System providing a virtual private network service

• US 20030041170A1
• Filed: 11/29/2001
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hiroyuki
• Application Number:
  US09/998,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20030041170A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4675 Dynamic sharing of VLAN information amongst network nodes configuration of the network or of network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• 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: H04L 69/168 specially adapted for link layer protocols, e.g. asynchronous transfer mode [ATM], synchronous optical network [SONET] or point-to-point protocol [PPP]

Abstract

A router comprises a plurality of VR ports for each user of a virtual private network service. Each VR port comprises a routing table for a corresponding virtual private network. A control channel terminating unit and a VPN configuration module set up an L2TP tunnel between VR ports belonging to the same virtual private network. A gateway protocol daemon exchanges routing information via the established L2TP tunnel, and generates/updates a routing table. An input packet is routed according to the routing table.

Claims

1. A system providing a virtual private network service by using an IP network including a plurality of routers, wherein

a router, which accommodates a user of the virtual private network service, comprises a virtual router unit corresponding to each user of the virtual private network service, and

the virtual router unit comprising

a routing table storing routing information for transferring a packet of a corresponding user, and

a routing unit controlling a transfer of a packet of a corresponding user by referencing said routing table.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising

a setting unit setting up a control channel for transferring the routing information between virtual router units belonging to the same virtual private network.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein

the control channel is an IP tunnel.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

identification information for identifying a virtual private network corresponding to a first virtual router unit arranged within a first router is broadcast from the first virtual router unit to other routers;

reply information is returned from a virtual router unit, which belongs to a same virtual private network as a virtual private network identified according to the identification information, to the first virtual router unit; and

the first virtual router unit detects a configuration of a corresponding virtual private network based on the reply information.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

identification information for identifying a virtual private network corresponding to a first virtual router unit arranged within a first router is broadcast from the first virtual router unit to other routers;

reply information is returned from a second virtual router unit, which belongs to a same virtual private network as a virtual private network identified according to the identification information, to the first virtual router unit; and

a control channel for transferring the routing information is set up between the first virtual router unit and the second virtual router unit.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein:

the first virtual router unit has an authentication client unit making a request to authenticate the first virtual router unit; and

the second virtual router unit has an authentication server unit performing authentication of the first virtual router unit at the request of the authentication client.

7. The system according to claim 2, wherein

if one of a plurality of virtual router units belonging to a certain virtual private network is deleted, a control channel connected to the deleted virtual router unit is removed, and a configuration map representing a configuration of the virtual private network is updated in remaining virtual router units.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein

the configuration map is updated after a predetermined time period elapses from when the control channel is removed.

9. A router apparatus used in a system providing a virtual private network service by using an IP network, comprising

a virtual router unit corresponding to each user of the virtual private network service, wherein

said virtual router unit comprises

a routing table storing routing information for transferring a packet of a corresponding user, and

a routing unit controlling a transfer of a packet of a corresponding user by referencing said routing table.