PREVENTING ASYMMETRIC ROUTING USING NETWORK TUNNELING

• US 20140269564A1
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aerohive Networks Incorporated (Extreme Networks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tie, Jun, Liu, Changming
• Granted Patent: US 9,820,316 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels

Abstract

Various implementations described herein relate to routing network data traffic using network tunnels. In some implementations, one or more tunnels are established between a remote gateway device and a central gateway system. The central gateway system receives data traffic-to-tunnel information from the remote gateway device, and the central gateway system incorporates the data traffic-to-tunnel information in a data traffic-to-tunnel mapping. The data traffic-to-tunnel information comprises n-tuple of network flow information, network flow tags, application-to-tunnel binding information, or the like. The central gateway system receives first data traffic from the remote gateway and forwards the first data traffic to a server. Subsequently, the central gateway system receives second data traffic and forwards the first data traffic to the remote gateway device over one or more select tunnels selected from the established tunnels. The select tunnels can be selected based on based at least in part on the data traffic-to-tunnel mapping.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data traffic-to-tunnel information from a remote gateway device;

incorporating the data traffic-to-tunnel information in a data traffic-to-tunnel mapping;

receiving first data traffic from the server;

forwarding the first data traffic to the remote gateway device over one or more select tunnels, the select tunnels being selected from a set of tunnels established with the remote gateway device, the select tunnels being selected based at least in part on the data traffic-to-tunnel mapping.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing the one or more select tunnels.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving second data traffic from the remote gateway device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising forwarding the second data traffic to the server.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the data traffic-to-tunnel information is included in the second data traffic.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is being performed by a cloud virtual gateway (CVG).

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more select tunnels are established between the remote gateway device and the CVG.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data traffic-to-tunnel information comprises an n-tuple of network flow information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data traffic-to-tunnel information comprises network flow tag information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data traffic-to-tunnel information comprises application-to-tunnel binding information.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the one or more select tunnels from the set of tunnels.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the first data traffic, the select tunnels being selected further based on the analyzing the first data traffic.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising identifying an application or an application type associated with the first data traffic based on the analyzing of the first data traffic, the select tunnels being selected further based on the identifying the application or the application type.

14. A system comprising:

means for receiving data traffic-to-tunnel information from a remote gateway device;

means for incorporating the data traffic-to-tunnel information in a data traffic-to-tunnel mapping;

means for receiving first data traffic from the server;

means for forwarding the first data traffic to the remote gateway device over one or more select tunnels, the select tunnels being selected from a set of tunnels established with the remote gateway device, the select tunnels being selected based at least in part on the data traffic-to-tunnel mapping.

15. A system comprising:

a data traffic information engine configured to receive data traffic-to-tunnel information from a remote gateway device;

a data traffic mapping engine configured to incorporate the data traffic-to-tunnel information in a data traffic-to-tunnel mapping;

one or more network interfaces configured to receive first data traffic from a server;

a data traffic routing engine configured to receive first data traffic from a server and forward the first data traffic to the remote gateway device over one or more select tunnels, the select tunnels being selected from a set of tunnels established with the remote gateway device, the select tunnels being selected based at least in part on the data traffic-to-tunnel mapping.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a network tunnel engine configured to establish the one or more select tunnels.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the one or more network interfaces is configured to receive second data traffic from the remote gateway device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the data traffic routing engine is further configured to forward the second data traffic to the server.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the data traffic-to-tunnel information is included in the second data traffic.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the system, at least in part, implements a cloud virtual gateway (CVG).

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the one or more select tunnels are established between the remote gateway device and the CVG.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the data traffic-to-tunnel information comprises an n-tuple of network flow information.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the data traffic-to-tunnel information comprises network flow tag information.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the data traffic-to-tunnel information comprises application-to-tunnel binding information.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the data traffic routing engine is further configured to select the one or more select tunnels from the set of tunnels.

26. The system of claim 15, further comprising a data traffic analysis engine configured to analyze the first data traffic before it is forwarded, the select tunnels being selected further based on analysis of the first data traffic.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising a data classification engine configured to identify an application or an application type associated with the first data traffic based on the analysis of the first data traffic, the select tunnels being selected further based on identification of the application or the application type.