INSTANT MESSAGING VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORKS

• US 20140096197A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pignataro, Carlos M., Clarke, Joseph M., Salgueiro, Gonzalo A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,325,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• 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 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an apparatus may receive a virtual private network (VPN) establishment request communicated over an instant messenger protocol. The apparatus may negotiate a communication tunnel in response to receiving the VPN establishment request and receive a datagram through the communication tunnel.

Claims

1. An apparatus operable to:

receive a virtual private network (VPN) establishment request communicated over an instant messenger protocol;

negotiate a communication tunnel in response to receiving the VPN establishment request; and

receive a datagram through the communication tunnel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further operable to determine that at least one of a user and a device associated with the VPN establishment request is authorized to establish the communication tunnel prior to negotiating the communication tunnel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further operable to:

receive a buddy request sent over the instant messenger protocol; and

designate at least one of a user and a device associated with the buddy request as a buddy capable of establishing a VPN with the apparatus in response to receiving the buddy request.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further operable to determine that at least one of the user and the device is authorized to be a buddy.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the datagram is associated with a payload type; and

the datagram comprises an encapsulation envelope that indicates the payload type.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the datagram is received over the instant messenger protocol.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the datagram is received out-of-band.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instant messenger protocol is the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the datagram is associated with a destination port and a response port;

the datagram is received at the destination port; and

a response to the datagram is communicated to the response port.

10. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

communicate a virtual private network (VPN) establishment request over an instant messaging protocol;

negotiate a communication tunnel after the VPN establishment request is received; and

communicate a datagram through the communication tunnel.

11. The media of claim 10 embodying software that is further operable when executed to communicate a buddy request.

12. The media of claim 10 embodying software that is further operable when executed to present, on a display, a list of buddies comprising an indicator associated with a device capable of establishing a VPN.

13. The media of claim 10 embodying software that is further operable when executed to present, on a display, a presence status associated with a device capable of establishing a VPN.

14. The media of claim 10, wherein:

the datagram is associated with a payload type; and

the datagram comprises an encapsulation envelope that indicates the payload type.

15. The media of claim 10, wherein the instant messenger protocol is Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol.

16. The media of claim 10, wherein the datagram is communicated over the instant messenger protocol.

17. The media of claim 10, wherein the datagram is communicated out-of-band.

18. The media of claim 10, wherein:

the datagram is associated with a destination port and a response port;

the datagram is received at the destination port; and

a response to the datagram is communicated to the response port.

19. A method comprising:

communicating a virtual private network (VPN) establishment request over an instant messaging protocol;

negotiating a communication tunnel ending after the VPN establishment request is received; and

communicating a datagram through the communication tunnel.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising communicating a buddy request.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising presenting, on a display, a list of buddies comprising an indicator associated with a device capable of establishing a VPN.

22. The method of claim 19 further comprising presenting, on a display, a presence status associated with a device capable of establishing a VPN.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the datagram is associated with a payload type; and

the datagram comprises an encapsulation envelope that indicates the payload type.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the instant messenger protocol is Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the datagram is communicated over the instant messenger protocol.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the datagram is communicated out-of-band.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the datagram is associated with a destination port and a response port;

the datagram is received at the destination port; and

a response to the datagram is communicated to the response port.