VPN Proxy Management Object

• US 20060242305A1
• Filed: 04/20/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Alnas, Svante
• Application Number:
  US11/379,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20060242305A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• 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 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Current specifications/proposals use client provisioning or device management for provisioning bearer-specific configuration and application-specific configuration of communication devices. A proxy management object (MO) can, for example, set up tunnels according to particular protocols between application MOs and a generic connectivity MO. A communication device'"'"'s application configuration can then refer to such a proxy MO, and the proxy MO can refer to the connectivity MO. This enables addition of functionality like virtual private network and wireless local area network functionality without affecting the connectivity MO or the different application MOs.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communication device, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one application management object;

providing a connectivity management object through which application management objects can communicate; and

functionally disposing a proxy management object between the application management objects and the connectivity management object, wherein the proxy management object facilitates communication by at least one of the application management objects through the connectivity management object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the proxy management object facilitates communication by an application management object through a virtual private network (VPN) connection established through the connectivity management object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the VPN connection includes a tunnel according to one of a point-to-point tunnelling protocol and a layer 2 tunnelling protocol through the connectivity management object.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the proxy management object comprises an identification node, an encryption node, and an authorization method type node.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the authorization method type node comprises at least one of a password or packet authentication protocol, a Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol, and a Microsoft Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the proxy management object facilitates communication by at least one of the application management objects through the connectivity management object by changing connectivity used by the device for a respective application.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein changing connectivity comprises selecting at least one setting to be used by the respective application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the respective application is a web browser.

9. An apparatus in a communication device, comprising:

a programmable processor configurable to execute instructions according to management objects;

at least one application management object;

a connectivity management object through which application management objects can communicate; and

a proxy management object functionally disposed between the application management objects and the connectivity management object, wherein the proxy management object facilitates communication by at least one of the application management objects through the connectivity management object.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the proxy management object facilitates communication by an application management object through a virtual private network (VPN) connection established through the connectivity management object.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the VPN connection includes a tunnel according to one of a point-to-point tunnelling protocol and a layer 2 tunnelling protocol through the connectivity management object.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the proxy management object comprises an identification node, an encryption node, and an authorization method type node.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the authorization method type node comprises at least one of a password or packet authentication protocol, a Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol, and a Microsoft Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the proxy management object changes a connectivity used by the device for a respective application.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the device further comprises a memory, and the connectivity is changed by selecting at least one setting to be used by the respective application.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the respective application is a web browser.

17. A computer-readable medium containing a computer program for operating a communication device, the computer program implementing the steps of:

providing at least one application management object;

providing a connectivity management object through which application management objects can communicate; and

functionally disposing a proxy management object between the application management objects and the connectivity management object, wherein the proxy management object facilitates communication by at least one of the application management objects through the connectivity management object.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the proxy management object facilitates communication by an application management object through a virtual private network (VPN) connection established through the connectivity management object.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the VPN connection includes a tunnel according to one of a point-to-point tunnelling protocol and a layer 2 tunnelling protocol through the connectivity management object.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the proxy management object facilitates communication by at least one of the application management objects through the connectivity management object by changing connectivity used by the device for a respective application.