US 9,960,966 B2Granted

Methods and systems for managing VPN tunnels

AssigneePismo Labs Technology Limited

InventorsKam Chiu Ng, Patrick Ho Wai Sung, Kit Wai Chau

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The present invention discloses methods and systems for managing VPN tunnels. A VPN concentrator establishes a first aggregated VPN connection and a second aggregated VPN connection with a first host and a first network device respectively. When the first aggregated VPN connection comprises a first plurality of VPN tunnels, the VPN concentrator applies uplink and downlink bandwidth limits to each of the plurality of VPN tunnels. Similarly, when the second aggregated VPN connection comprise a second plurality of VPN tunnels, the VPN concentrator applies uplink and downlink bandwidth limits to each of the plurality of VPN tunnels. The first host encapsulates a first data packet in a first encapsulating packet and transmits the first encapsulating packet to a VPN concentrator using a first aggregated VPN connection. When the VPN concentrator receives the first encapsulating packet, the VPN concentrator decapsulates the first data packet from the first encapsulating packet and encapsulates the first data packet in a second encapsulating packet. The VPN concentrator then transmits the second encapsulating packet to a first network device using a second aggregated VPN connection.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method carried out at a system, wherein the system is implemented using Virtual Private Network (VPN) techniques, comprising:

(a) establishing, by way of a VPN concentrator, a first aggregated VPN connection and a second aggregated VPN connection with a first host and a second host, respectively;
(b) when the first aggregated VPN connection comprises a first plurality of VPN tunnels, the VPN concentrator applying uplink and downlink bandwidth limits to each of the first plurality of VPN tunnels;
(c) when the second aggregated VPN connection comprises a second plurality of VPN tunnels, the VPN concentrator applying uplink and downlink bandwidth limits to each of the second plurality of VPN tunnels;
(d) the first host encapsulating a first data packet in a first encapsulating packet;
(e) the first host transmitting the first encapsulating packet to the VPN concentrator using the first aggregated VPN connection;
(f) the VPN concentrator receiving the first encapsulating packet;
(g) the VPN concentrator decapsulating the first data packet from the first encapsulating packet;
(h) the VPN concentrator encapsulating the first data packet in a second encapsulating packet;
(i) the VPN concentrator transmitting the second encapsulating packet to the second host using the second aggregated VPN connection;
and
(j) the second host decapsulating the first data packet from the second encapsulating packet;
(k) the VPN concentrator setting a first ratio of bandwidth limit among VPN tunnels of the first plurality of VPN tunnels and setting a second ratio of bandwidth limit among VPN tunnels of the second plurality of VPN tunnels;
wherein the first ratio and the second ratio are set dynamically, according to a policy, or according to a predefined configuration.

10 more elements

A system implemented using Virtual Private Network (VPN) techniques, comprising:

a VPN concentrator comprising a first plurality of network interfaces, a first at least one processing unit, a first at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing program instructions executable by the first at least one processing unit:
(a) establishing by way of a VPN concentrator, a first aggregated VPN connection and a second aggregated VPN connection with a first host and a second host, respectively;
(b) when the first aggregated VPN connection comprises a first plurality of VPN tunnels, the VPN concentrator applying uplink and downlink bandwidth limits to each of the first plurality of VPN tunnels;
(c) when the second aggregated VPN connection comprises a second plurality of VPN tunnels, the VPN concentrator applying uplink and downlink bandwidth limits to each of the second plurality of VPN tunnels;
(d) the VPN concentrator receiving the first encapsulating packet;
(e) the VPN concentrator decapsulating the first data packet from the first encapsulating packet;
(f) the VPN concentrator encapsulating the first data packet in a second encapsulating packet;
(g) the VPN concentrator transmitting the second encapsulating packet to the second host using the second aggregated VPN connection;
(h) the VPN concentrator setting a first ratio of bandwidth limit among VPN tunnels of the first plurality of VPN tunnels and setting a second ratio of bandwidth limit among VPN tunnels of the second plurality of VPN tunnels;
wherein the first ratio and the second ratio are set dynamically, according to a policy, or according to a predefined configuration;
(i) wherein the first host comprises a second at least one network interface, a second at least one processing unit, a second at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing program instructions executable by the second at least one processing unit for:
(1) the first host encapsulating a first data packet in a first encapsulating packet;
and
(2) the first host transmitting the first encapsulating packet to the VPN concentrator using the first aggregated VPN connection;
and
(j) wherein the second host comprises a third at least one network interface, a third at least one processing unit, a third at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing program instructions executable by the third at least one processing unit for:
the second host decapsulating the first data packet from the second encapsulating packet.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/389,475Filed 23 Dec 2016 · continuation
Published: US 2017/0195180 A16 Jul 2017
Granted: 1 May 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

H04L 12/4633
Interconnection of networks: interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
H04L 12/4641
Interconnection of networks: virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN]
H04L 43/0882
Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level: utilisation of link capacity
H04L 45/245
Multipath: link aggregation, e.g. trunking

Family

PCT/IB2013/061178Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Dec 2013
US 9,531,565 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Dec 2016
US 2017/0195180 A1Pre-grant publication · published 6 Jul 2017
Application14/382,551Parent of this continuation
US 2016/0234039 A1Published application
US 9,960,966 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.