JP2010045451A - Packet sorter, communication system, packet processing method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide service communications using UDP (User Datagram Protocol) between a client apparatus under control of a NAT (Network Address Translator) apparatus and a server apparatus, without imposing any processing load on the server apparatus for retaining a binding information of the NAT apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: A server apparatus for service provision and a server apparatus for retaining NAT binding are connected to a packet sorter. An IP address and a port number are assigned to the packet sorter for communication with the client apparatus under control of the NAT apparatus through the NAT apparatus. Based on data contained in a packet directed to the IP address and the port number received from the client apparatus, the packet sorter distributes the packet to the server apparatus for service provision or the server apparatus for retaining NAT binding. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique in which a client device under a NAT (Network Address Translation) device communicates with a server device outside the NAT device using UDP (User Datagram Protocol).

  A NAT device (NAPT (Network Address) that enables access from a client device assigned a private IP address to a server device on the global network (Internet) by converting private IP address and global IP address to each other. Port Translation) is popular.

  When the client device communicates with an external server device via the NAT device, the client device transmits a packet to the server device, so that the NAT device has the IP address and port number of the client device, and the NAT device. The binding information including the correspondence with the IP address and port number on the global network side is held. When the NAT device receives a packet destined for the above-mentioned IP address and port number of the NAT device from the server device, the NAT device refers to the binding information to rewrite the destination to the IP address and port number of the client device, and Send to device.

  In general, in order to maintain security, when there is no packet communication between the client device and the server device for a certain period of time, the binding information in the NAT device becomes invalid. When the binding information becomes invalid, the packet does not reach the client device from the server device.

Here, TCP or UDP is generally used for packet communication between the client device and the server device. TCP is a connection type and includes a confirmation sequence, etc., but since UDP does not have such a sequence, from the viewpoint of security, the above-mentioned fixed time for invalidating binding information is set short in UDP.
JP 2006-254160 A RFC3489bis

In recent years, IP telephone communication services using SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) as a signaling protocol have become widespread. Client devices that receive such services are generally located in private networks such as home networks and company networks, and client devices communicate with SIP server devices (SIP proxies) via NAT devices. become.
SIP messages are usually sent and received using UDP. However, when using UDP, it is necessary to transmit and receive packets at short time intervals (several tens of seconds to once every few minutes) between the client device and the SIP server device in order to maintain the binding information of the NAT device. . For example, the client device transmits a Register message to the SIP server device at short time intervals in order to maintain the binding information. As a result, there is a problem that a high processing load is applied to the SIP server device.

  By using TCP instead of UDP for SIP communication, the load related to packet transmission and reception for maintaining binding information can be reduced. However, the processing load of TCP communication itself is high, so the SIP server device has a high processing load. Is not resolved.

  As described above, in both cases of UDP and TCP, a large load is applied to the SIP server device, and if the number of client devices accommodated in the SIP server device increases, it becomes necessary to greatly increase the SIP server device. Therefore, scalability for the original VoIP service is poor.

  In addition, the STUN (Simple Traversal of User Datagram Protocol) server device provided separately from the SIP server device and the client device perform packet transmission / reception to maintain the binding information, thereby reducing the processing load of the SIP server device in UDP communication. Mitigation is also possible. However, the method of separately providing the SIP server device and the STUN server device has a problem that it cannot support symmetric NAT. Further, it is conceivable that the SIP server device has a STUN function, and the STUN function is responsible for packet transmission and reception for maintaining the binding information, but this does not reduce the processing load on the SIP server device.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and without placing a processing load on the server device for maintaining the binding information of the NAT device, the client device under the NAT device can operate as a server outside the NAT device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a technique that enables communication with a device using UDP.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention comprises a packet distribution device, a service providing server device, and a NAT binding maintaining server device, the service providing server device and the NAT binding maintaining server device, Is a packet distribution device used in a communication system configured to be connected to the packet distribution device via a communication network, and the packet distribution device includes a client device under the NAT device and the NAT device. An IP address and a port number for performing communication are assigned, and the packet distribution device transmits a packet including the IP address and the port number as a destination IP address and a destination port number from the client device via the NAT device. Received and based on the data contained in the packet Means for determining whether the packet should be transmitted to the service providing server device or the NAT binding maintaining server device, and depending on a result of the determination, the packet is transmitted to the service providing server device or Means for transmitting to the NAT binding maintaining server device; and a packet received from the service providing server device or the NAT binding maintaining server device, and the source IP address and source port number in the packet are represented by the IP address And a means for transmitting the converted packet to the client device via the NAT device.

  The present invention also includes the packet distribution device described above, a service providing server device, and a NAT binding maintaining server device, and the service providing server device and the NAT binding maintaining server device include the packet distributing device. Alternatively, the communication system may be configured to be connected via a communication network. The present invention can also be configured as a program that causes a computer to function as each means in the packet distribution device.

  According to the present invention, the service providing server device and the NAT binding maintaining server device are connected to the packet distribution device, and the packet distribution device communicates with the client device under the NAT device via the NAT device. Since the IP address and the port number are allocated, the packet distribution device distributes the packet to the service providing server device or the NAT binding maintenance server device based on the data included in the packet received from the client device. The packet for maintaining NAT binding sent from the server can be sent to the server device for maintaining NAT binding, the load for maintaining the NAT binding to the server device for providing service is eliminated, and the server for providing service while realizing NAT traversal In the device It is possible to improve the scalability for the original service provider.

  Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, SIP communication is described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to SIP communication, and can be applied to all systems that perform UDP communication between a client device and a server device via a NAT device.

(overall structure)
FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system in the present embodiment includes a packet distribution device 1, a SIP server device 2 (service providing server device), a STUN server device 3 (NAT binding maintenance server device), a NAT device A, It has a NAT device B, a client device A, and a client device B.

  The packet distribution device 1 is connected to the SIP server device 2 and the STUN server device 3 via a network 5 (global network). Further, the packet distribution device 1 is connected to the NAT device A and the NAT device B via the network 4 (global network). NAT device A is connected to client device A via a private network, and NAT device B is connected to client device B via a private network.

  FIG. 1 shows an IP address and a port number assigned to each device in a description format of (IP address, port number). That is, the client device A is assigned (IP_A, Port_A) as an IP address and port number for SIP and STUN communication, and the client device B is assigned an IP address and port number for SIP and STUN communication (IP_B, Port_B) is assigned. Further, (IP_NATA, Port_NATA) and (IP_NATB, Port_NATB) are assigned to the NAT device A and the NAT device B for communication with the network 4, respectively.

  The packet distribution device 1 is assigned a virtual IP address / virtual port number (VIP, VPort) as an IP address / port number for communicating with each client device via each NAT device. The virtual IP address / virtual port number is a destination when a packet is transmitted from each client device to the SIP server device 2 and the STUN server device 3. It looks like the (virtual) IP address and port number of the STUN server device 3. Here, by using the same virtual IP address / virtual port number in the SIP server device 2 and the STUN server device 3, any kind of NAT device can be supported.

The packet distribution device 1 is further assigned (IP_LB, Port_LB) as an IP address / port number for communicating with the SIP server device 2 and the STUN server device 3.
The SIP server device 2 is assigned (IP_SIP, Port_SIP), and the STUN server device 3 is assigned (IP_STUN, Port_STUN).

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, each client device is a PC (personal computer) having a STUN client function and a SIP-UA function. Each NAT device is a device having a NAT function, and in this embodiment, any type of NAT device (including symmetric NAT) may be used as long as it is a NAT device that transmits UDP packets.

  The packet distribution device 1 is a device having a function of distributing the packet to the SIP server device 2 or the STUN server device 3 by examining the contents of the packet received via the network 4, and details thereof will be described later. .

The SIP server device 2 is a computer having a SIP proxy function. The STUN server device 3 is a computer having a STUN server function. In the present embodiment, conventional SIP server device 2 and STUN server device 3 can be used. However, in the SIP server device 2 and the STUN server device 3, the IP address IP_LB of the packet distribution device 1 is set as the IP address of the default gateway. Alternatively, a packet returned from the SIP server device 2 and the STUN server device 3 to the client device is delivered to the packet distribution device 1 by setting routing in the network 5.
(Functional configuration of packet distribution device 1)
FIG. 2 shows a functional configuration diagram of the packet distribution device 1. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the packet distribution device 1 includes a reception unit 11, a packet determination unit 12, an address / port conversion unit 13, and a transmission unit 14.

  The reception unit 11 receives a packet (IP packet), and when the destination of the packet is a virtual IP address / virtual port number (VIP, VPort), passes the packet to the packet determination unit 12, and the destination is (VIP , VPort), the function unit passes the packet to the address / port conversion unit 13.

  The packet determination unit 12 refers to the contents of the packet passed from the reception unit 11 and determines whether the data included in the packet is a STUN message or a SIP message. This is determined from information such as the port number of the header of the UDP packet included in the packet, for example. Further, a data part such as a SIP message may be referred to, and it may be determined whether or not there is header information used for the STUN message or the SIP message.

  The packet determination unit 12 passes the packet and the determination result to the address / port conversion unit 13. If the determination result is “SIP” when receiving the packet and the determination result from the packet determination unit 12, the address / port conversion unit 13 sets the destination IP address / port number in the header of the packet to (VIP, VPort ) To (IP_SIP, Port_SIP), and the converted packet is passed to the transmitter 14. Further, when the address / port conversion unit 13 receives the packet and the determination result from the packet determination unit 12 and the determination result is “STUN”, the address / port conversion unit 13 sets the destination IP address / port number of the packet to (VIP, VPort ) To (IP_STUN, Port_STUN), and the converted packet is passed to the transmitter 14.

  When the address / port conversion unit 13 receives a packet from the reception unit 11 (that is, when the destination of the packet is not (VIP, VPort)), the address / port conversion unit 13 sets the packet source IP address. The address / port number is converted into (VIP, VPort), and the converted packet is passed to the transmitter 14. The transmission unit 14 transmits the packet received from the address / port conversion unit 13 to the network corresponding to the packet transmission destination.

  The packet distribution device 1 can be realized by causing a computer having a CPU, a storage device, and the like to execute programs for realizing the above functions. The program may be installed in a computer from a recording medium such as a portable memory, or may be downloaded from a server on the network. Further, the packet distribution device 1 can be realized by using a load balancer having a packet distribution function.

(Operation sequence)
Next, an operation example of the communication system shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to the sequence charts shown in FIGS. The communication shown below is performed by UDP. Also, in each sequence diagram, the description “(IP address X, port number X)-> (IP address Y, port number Y)” indicates that the source IP address / port number in the corresponding packet is (IP address X, Port number X) and the destination IP address / port number is (IP address Y, port number Y).

  First, referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the client apparatus A obtains the IP address / port number outside the NAT apparatus A from the STUN server apparatus 3 according to the STUN (including STUNbis) protocol, and stores the information. A sequence for transmitting a Register including contact information or the like to the SIP server device 2 will be described.

  In FIG. 3, the client device A has a source IP address / port number (IP_A, Port_A), and the destination IP address / port number is the virtual IP address / virtual port number of the packet distribution device 1 (VIP, VPort). The binding request packet based on STUN (IP packet including the binding request message as data) is transmitted to the NAT device A (step 1).

  NAT device A creates binding information including information that associates the source IP address / port number (IP_A, Port_A) of the received binding request packet with the outer IP address / port number (IP_NATA, Port_NATA). The transmission source IP address / port number of the binding request packet is converted into (IP_NATA, Port_NATA), and the binding request packet is sent to the network 4 (step 2).

  The packet distribution device 1 receives the binding request packet, and checks the contents of the packet in the packet determination unit 12 to determine that the packet is a STUN packet. The packet distribution device 1 then sends a binding request packet with the destination IP address and port number (IP_STUN, Port_STUN) to the network (step 3). At this time, the source IP address / port number remains (IP_NATA, Port_NATA).

  The binding request packet reaches the STUN server device 3. The STUN server device 3 that has received the binding request packet sends a binding response packet including the IP address and port number outside the NAT device A to the NAT device A (step 4). In other words, the destination IP address / port number is the IP address / port number (IP_NATA, Port_NATA) of the NAT device A, and the source IP address / port number is the IP address / port number (IP_STUN, Port_STUN) of the STUN server device 3 Send out a binding response packet.

In the STUN server device 3, since the IP address IP_LB of the packet distribution device 1 is set as the IP address of the default gateway, the binding response packet reaches the packet distribution device 1. Alternatively, the binding response packet reaches the packet distribution device 1 based on the routing setting in the network 5.
The packet distribution device 1 that has received the binding response packet converts the source IP address / port number of the packet into its own IP address / port number (VIP, VPort), and sends the converted binding response packet to the network 4. (Step 5). The binding response packet arrives at the NAT device A, and the NAT device A converts the destination IP address / port number of the packet into (IP_A, Port_A) and sends it out (step 6). As a result, the client apparatus A receives the binding response packet.

  Thereafter, in order to maintain binding information in NAT device A (continue drilling), client device A periodically (every tens of seconds to every few minutes) sets (VIP, VPort) as the destination as described above. Sent the binding request packet. Accordingly, packets are transmitted / received via the NAT device A in the same sequence as described above, and the binding information is held. Note that the packet transmitted to the STUN server device 3 may not be a binding request packet only for the purpose of continuing drilling. In parallel with the SIP packet transmission / reception processing described below, STUN packets are transmitted / received for the purpose of continuing drilling.

  Next, the client device A sends a Register packet (IP packet having a Register message as data) to the NAT device A in order to perform SIP communication (step 11 in FIG. 4). The source IP address / port number and the destination IP address / port number of the Register packet are (IP_A, Port_A) and (VIP, VPort), respectively, as in the STUN packet. In the Register message, (IP_NATA, Port_NATA) acquired from the binding response packet is described, and this is registered in the SIP server device 2 as the IP address / port number of the client device A.

  The NAT device A converts the source IP address / port number of the Register packet into (IP_NATA, Port_NATA) and sends the Register packet to the network 4 (step 12).

  The packet distribution device 1 receives the Register packet and examines the contents of the packet to determine that the packet is a SIP packet. Then, the packet distribution device 1 sends a Register packet with the destination IP address and port number (IP_SIP, Port_SIP) to the network 5 (step 13). The Register packet reaches the SIP server device 2.

The SIP server device 2 that has received the Register packet performs a registration process. The response packet includes the IP address and port number (IP_NATA, Port_NATA) outside the NAT device A as the destination, and the IP address / port number (IP_SIP, Port_SIP) of the SIP server device 2 as the source IP address / port number. (Step 14). In the SIP server device 2, since the IP address IP_LB of the packet distribution device 1 is set as the IP address of the default gateway, the response packet reaches the packet distribution device 1. Alternatively, as described above, the response packet may be delivered to the packet distribution device 1 by setting the routing in the network 5.
The packet distribution device 1 that has received the response packet converts the source IP address / port number into its own IP address / port number (VIP, VPort), and sends the converted response packet to the network 4 (step 15). . The response packet arrives at the NAT device A, where the destination IP address / port number is converted into (IP_A, Port_A) in the NAT device A and is transmitted (step 16). As a result, the client apparatus A receives the response packet.

  Next, an operation when the client apparatus A that has performed the above registration process transmits an INVITE packet (an IP packet including an INVITE message as data) to the client apparatus B will be described with reference to FIG. . It is assumed that (IP_NATB, Port_NATB) is already registered in the SIP server apparatus 2 as the IP address / port number of the client apparatus B. Further, it is assumed that the NAT apparatus B holds binding information including the correspondence between (IP_B, Port_B) and (IP_NATB, Port_NATB).

  The client device A sends an INVITE packet to the NAT device A for the purpose of media communication with the client device B (step 21). The source IP address / port number and the destination IP address / port number of the INVITE packet are (IP_A, Port_A) and (VIP, VPort), respectively, similarly to the Register packet described above.

  The NAT device A converts the source IP address / port number of the INVITE packet into (IP_NATA, Port_NATA) and sends the INVITE packet to the network 4 (step 22).

  The packet distribution device 1 receives the INVITE packet and examines the contents of the packet to determine that the packet is a SIP packet. Then, the packet distribution device 1 sends an INVITE packet with the destination IP address and port number (IP_SIP, Port_SIP) to the network 5 (step 23). The INVITE packet reaches the SIP server device 2.

The SIP server device 2 that has received the INVITE packet determines that this INVITE is addressed to the client device B from the INVITE message, acquires (IP_NATB, Port_NATB) from the registration information, and uses (IP_NATB) as the destination IP address / port number. , Port_NATB), and an INVITE packet including the IP address / port number (IP_SIP, Port_SIP) of the SIP server device 2 as the transmission source IP address / port number is transmitted (step 24). As described above, since the IP address IP_LB of the packet distribution device 1 is set as the IP address of the default gateway in the SIP server device 2, this INVITE packet reaches the packet distribution device 1. Alternatively, as described above, the INVITE packet may be delivered to the packet distribution device 1 by setting the routing in the network 5.
Upon receiving the INVITE packet, the packet distribution device 1 converts the source IP address / port number of the packet into its own IP address / port number (VIP, VPort), and sends the INVITE packet to the network 4 (step 25). . The INVITE packet reaches the NAT device B, where the destination IP address / port number is converted to (IP_B, Port_B) in the NAT device B, and the converted INVITE packet is sent to the client device B (step 26). As a result, the client apparatus B receives the INVITE packet.

  With the above communication method, any SIP message can be transmitted / received via the NAT device A and the NAT device B, and then media communication can be performed. Also in media communication, each client device acquires the external IP address / port number of the NAT device for media communication and performs punching in the NAT device in the same manner as the binding request / binding response processing shown in FIG. Can continue.

  According to the present embodiment, since the packet for continuing drilling in the NAT device is transmitted to the STUN server device 3 by the packet distribution device 1, there is a problem that a large processing load is imposed on the SIP server device for continuing NAT drilling. Is resolved. The packet distribution device 1 is assigned one type of IP address / port number (VIP, VPort) as an IP address / port number to be seen on the client device side. As a result, when the SIP server device 2 transmits a packet and when the STUN server device 3 transmits a packet, the source IP address / port number of the packet received by the NAT device is (VIP, VPort). Therefore, it is possible to deal with strict NAT devices such as symmetric NAT.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible within the scope of the claims.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a communication system in an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of a packet distribution device 1. FIG. It is a sequence diagram which shows operation | movement of the communication system in embodiment of this invention. It is a sequence diagram which shows operation | movement of the communication system in embodiment of this invention. It is a sequence diagram which shows operation | movement of the communication system in embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Packet distribution apparatus 2 SIP server apparatus 3 STUN server apparatus 4, 5 Network 11 Reception part 12 Packet determination part 13 Address / port conversion part 14 Transmission part

Claims (7)

A packet distribution device, a service providing server device, and a NAT binding maintaining server device, wherein the service providing server device and the NAT binding maintaining server device are connected to the packet distribution device via a communication network. The packet distribution device used in a communication system configured as described above,
The packet distribution device is assigned an IP address and a port number for communicating with the client device under the NAT device and the NAT device, and the packet distribution device is
A packet including the IP address and the port number as a destination IP address and a destination port number is received from the client device via the NAT device, and the packet is transmitted to the service providing server device based on data included in the packet. And means for determining which of the server devices for NAT binding maintenance should be transmitted;
Means for transmitting the packet to the service providing server device or the NAT binding maintaining server device according to the determination result;
A packet is received from the service providing server device or the NAT binding maintaining server device, the source IP address and the source port number in the packet are converted into the IP address and the port number, and the converted packet is Means for transmitting to the client device via the NAT device.   2. The service providing server device is a SIP server device, the NAT binding maintaining server device is a STUN server device, and transmission / reception of SIP messages and STUN messages in the communication system is performed based on UDP. Packet distribution device. A packet distribution device, a service providing server device, and a NAT binding maintaining server device, wherein the service providing server device and the NAT binding maintaining server device are connected to the packet distribution device via a communication network. A communication system configured as follows:
The packet distribution device is assigned an IP address and a port number for communicating with the client device under the NAT device and the NAT device, and the packet distribution device is
A packet including the IP address and the port number as a destination IP address and a destination port number is received from the client device via the NAT device, and the packet is transmitted to the service providing server device based on data included in the packet. And means for determining which of the server devices for NAT binding maintenance should be transmitted;
Means for transmitting the packet to the service providing server device or the NAT binding maintaining server device according to the determination result;
A packet is received from the service providing server device or the NAT binding maintaining server device, the source IP address and the source port number in the packet are converted into the IP address and the port number, and the converted packet is Means for transmitting to the client device via the NAT device.   4. The service providing server device is a SIP server device, the NAT binding maintaining server device is a STUN server device, and transmission / reception of SIP messages and STUN messages in the communication system is performed based on UDP. Communications system.   5. The NAT binding maintaining server device receives packets for maintaining binding in the NAT device at predetermined time intervals from the client device via the NAT device and the packet distribution device. The communication system according to 1. A packet distribution device, a service providing server device, and a NAT binding maintaining server device, wherein the service providing server device and the NAT binding maintaining server device are connected to the packet distribution device via a communication network. A packet processing method executed by the packet distribution device used in the communication system configured as described above,
The packet distribution device is assigned an IP address and a port number for communicating with the client device under the NAT device and the NAT device, and the packet processing method includes:
A packet including the IP address and the port number as a destination IP address and a destination port number is received from the client device via the NAT device, and the packet is transmitted to the service providing server device based on data included in the packet. Determining whether to transmit to the NAT binding maintenance server device;
According to the determination result, transmitting the packet to the service providing server device or the NAT binding maintaining server device;
A packet is received from the service providing server device or the NAT binding maintaining server device, the source IP address and the source port number in the packet are converted into the IP address and the port number, and the converted packet is A packet processing method comprising: a step of transmitting to the client device via the NAT device. A packet distribution device, a service providing server device, and a NAT binding maintaining server device, wherein the service providing server device and the NAT binding maintaining server device are connected to the packet distribution device via a communication network. A program for causing a computer to function as the packet distribution device in the communication system configured as described above,
The packet distribution device is assigned an IP address and a port number for communicating with the client device under the NAT device and the NAT device, and the program executes the computer,
A packet including the IP address and the port number as a destination IP address and a destination port number is received from the client device via the NAT device, and the packet is transmitted to the service providing server device based on data included in the packet. And means for determining which of the NAT binding maintenance server devices should be transmitted,
Means for transmitting the packet to the service providing server device or the NAT binding maintaining server device according to the determination result;
A packet is received from the service providing server device or the NAT binding maintaining server device, the source IP address and the source port number in the packet are converted into the IP address and the port number, and the converted packet is Means for transmitting to the client device via the NAT device;
A program characterized by functioning as

Images