Extranet workgroup formation across multiple mobile virtual private networks

• US 20020133534A1
• Filed: 01/08/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nytell Software LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Interactive People Unplugged AB
• Inventors: Forslow, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 7,155,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/200
• 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 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0019 adapted for mobile IP [MIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/26 for hybrid routing by combining proactive and reactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/36 due to handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

The present invention describes a network-based mobile workgroup system allowing a selected set of users from two or more mobile virtual private networks to form an extranet workgroup in a secure manner. The invention is based on the limited private address scenario, which entitles mobile nodes having private, possibly overlapping, addresses as defined in RFC 1918, while home and foreign agents have public IP addresses. Each home agent is dedicated to one mobile virtual private network (M-VPN), while a foreign agent may be shared by multiple M-VPNs. The system also entails a mobile service manager that has a public IP address and a set of mobile nodes that all have a UFQDN (user fully qualified domain name) within the overall mobile workgroup system.

The main benefits, compared to existing solution for extranet workgroup creation, are that extranets can be created despite overlapping address realms. Even fine-granular workgroups within the extranet can be created with any set of users from any set of M-VPNs. The mobility aspect of the M-VPN fits well for supporting peer-to-peer applications, such as voice over IP, between mobile clients. Although the mobile clients may belong to different M-VPNs, with different address realms, per packet authentication and filtering is always possible to perform by the ingress M-VPN security gateway using a realm-indexed filtering technique. Finally, the responsibility for allocating resources, to be reached by an extranet workgroup, is completely delegated to each M-VPN.

Claims