Abstract: A method of configuring a plurality of rendezvous servers to provide a Host Identity Protocol, HIP, based mobility service to HIP nodes, where the servers are arranged in a hierarchical branching structure. For each HIP node, a Host Identity Tag, HIT,-and contact address mapping is registered with a rendezvous server (101). That server then identifies itself and the HIT to each higher level server within the same branch, without explicitly identifying the contact address to those higher level servers (103) wherein, in use, when a first rendezvous server receives a HIP contact message addressed to a given HIT (201), if that first server is unaware of the destination HIT, it forwards the message to a higher level server within the same branch (204), and if the first server is not the server at which the HIT is registered but is aware of the HIT, it forwards the contact message to the neighbouring rendezvous server corresponding to the HIT (203).

Abstract: A method of migrating a virtual machine comprises a first manager, managing a first computing environment (such as a computing cloud), initiates migration of a virtual machine currently executing on a first vM2ME (virtual machine-to-machine equipment) in the first computing environment to a second computing environment (such as another computing cloud). Once the VM has migrated, the first manager disables execution of the first vM2ME.

Abstract: A method of configuring a plurality of rendezvous servers to provide a Host Identity Protocol, HIP, based mobility service to HIP nodes, where the servers are arranged in a hierarchical branching structure. For each HIP node, a Host Identity Tag, HIT, and contact address mapping is registered with a rendezvous server. That server then identifies itself and the HIT to each higher level server within the same branch, without explicitly identifying the contact address to those higher level servers wherein, in use, when a first rendezvous server receives a HIP contact message addressed to a given HIT, if that first server is unaware of the destination HIT, it forwards the message to a higher level server within the same branch and if the first server is not the server at which the HIT is registered but is aware of the HIT, it forwards the contact message to the neighbouring rendezvous server corresponding to the HIT.

Abstract: A method of handling mobility-related signalling in a communications system comprising a mobile node, a mobile router, and a peer node. The method comprises providing the mobile router with a delegation certificate that is cryptographically signed by or on behalf of the mobile node. At the mobile router, a mobility-related signalling exchange is initiated with the peer node on behalf of the mobile node, the mobile router providing to the peer node within this exchange, said delegation certificate or an identification of the certificate, and a sequence number associated with the certificate. At the peer node, the received sequence number is compared with a sequence number maintained by the peer node in respect of the delegation certificate, and the exchange authorised in dependence upon the result of the comparison.

Abstract: A method of generating network identifiers for use by mobile routers of a moving network is provided which enables fast and efficient routing loop avoidance and detection. The method comprises receiving at a mobile router of a sub-network chain, a beacon from a preceding mobile router in the chain, the beacon containing a network identifier of the preceding mobile router, generating a new network identifier by applying a pre-defined function to the received network identifier, and including the new network identifier in beacons broadcast by the receiving mobile router. When preparing for a handover, a mobile router compares the network identifier contained in a received beacon with values generated by applying said function against its own network identifier. This allows the mobile router to identify beacons originating from mobile routers that are downstream in the same chain.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for verifying a request for service in a communication network. An authentication node generates a secret and transmits the secret to a node providing a service. The authentication node then receives a request for authentication from a requesting node, and once the requesting node is authenticated, the authorization node sends an identifier for the requesting node and a first token, which is derived using the secret and the identifier. A service providing node subsequently receives a request for service from the requesting node, the request including the identifier for the requesting node and the first token. The service providing node derives a second token using the identifier and the secret. If the first token and the second token match, then the service providing node allows the request, and if the first token and the second token do not match, then the request is refused.

Abstract: Facilitating access to a Host Identity Protocol security procedure by a legacy host 100 connected to a moving network 101. The method comprises registering a local IP address or temporary Host Identity Tag of the legacy host 100 with a rendezvous server 111 together with an IP address of a Host Identity Protocol proxy 102 within the moving network, and using the registered IP address or temporary Host Identity Tag at the rendezvous server to forward received I1 packets to the Host Identity Protocol proxy.

Abstract: A method of operating a user terminal connected to the Internet comprises: prior to sending an email from the user terminal to a recipient, sending an identifier of the email content and a telephone number to a server; receiving a verification code from the server via the Internet; receiving an authentication string from the server via the Internet; including the authentication string and the telephone number in the email; and sending the email to the recipient.

Abstract: A method of facilitating access to a Host Identity Protocol security procedure by a host connected to a moving network, where the moving network comprises a Host Identity Protocol server responsible for allocating local IP addresses to attached hosts. The method comprises registering at a rendezvous server an IP address prefix for use by said Host Identity Protocol server in allocating said local addresses, together with an externally reachable IP address of the Host Identity Protocol server. The registered IP address prefix is used at the rendezvous server to forward received I1 messages to the Host Identity Protocol server. The rendezvous server controls the allocation and registration of address prefixes to Host Identity Protocol servers in order to prevent collision of local IP addresses.

Abstract: A method of facilitating location update signalling within a communication network between a mobile node and an end host includes establishing a trust relationship between one or more end hosts (1) and a proxy (3). When a mobile node (2) is handed-off, a location update is performed between the mobile node (2) and the proxy (3), and a location update message is sent from the proxy to the end host(s) having the trust relationship with the proxy. Multiple end hosts may authorise the same proxy to perform location update signalling on their behalf. The number of signalling messages required to perform the location update may be reduced, compared to a legacy method in which the mobile node is required to perform location update signalling with each end host.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for verifying a request for service in a communication network. An authentication node generates a secret and transmits the secret to a node providing a service. The authentication node then receives a request for authentication from a requesting node, and once the requesting node is authenticated, the authorisation node sends an identifier for the requesting node and a first token, which is derived using the secret and the identifier. A service providing node subsequently receives a request for service from the requesting node, the request including the identifier for the requesting node and the first token. The service providing node derives a second token using the identifier and the secret. If the first token and the second token match, then the service providing node allows the request, and if the first token and the second token do not match, then the request is refused.

Abstract: A method of configuring a plurality of rendezvous servers to provide a Host Identity Protocol, HIP, based mobility service to HIP nodes, where the servers are arranged in a hierarchical branching structure. For each HIP node, a Host Identity Tag, HIT, and contact address mapping is registered with a rendezvous server. That server then identifies itself and the HIT to each higher level server within the same branch, without explicitly identifying the contact address to those higher level servers wherein, in use, when a first rendezvous server receives a HIP contact message addressed to a given HIT, if that first server is unaware of the destination HIT, it forwards the message to a higher level server within the same branch and if the first server is not the server at which the HIT is registered but is aware of the HIT, it forwards the contact message to the neighbouring rendezvous server corresponding to the HIT.

Abstract: A method of facilitating access to a Host Identity Protocol security procedure by a legacy host (100) connected to a moving network (101). The method comprises registering a local IP address or temporary Host Identity Tag of the legacy host (100) with a rendezvous server (111) together with an IP address of a Host Identity Protocol proxy (102) within said moving network, and using the registered IP address or temporary Host Identity Tag at the rendezvous server to forward received I1 packets to the Host Identity Protocol proxy.

Abstract: A method is provided of at least partially securing communications, via a HIP proxy (16), between a first host (12) which is not HIP enabled and a second host (14) which is HIP enabled, the method comprising: sending (A) a query from the first host (12) to resolve the IP address of the second host (14); in response to said query, retrieving (B, C) an IP address (IPfa) and HIT (HIThip) associated with the second host (14), returning (E) from the proxy (16) a substitute IP address (IPres) associated with the second host (14), and maintaining (D) at the proxy (16) a mapping between the substitute IP address (IPres), the retrieved IP address (IPfa) and the retrieved HIT (HIThip); and upon receipt (F) of a session initiation message (TCP SYN) at the proxy (16) from the first host (12) including as its destination address the substitute IP address (IPres), using the mapping to negotiate a secure HIP connection (22) between the proxy (16) and the second host (14).

Abstract: According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of verifying to a recipient of an email that a sender of the email possesses a mobile telecommunications device associated with a specific telephone number.

Abstract: A network comprises a NetLMM domain having at least one Host Identity Protocol proxy coupled to one or more Access Points for communicating with a Mobile Node and acting, in use, as an Access Router for the NetLMM domain. Use of an HIP proxy as an Access Router allows the Access Router itself to be mobile. Furthermore, the Access Router can reside in IPv4 networks, and can even be behind NAT boxes located between the Access Router and a Local Mobility Anchor to which the Access Router is registered. The invention may be applied using a hierarchical architecture in which each domain comprises a respective Local Mobility Anchor coupled to each HIP proxy acting as an Access Router in the domain. The Local Mobility Anchor of a domain may itself be an HIP Local Mobility Anchor. Alternatively, the HIP proxies in a domain may be arranged in a distributed manner.

Abstract: A method of generating network identifiers for use by mobile routers of a moving network is provided which enables fast and efficient routing loop avoidance and detection. The method comprises receiving at a mobile router of a sub-network chain, a beacon from a preceding mobile router in the chain, the beacon containing a network identifier of the preceding mobile router, generating a new network identifier by applying a pre-defined function to the received network identifier, and including the new network identifier in beacons broadcast by the receiving mobile router. When preparing for a handover, a mobile router compares the network identifier contained in a received beacon with values generated by applying said function against its own network identifier. This allows the mobile router to identify beacons originating from mobile routers that are downstream in the same chain.

Abstract: A method is provided of at least partially securing communications, via a HIP proxy (16), between a first host (12) which is not HIP enabled and a second host (14) which is HIP enabled, the method comprising: sending (A) a query from the first host (12) to resolve the IP address of the second host (14); in response to said query, retrieving (B, C) an IP address (IPfa) and HIT (HIThip) associated with the second host (14), returning (E) from the proxy (16) a substitute IP address (IPres) associated with the second host (14), and maintaining (D) at the proxy (16) a mapping between the substitute IP address (IPres), the retrieved IP address (IPfa) and the retrieved HIT (HIThip); and upon receipt (F) of a session initiation message (TCP SYN) at the proxy (16) from the first host (12) including as its destination address the substitute IP address (IPres), using the mapping to negotiate a secure HIP connection (22) between the proxy (16) and the second host (14).

Abstract: A method is provided of using the Host Identity Protocol (HIP) to at least partially secure communications between a first host (102) operating in a first network environment and a second, HIP-enabled host (122) operating in a second network environment, with a gateway node (114) forming a gateway between the two environments. In the method, an identifier is associated with the first host (102), stored at the gateway node (114), and sent to the first host (102). The identifier is then used as a source address in a subsequent session initiation message sent from the first host (102) to the gateway node (114), having an indication that the destination of the message is the second host (122). The stored identifier at the gateway node is then used to negotiate a secure HIP connection to the second host. The first network environment may be a UMTS or GPRS environment, in which case the gateway node may be a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN).