Apparatus and method for multi-user NAT session identification and tracking
US8180892B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 22, 2009 |
| Grant date | May 15, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 8, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L61/2514
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for identifying and tracking multiple computer user sessions associated with a network address translation (NAT) device coupled to a computer network. Data packets originating from the NAT device containing a request to a destination server coupled to the computer network are received. A client source address associated with the data packets is determined where the source address associated with the NAT device. One or more session entries associated with the client source address can then be determined, wherein the session entries are stored in system state information. A session signature can then be determined based one or more characteristics defined by the data packet header information and/or request header information in the one or more data packets, the session signature uniquely identifying one of the multiple computer user sessions coupled to the NAT device.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.