Methods and systems for routing packets in a VPN-client-to-VPN-client connection via an SSL/VPN network appliance

A system for routing packets between clients, the system comprising:

• a first client of a plurality of clients, transmitting a packet;
• a second client of the plurality of clients;
• and
• a device intermediary to the plurality of clients and connected to each client via a secure sockets layer virtual private network (SSL VPN) connection, the device comprising
• i. a receiver receiving the packet from a first client agent of the first client over a first SSL VPN connection,
• ii. a packet inspector identifying, responsive to an inspection of the received packet, 1) a type of transport layer connection required for transmission of the received packet to a destination address identified by the received packet and 2) the second client, the second client connected via a second SSL VPN connection to the device and associated with the identified destination address, and
• iii. a transceiver receiving a request from a second client agent executing on the second client for establishment by the second client of a transport layer connection of the identified type and transmitting the received packet to the second client over the requested transport layer connection, the second client agent establishing a transport layer connection with an application executing on the second client and forwarding the received packet to the application.

A method for routing packets between clients, the method comprising:

• (a) establishing, by a first client from a first network, a first secure sockets layer virtual private network (SSL VPN) connection to a second network via a device, the device intermediary to a plurality of clients each connected to the device via a SSL VPN connection;
• (b) establishing, by a second client agent of a second client from a third network, a second SSL VPN connection to the second network via the device;
• (c) receiving, by the device, a request from the first client via the first SSL VPN connection to connect to the second client on the second network;
• (d) identifying, by the device responsive to an inspection of the received packet, i) a type of transport layer connection required for transmission of the received packet to a destination address identified by the received packet and ii) the second client on the second network associated with the identified destination address;
• (e) requesting establishment, by a second client agent executing on the second client, of the transport layer connection of the identified type via the second SSL VPN connection, the second client agent establishing a transport layer connection with a second application executing on the second client;
• and
• (f) transmitting, by the device, the received packet to the second client via the established transport layer connection of the identified type, the received packet forwarded to the second application executing on the second client via the transport layer connection established between the second application and the second client agent.