Pluggable transceiver module with encryption capability
First Claim
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1. A pluggable module for insertion into the port of a network device comprising:
- a host side interface for receiving data and management information from the host;
a media side interface for coupling to media;
a microcontroller for controlling reception and transmission of data;
a storage device, accessible by the host side interface, for holding information indicating whether the pluggable module includes encryption capability; and
an encryption engine, having input and output registers, where, during transmission, the receive registers are coupled to receive transmission data from the physical layer module and the output registers are coupled to provide encrypted transmission data to the media, and where during reception, the receive registers are coupled to receive encrypted received data from the media and the output registers are coupled to provide decrypted received data to the physical layer module.
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Abstract
A pluggable module for insertion into the port of a network device includes an onboard encryption engine to provide for the use of secure links in networks having legacy switches or routers not including an encryption facility.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A pluggable module for insertion into the port of a network device comprising:
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a host side interface for receiving data and management information from the host;
a media side interface for coupling to media;
a microcontroller for controlling reception and transmission of data;
a storage device, accessible by the host side interface, for holding information indicating whether the pluggable module includes encryption capability; and
an encryption engine, having input and output registers, where, during transmission, the receive registers are coupled to receive transmission data from the physical layer module and the output registers are coupled to provide encrypted transmission data to the media, and where during reception, the receive registers are coupled to receive encrypted received data from the media and the output registers are coupled to provide decrypted received data to the physical layer module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for encrypting data over a link, with the link terminating at a pluggable module inserted into a slot on a host, said method comprising:
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querying the pluggable module inserted into a slot to determine whether the pluggable module is encryption-enabled; and
transferring key data to the pluggable module, if it is encryption-enabled, to configure the module to encrypt data transmitted on the link and to decrypt data received on the link. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A system for encrypting data over a link terminating at a pluggable module inserted into the slot of a host network device, said system comprising:
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means on the pluggable module for encrypting transmission data prior to transmission over the link and decrypting received data from the link prior to transmission to the host;
means on the pluggable module for indicating whether the pluggable model is encryption enabled;
means on the pluggable module for holding encryption key data;
means on the host for querying the means for indicating to determine whether the pluggable module is encryption enabled; and
means on the host for transferring encryption key data to the means for holding.
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9. A network device for encrypting data over a link terminating at a pluggable module inserted into a slot of the network device, said network device comprising:
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a microcontroller for controlling reception and transmission of data;
a storage device, holding program code executed by the microcontroller;
an interface for querying the pluggable module to determine whether the pluggable module is encryption-enabled and for reading or writing registers on the pluggable module;
with the microcontroller configured to utilize the interface to query the pluggable module to determine whether the pluggable module is encryption-enabled and to encryption-enable the slot holding the pluggable module if the pluggable module is encryption enable.
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10. A system for encrypting data over a link, with the link terminating at a pluggable module inserted into a slot on a host, said system comprising:
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means for querying the pluggable module inserted into a slot to determine whether the pluggable module is encryption enabled; and
means for transferring key data to the pluggable module, if it is encryption-enabled, to configure the module to encrypt data transmitted on the link and to decrypt data received on the link.
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Specification