ack Message. The present invention also features the following detailed operations/instructions i) Adding the new cloud's data to "IPv6 Networks List" as Prefix, Corresponding BR's IPv4 Address, No. of Reported Failures> triple for each IPv6 Network, ii) Instructing the data link layer abstraction to create IPv6-in-IPv4 tunnel with the pair Address>. iii) Construction of ICMPv6 CTEP Info with the no. Of entries differently for the new network's BR and old network's BRs. iv) Addition of route entry for an IPv6 host/network after creating the tunnel by using this invention, v) Incrementing the BR's failure counter in "IPv6 Networks List" database for the failures reported by BR. vi) Facilitating the administrator to configure the alerting threshold value of the counter, vii) Alerting the administrator when the failure counter for a BR goes beyond some configured threshold value, viii) Facilitating the administrator to give different commands for attaching a new cloud and updating an existing BR. ix) Facilitating the administrator to update an existing BR with the full list of existing cloud's data of "IPv6 Networks List", x) Processing ICMPv6 CTEP Info where in the ICMPv6 instructs the data link layer abstraction module to configure IPv6-in-IPv4 tunnel to each cloud listed in ICMPv6 CTEP Info, xi) Noting down the no. of failures reported from data link layer abstraction module and reporting the same in ICMPv6 CTEP Ack in the field STATUS to MBR. As already mentioned the invention employs New ICMP messages, which are detailed below. Message 1 The following are the description of various fields in the message: (The first 4-bytes are part of any standard ICMPv6 message.) TYPE - JCMPVe^CTEPJNFO CODE " Always set to 0 (ZERO). CHECKSUM - As per ICMPv6 standards specification. RESERVED - Always set to 0 (ZERO). The following fields are filled by the Main Border Router sending this message: Prefix Length - New Network's IPv6 Prefix Length nEntries - No. of pairs IPv6 Network's Prefix - The IPv6 Address Prefix of the IPv6 network IPv6 Cloud's Border Router's IPv4 Address - The IPv4 Address of Border Router attached to that IPv6 network Message 2 TYPE - ICMPV6_CTEP_ACK CODE - Always set to 0 (ZERO). CHECKSUM - As per ICMPv6 standards specification. RESERVED ~ Always set to 0 (ZERO). The following fields are filled as mentioned by the Border Routers sending this message: Status - 1 (Reject) or 0 (Accept) Advantages of the invention: 1. This method requires almost no configuration. 2. This method is very easy to implement and requires very minimal implementation changes to existing equipments. 3. Single-point configuration alone is required. It will also be obvious to those skilled in the art that other control methods and apparatuses can be derived from the combinations of the various methods and apparatuses of the present invention as taught by the description and the accompanying drawings and these shall also be considered within the scope of the present invention. Further, description of such combinations and variations is therefore omitted above. It should also be noted that the host for storing the applications include but not limited to a microchip, microprocessor, handheld communication device, computer, rendering device or a multi function device. Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications are possible and are apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims unless they depart therefrom. WE CLAIM 1. A method for automating the configuration of IPv6-in-IPv4 (IPv6 packets encapsulated in an IPv4 packet) tunnels using ICMPv6 messages (Internet Control Messages for IPv6) pursuant to the configuration of tunnel end-point information by the administrator on the Main Border Router to facilitate IPv6 connectivity for the new cloud IPv6 nodes in a system having two or more Border Routers (BR) connected through IPv4 with one of them designated as Main Border Router (MBR), the method comprising the steps of: (a) main Router sending ICMPv6 CTEP Information message to all the existing clouds (border routers) of the tunnel network; (b) border routers of the existing clouds configuring the IPv6-in-IPv4 tunnel to the new cloud upon receiving the above said ICMPv6 CTEP Information message, and sending ICMPv6 CTEP Acknowledgement back to Main Border Router; and (c) main Border Router sending the total configuration to the new cloud's border router so as to facilitate its integration with the system. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the said configuration at the Main Border Router (MBR) and information sending to border routers, comprises the steps of: (a) keying in of the new network's data; (b) adding the new network's data to the "IPv6 Networks List"; (c) configuring the IPv6-in-IPv4 tunnel to new Network's BR; (d) constructing and Sending ICMPv6 CTEP Info message with all the existing networks' data from "IPv6 Networks Lisf; (e) constructing and sending ICMPv6 CTEP Info message with the new network's data to all the existing Border Routers of "IPv6 Networks List"; (f) ensuring the reliability of the ICMPv6 CTEP Information dispatch using ICMPV6 CTEP Ack; (g) recording the no. of failures reported by each Border Router; and (h) refreshing the BR for full data on administrator's command. . The method according to claim 1, wherein the procedures at Border Routers, comprises: (a) receiving the ICMPvG CTEP Info from MBR; (b) configuring IPv6-in-IPv4 tunnel to the IPv6 cloud of the entry consequent to each network's data entry; and (c) reporting the status of the processing to MBR using ICMPv6 TEP Ack . An MBR device of claim 1 comprising of: (a) means for supporting the sending of ICMPv6 CTEP Info Message; (b) means for supporting the receiving and processing of ICMPv6 CTEP Ack Message; (c) means for alerting the administrator using different media. . The device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the media for alerting the administrator is SMS, Mail or Log file. A Border Router of claim 1 comprising of: i) means for supporting the receiving and processing of ICMPv6 CTEP Info Message; and ii) means for supporting the sending of ICMPv6 CTEP Ack Message. A method for automating the configuration of IPv6-in-IPv4 (IPv6 packets encapsulated in an IPv4 packet) tunnels using ICMPv6 messages (Internet Control Messages for IPv6) pursuant to the configuration of tunnel end-point information by the administrator on the Main Border Router to facilitate IPv6 connectivity for the new cloud IPv6 nodes in a system having two or more Border Routers (BR) connected through IPv4 with one of them designated as Main Border Router (MBR). substantially as herein above described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

1469-CHE-2004 AMENDED PAGES OF SPECIFICATION 16-11-2012.pdf

1469-CHE-2004 AMENDED PAGES OF SPECIFICATION 17-12-2012.pdf

1469-CHE-2004 AMENDED CLAIMS 16-11-2012.pdf

1469-CHE-2004 AMENDED CLAIMS 17-12-2012.pdf

1469-CHE-2004 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS 17-12-2012.pdf

1469-CHE-2004 EXAMINATION REPORT REPLY RECEIVED 16-11-2012.pdf

1469-CHE-2004 FORM-1 16-11-2012.pdf

1469-CHE-2004 FORM-13 16-11-2012.pdf

1469-CHE-2004 FORM-13 19-06-2006.pdf

1469-CHE-2004 OTHER PATENT DOCUMENT 16-11-2012.pdf

1469-CHE-2004 POWER OF ATTORNEY 16-11-2012.pdf

1469-CHE-2004 POWER OF ATTORNEY 17-12-2012.pdf

1469-che-2004-abstract.pdf

1469-che-2004-claims.pdf

1469-che-2004-correspondnece-others.pdf

1469-che-2004-description(complete).pdf

1469-che-2004-description(provisional).pdf

1469-che-2004-drawings.pdf

1469-che-2004-form 1.pdf

1469-che-2004-form 13.pdf

1469-che-2004-form 26.pdf

1469-che-2004-form 5.pdf