Virtual private network resiliency over multiple transports

• US 10,284,392 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2017
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Parameswaran, Lalitha, Dong, Zhen Qi, Satterlee, Michael, Medamana, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Clemence S
• Application Number:
  US15/599,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20180337802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/256 NAT traversal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16

Abstract

Concepts and technologies disclosed herein are directed to virtual private network (“VPN”) resiliency over multiple transports. According to one aspect, a customer premises equipment can select, from a transport preference database, a transport from a plurality of transports available to support a VPN tunnel. The transport selected is associated with a highest priority value of the plurality of transports in the transport preference database. The customer premises equipment can initiate setup of the VPN tunnel through the transport and can determine whether setup of the VPN tunnel was successful. If setup was not successful, the customer premises equipment can select a further transport from the plurality of transports available to support the VPN tunnel. Additional details are disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A customer premises equipment comprising:

a processor; and

memory comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

selecting, from a transport preference database, a transport from a plurality of transports available to support a VPN tunnel, wherein the transport selected is associated with a highest priority value of the plurality of transports in the transport preference database,

initiating setup of the VPN tunnel through the transport selected from the plurality of transports,

determining whether setup of the VPN tunnel was successful

zeroing a setup timer and a retry counter for the transport selected from the plurality of transports,

in response to determining that setup of the VPN tunnel was not successful, determining if a status of the transport selected from the plurality of transports is good,

in response to determining that the status of the transport selected from the plurality of transports is good, determining whether the setup timer is less than a predefined threshold time and whether the retry counter is less than a predefined threshold of tries,

in response to determining that the setup timer is less than the predefined threshold time and that the retry counter is less than the predefined threshold of tries, again initiating setup of the VPN tunnel through the transport selected from the plurality of transports, and

in response to determining that the setup timer is greater than or equal to the predefined threshold time and the retry counter is greater than or equal to the predefined threshold of tries, determining whether at least a further transport from the plurality of transports is available to support the VPN tunnel.

2. The customer premises equipment of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise in response to determining that setup of the VPN tunnel was successful, ending setup of the VPN tunnel.

3. The customer premises equipment of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to determining that at least the further transport from the plurality of transports is available to support the VPN tunnel, selecting, from the transport preference database, a new transport from the plurality of transports based upon a next highest priority value of the plurality of transports in the transport preference database, and initiating setup of the VPN tunnel through the new transport.

4. The customer premises equipment of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to determining at least the further transport from the plurality of transports is not available, ending setup of the VPN tunnel.

5. The customer premises equipment of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to determining that the status of the transport selected from the plurality of transports is not good, selecting, from the transport preference database, a new transport from the plurality of transports based upon a next highest priority value of the plurality of transports in the transport preference database, and initiating setup of the VPN tunnel through the new transport.

6. A method comprising:

selecting, by a customer premises equipment comprising a processor executing a tunnel setup module, from a transport preference database, a transport from a plurality of transports available to support a VPN tunnel, wherein the transport selected is associated with a highest priority value of the plurality of transports in the transport preference database;

initiating, by the customer premises equipment, setup of the VPN tunnel through the transport selected from the plurality of transports;

determining, by the customer premises equipment, whether setup of the VPN tunnel was successful;

zeroing a setup timer and a retry counter for the transport selected from the plurality of transports;

in response to determining that setup of the VPN tunnel was not successful, determining if a status of the transport selected from the plurality of transports is good;

in response to determining that the status of the transport selected from the plurality of transports is good, determining whether the setup timer is less than a predefined threshold time and whether the retry counter is less than a predefined threshold of tries;

in response to determining that the setup timer is less than the predefined threshold time and that the retry counter is less than the predefined threshold of tries, again initiating setup of the VPN tunnel through the transport selected from the plurality of transports; and

in response to determining that the setup timer is greater than or equal to the predefined threshold time and the retry counter is greater than or equal to the predefined threshold of tries, determining whether at least a further transport from the plurality of transports is available to support the VPN tunnel.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, in response to determining that setup of the VPN tunnel was successful, ending setup of the VPN tunnel.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising, in response to determining that at least the further transport from the plurality of transports is available to support the VPN tunnel, selecting, from the transport preference database, a new transport from the plurality of transports based upon a next highest priority value of the plurality of transports in the transport preference database, and initiating setup of the VPN tunnel through the new transport.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, in response to determining at least the further transport from the plurality of transports is not available, ending setup of the VPN tunnel.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising, in response to determining that the status of the transport selected from the plurality of transports is not good, selecting, from the transport preference database, a new transport from the plurality of transports based upon a next highest priority value of the plurality of transports in the transport preference database, and initiating setup of the VPN tunnel through the new transport.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructed stored thereon that, when executed by a processor of a customer premises equipment, causes the customer premises equipment to perform operations comprising:

selecting, from a transport preference database, a transport from a plurality of transports available to support a VPN tunnel, wherein the transport selected is associated with a highest priority value of the plurality of transports in the transport preference database;

initiating setup of the VPN tunnel through the transport selected from the plurality of transports;

determining whether setup of the VPN tunnel was successful;

zeroing a setup timer and a retry counter for the transport selected from the plurality of transports;

in response to determining that setup of the VPN tunnel was not successful, determining if a status of the transport selected from the plurality of transports is good;

in response to determining that the status of the transport selected from the plurality of transports is good, determining whether the setup timer is less than a predefined threshold time and whether the retry counter is less than a predefined threshold of tries;

in response to determining that the setup timer is less than the predefined threshold time and that the retry counter is less than the predefined threshold of tries, again initiating setup of the VPN tunnel through the transport selected from the plurality of transports; and

in response to determining that the setup timer is greater than or equal to the predefined threshold time and the retry counter is greater than or equal to the predefined threshold of tries, determining whether at least a further transport from the plurality of transports is available to support the VPN tunnel.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to determining that setup of the VPN tunnel was successful, ending setup of the VPN tunnel.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to determining that at least the further transport from the plurality of transports is available to support the VPN tunnel, selecting, from the transport preference database, a new transport from the plurality of transports based upon a next highest priority value of the plurality of transports in the transport preference database, and initiating setup of the VPN tunnel through the new transport.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to determining at least the further transport from the plurality of transports is not available, ending setup of the VPN tunnel.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to determining that the status of the transport selected from the plurality of transports is not good, selecting, from the transport preference database, a new transport from the plurality of transports based upon a next highest priority value of the plurality of transports in the transport preference database, and initiating setup of the VPN tunnel through the new transport.