Secure communication through a network fabric
AssigneeRaptor Networks Technology, Inc.
InventorThomas Michael Wittenschlaeger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods of providing a secure communication over a network fabric are presented. A network fabric preferably comprises multiple interconnected network elements. Devices connect to the fabric through one or more ports and communicate with each other over the fabric by exchanging communications. A port-to-port session can be established within which multiple communication paths can be constructed. As devices communicate via the ports, the communication can be divided into data chunks and transmitted along different paths. Additionally, each chunk can be independently encrypted on one or more legs of its journey across the fabric.
Claims20
A method of securing a communication between a first device and a second device over a network fabric, the method comprising:
- providing a network fabric of network elements interconnected via a plurality of data links where the network fabric includes a first port on a first network element and a second port on a second, different network element;
- allowing the first device and the second device to exchange a communication through the network fabric;
- establishing a secure port-to-port session between the first port and the second port;
- constructing within the port-to-port session a plurality of communication paths between the first port and the second port, where the communication paths are constructed from active data links selected from the plurality of data links according to a secure function that operates based on a secret key, and where each communication path differs from each other by at least one intervening network element;
- dividing the communication into data chunks by the network fabric;
- and
- transmitting at least two of the data chunks from the first port to the second port through different ones of the plurality of communication paths.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.