System and method for reducing CPU load in processing PPP packets on a SSL-VPN tunneling device

A non-transitory machine readable medium having stored thereon instructions for reducing processing required to transmit a data packet over a virtual private network, the medium comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the machine to:

• receive an initial encapsulated data packet to be transmitted over an established Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnel connection to a receiving device;
• remove from the initial encapsulated data packet, a Layer 2 (L2) protocol header and at least one framing element selected from a front end delimiter or a back end delimiter;
• append an alternate encapsulated protocol header to an Internet Protocol (IP) data packet of the initial encapsulated data packet to generate a modified encapsulated data packet, wherein the alternate encapsulated protocol header contains processing information for the IP data packet, the processing information comprising at least a payload length of the IP data packet;
• and
• send the modified encapsulated data packet to the receiving device over the VPN tunnel connection, wherein the alternate encapsulated protocol header is configured to allow the receiving device to handle the IP data packet in the modified encapsulated data packet using less computational resources in comparison to handling the initial encapsulated data packet.

A network device comprising:

• a memory storing an application module having one or more programming instructions;
• and
• a processor configured execute the application module, which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:
• receive an initial encapsulated data packet to be transmitted over an established Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnel connection to a receiving device;
• remove from the initial encapsulated data packet, a Layer 2 (L2) protocol header and at least one framing element selected from a front end delimiter or a back end delimiter;
• append an alternate encapsulated protocol header to an Internet Protocol (IP) data packet of the initial encapsulated data packet to generate a modified encapsulated data packet, wherein the alternate encapsulated protocol header contains processing information for the IP data packet, the processing information comprising at least a payload length of the IP data packet;
• and
• send the modified encapsulated data packet to the receiving device over the VPN tunnel connection, wherein the alternate encapsulated protocol header is configured to allow the receiving device to handle the IP data packet in the modified encapsulated data packet using less computational resources in comparison to handling the initial encapsulated data packet.