Shared application inter-working with virtual private networks
AssigneeSolace Systems, Inc.
InventorsShawn McAllister, Kenneth Barr, Erick Gonzalez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of providing a shared application infrastructure simultaneously to multiple independent virtual private networks with potentially overlapping IP addresses, involves connecting to an underlying layer 1, 2 or 3 virtual private network offering one or more virtual private networks, determining which virtual private network traffic is being received from or sent into, maintaining logically separate routing tables per VPN to allow overlapping addresses, and providing an application which provides a logical instance of the service to each VPN.
Claims20
A method of implementing a virtualized service simultaneously to multiple independent virtual private networks (VPNs) with potentially overlapping network addresses, comprising:
- providing an underlying packet network comprising a plurality of linked physical network entities;
- establishing said VPNs between specific network entities forming a subset of said linked network entities;
- providing a plurality of network devices connected to said network and offering subscriber services, wherein individual said network devices have globally unique addresses and send traffic to and accept traffic from subscribers attached to specific said network entities on more than one said VPN;
- propagating said globally unique addresses into said VPNs;
- providing multiple interfaces for said individual network devices, wherein each said interface of a particular network device establishes a connection to a particular said VPN connected to that network device;
- maintaining logically separate routing tables at each network device corresponding to each VPN connected to that network device;
- and
- routing traffic between said network devices and said VPNs using the routing table in the particular network device associated with the particularly VPN through which the traffic is being routed;
- whereby a logical instance of the virtualized service is provided to each VPN while maintaining integrity of the separate VPNs.
A network providing a content based message routing service comprising:
- a plurality of linked entities forming an underlying packet network wherein data traffic is routed between said network entities;
- a plurality of message routers connected to said network, each message router having a globally unique address;
- a plurality of virtual private networks established on said packet network and connected to said message routers, said globally unique address being propagated through said VPNs;
- said individual message routers having multiple interfaces associated with the respective VPNs;
- and
- logically separate routing tables maintained at said individual message routers for each VPN connected thereto, whereby traffic is routed between said network devices and said VPNs using the routing table in a particular network device associated with the particular VPN through which the traffic is being routed such that a logical instance of the virtualized service is provided to each VPN while maintaining integrity of the separate VPNs using shared equipment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.