Dynamic virtual private network (VPN) resource provisioning using a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server, a domain name system (DNS) and/or static IP assignment

• US 20080082640A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Array Networks Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Array Networks Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhao, Lingyan, Wu, Michael, Yen, Leemay, Chang, Arthur, Hsu, Nai-Ting
• Granted Patent: US 8,249,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks

Abstract

A method of provisioning resources, which includes hosting at least one resource at a first site. A secure connection is established between the first site and a second site, and a listing of available resources is exported to the second site. The second site publishes the listing of available resources to at least one client and at least one resource from the first site to second site is provisioned by providing the at least one client with an IP address of the at least one resource.

Claims

1. A method of provisioning resources comprising:

hosting at least one resource at a first site;

establishing a secure connection between the first site and a second site;

exporting a listing of available resources to the second site, wherein the second site publishes the listing of available resources to at least one client; and

provisioning the at least one resource from the first site to the second site by providing the at least one client with an IP address of the at least one resource.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the at least one client with an IP address of the at least one resource, wherein the second site provides the IP address of the at least one resource.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing the at least one resource with an IP address of the at least one client, wherein the first site provides the IP address of the at least one client.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the IP address of the at least one resource is obtained using a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server configured on the second site.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the IP address of the at least one client is obtained using a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server configured on the first site.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the IP address of the at least one resource is obtained using an IP pool of addresses configured on the second site.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the IP address of the at least one client is obtained using an IP pool of addresses configured on the first site.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the IP address of the at least one resource is obtained using an actual IP address of the at least one resource.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the IP address of the at least one client is obtained using an actual IP address of the at least one client.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the listing of available resources includes a resource name, a server port and an identifier, or specific IP address and IP address range.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second site further comprises a domain name system (DNS) server.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing information identifying the at least one client to the first site.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the information identifying the at least one client is an arbitrary and random identifier that contains no information regarding the at least one client.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing information identifying the at least one client to the at least one resource.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure connection is generated using a secure socket layer (SSL) or transport layer security (TLS) protocol.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one intermediate site, wherein the at least one intermediate site is between the first site and the second site.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the second site acts as a primary name server for the listing of available resources on the second site.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the second site acts as zone authority server for the listing of available resources.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the second site is configured to send updates to an existing name server (DNS) of hostnames for the listing of available resources.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the available resources is identified by a resource name, a server port, and a dynamically generated identifier.

21. A method of provisioning resources comprising:

hosting at least one resource at a first site;

establishing a secure connection between the first site and a second site;

exporting a list of available resources at the first site to the second site, wherein the first and second sites are virtual private network gateways; and

provisioning the at least one resource from the listing of available resource to at least one client associated with the second site.

22. A method of provisioning resources comprising:

hosting at least one resource at a first site;

establishing a secure connection between the first site and a second site;

exporting a list of available resources at the first site to the second site, wherein the first and second sites are virtual private network gateways;

provisioning the at least one resource from the listing of available resource to at least one client associated with the second site; and

wherein each of the available resources is identified by a resource name, a server port, and a dynamically generated identifier.