User plane traffic handling using network address translation and request redirection

Abstract

For handling user plane traffic in a communication network, a NAT node () determines a mapping between a network address (-) of a server () and a replacement network (-) address matching a packet classification rule implemented in the communication network. If the NAT node () receives an UL data packet () in which a source address identifier corresponds to a network address of a user equipment () and a destination address identifier corresponds to the replacement network address (-), it performs NAT of the UL data packet () in accordance with the mapping. This is accomplished at least by modifying the destination address identifier in the UL data packet () to correspond to the network address (-) of the server (). The NAT node () then sends the modified UL data packet () toward the server (). To provide the user equipment () with the replacement network address (-), a further node is configured to perform redirection of a query from the user equipment (). For example, the further node may be a Domain Name System Node () which is configured to resolve a Domain Name System query () for the network address (-) of the server () with the replacement network address (-).