Various Methods and Apparatuses for Tunneling of UDP Broadcasts

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system are described for a central station to allocate virtual IP addresses. A device service manager server (DSM) has a network access module configured to cooperate with two or more device service controllers (DSCs). The DSM serves as a central management station for allocating and assigning Virtual IP addresses to network devices to proxy communications for networked devices on a local area network (LAN) where each DSC resides. In some embodiments, various protocols may use UDP broadcasts to perform device discovery.

1 . A method, comprising
 cooperating with two or more device service controllers (DSCs), each residing on a separate local area network (LAN) and a first DSC proxies communications for network devices on a first LAN and a second LAN;   instructing a first DSC to obtain an available local virtual IP addresses from a device that is located exterior from the LAN where each DSC resides;   allocating and assigning Virtual IP addresses to network devices to proxy communications for the networked devices on the first local area network (LAN) where the first DSC resides;   instructing a second DSC to obtain an available local virtual IP addresses from the device that is located exterior from the LAN where each DSC resides;   allocating and assigning Virtual IP addresses to network devices to proxy communications for the networked devices on the second local area network (LAN) where the second DSC resides;   storing a first pair of an assigned virtual IP address assigned to the first DSC and some unique identifying information regarding the first DSC in the device;   storing a second pair of an assigned virtual IP address assigned to the second DSC and some unique identifying information regarding the second DSC in the device;   establishing a route from the assigned Virtual IP address to a destination network device on a LAN associated with a given DSC, based on stored pairs of information stored in the device; and   broadcasting a broadcast packet across the route from the first LAN to the second LAN by tunneling between the two networks using the established route to forwarding a broadcast packet from the first LAN to the second LAN.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising broadcasting the broadcast packet across the second LAN. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising changing the source address of the broadcast packet. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the source address of the broadcast packet is changed to an address for a first VIP route. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising changing the destination address of the broadcast packet. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the destination address of the broadcast packet is changed to the broadcast address of the second network. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein only packets originating from a device that has a VIP address are forwarded. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein automatically establishing a return route from the destination network device back to a device on the LAN associated with the Virtual IP address for a device on the LAN associated with the Virtual IP address that establishes a route from the assigned Virtual IP address to a destination network device on the LAN associated with the given DSC. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the DSM automatically establishes a return route for each device that establishes a route from the first Virtual IP address to a destination network device on the second LAN. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 creating a pairing of 1) each DSC's unique identifier and the virtual IP address of the local network assigned with the DSC, 2) a unique identifier of host DSC controller and a real IP address of a host console network device associated with the unique identifier of DSC on a first local area network, as well as a pairing of 3) a real IP address of a destination network device and a unique identifier of a destination DSC on a second local area network;   storing these pairings in a registry of the device; and   mapping these stored pair to establish a route from first DSC to the destination network device.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 creating two or more pools of virtual IP address available in the local network, wherein a smaller pool of VIP addresses used for requests from unknown public IP addresses and a larger pool of VIP addresses used for requests from known IP addresses registered with the DSC.   
     
     
         12 . A system, comprising:
 a device service manager server (DSM) having a network access module configured to establish communications with two or more device service controllers (DSCs) and serve as a central management station for allocating and assigning virtual IP addresses to network devices to proxy communications for networked devices on a local area network (LAN) where a DSC resides and the DSM is located exterior from the network devices on the LAN where communications associated with the assigned virtual IP addresses are being routed to;   a first DSC of the two or more DSCs, wherein the DSM instructs the first DSC to obtain available local virtual IP addresses in the local area network in which the first DSC resides and then report those available local virtual IP addresses back to the DSM, wherein the DSM assigns a first virtual IP address to the first DSC and establishes a route from a first virtual IP address assigned to the first DSC to a destination network device, based on corresponding DSC and network device information stored in a registry of the DSM;   a second DSC of the two or more DSCs, wherein the DSM instructs the second DSC to obtain available local virtual IP addresses in the local area network in which the second DSC resides and then report those available local virtual IP addresses back to the DSM, wherein the DSM assigns a second virtual IP Address to the second DSC and establishes a return route from the destination network device to the first virtual IP address assigned to the first DSC, based on corresponding DSC and network device information stored in a registry of the DSM;   wherein the DSM is configured to establish a route from an assigned Virtual IP address to a destination network device on a LAN associated with a given DSC, based on stored pairs of information stored in the device; and   the given DSC is configured to broadcast a broadcast packet across the route from the one LAN to another LAN by tunneling between the two networks using the established route to forwarding a broadcast packet from the one LAN to the other LAN.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the DSM automatically establishes a return route for each device that establishes a route from the first Virtual IP address to a destination network device on the second LAN. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the network access module in the DSM is configured to create a pairing of 1) each DSC's unique identifier and the virtual IP address of the local network assigned with the DSC, the network access module also creates a pairing of 2) a unique identifier of a host DSC controller and a real IP address of a host console network device associated with the unique identifier of DSC on a first local area network, as well as a pairing of 3) a real IP address of a destination network device and a unique identifier of a destination DSC on a second local area network, and the DSM stores these pairings in the registry of the DSM, and the networked devices are located behind a firewall on a local area network relative to a location of the DSM on a wide area network. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the DSC obtains the VIP addresses using a local automatic address server, and then copies the VIP addresses back to an association manager in the DSM, which updates a VIP Routing Table in the DSM. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the network access module instructs DSC to use DHCP to pick up VIP addresses from a pool of VIP address pre-identified by DSC to DSM and the network access module automatically updates routing information in the VIP Routing Table to be able to map real IP addresses with assigned VIP addresses and store that association in the DSM registry and an association pairing is held stored while a connection is active and then placed in a queue of stored pairs until replaced by new active connection needing a pairing and then overwritten on a least frequently used basis. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a domain name server (DNS), wherein the network access manager in the DSM cooperates with the DNS and the DNS merely needs to allocate a virtual IP address when a DNS query occurs, where a first DSC pre-allocates a pool of VIP addresses available in its LAN, then sends the pool of VIP addresses to the DSM and the DSM assigns and uses VIP address entries from the pool as needed.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the LAN receiving the broadcast packet broadcasts the broadcast packet across the second LAN. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the system changes the source address of the broadcast packet. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the source address of the broadcast packet is changed to an address for a first VIP route. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the system changes the destination address of the broadcast packet. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the destination address of the broadcast packet is changed to the broadcast address of the second network. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the system only forwards packets originating from a device that has a VIP address.