Network address translation in a network having multiple overlapping address domains

摘要

A technique for translating addresses in a communication network having multiple overlapping address domains involves mapping an overlapping local address from a first address domain to a unique global address that is specific to a second address domain. The unique global address is used by any device in the second address domain to reference the device in the first address domain having the overlapping local address. Furthermore, a packet sent from a source host in the first address domain to a destination host in the second address domain requires at least a source address translation in order to translate the source host local address used within the first address domain into a source host global address that is used within the second address domain, and may also require a destination address translation in order to translate the destination host global address used within the first address domain into a destination host local address used within the second address domain.