Control and coordination of encryption and compression between network entities

• US 6,542,992 B1
• Filed: 01/26/1999
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UTStarcom Incorporated (UTStarcom Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Peirce, Jr., Kenneth L., Xu, Yingchun, Mortsolf, Timothy Glenn, Harper, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Meislahn, Douglas J.
• Application Number:
  US09/237,555
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 713/153, 709/105, 709/202, 709/235, 380/269
• US Class Current: 713/153
• 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 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/168 specially adapted for link layer protocols, e.g. asynchronous transfer mode [ATM], synchronous optical network [SONET] or point-to-point protocol [PPP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/322 Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/328 in the presentation layer [OSI layer 6]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Two network entities allocate the performance of encryption and compression algorithms amongst each other in a controlled and coordinated manner so as to avoid unnecessary duplication of encryption and compression at different protocol layers and an associated waste of CPU power. For example, a first network entity performs both encryption and compression at the IP layer, and instructs the second network entity to disable PPP-layer encryption and compression. In a wireless networking example of the invention, the first network entity is a home agent (e.g., a router) for a wireless communications device and the second network entity is a foreign agent (e.g., a network access server) providing network access for the communications device. The foreign agent terminates a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session with the communications device, but implements (or does not implement) PPP-layer compression and encryption algorithms under the supervision and control of the home agent.

Claims

1. A method of controlling compression of data exchanged between two different network entities and a communications device, wherein said two different network entities comprise a first network entity and a second network entity comprising a foreign agent for said communications device, wherein said first network entity and said foreign agent comprise a processing unit capable of performing at least one data compression algorithm on said data, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a message from said first network entity to said foreign agent instructing said foreign agent to either negotiate, or not negotiate, a data compression protocol with said communications device;

in the event that said foreign agent is instructed to not negotiate a data compression protocol with said communications device, implementing a data compression algorithm on said data in said first network entity, and

in the event that said foreign agent is instructed to negotiate a data compression protocol with said communications device, implementing a data compression algorithm on said data in said foreign agent and not implementing a data compression algorithm on said data in said first network entity,

whereby only one of said first network entity and said foreign agent performs a data compression algorithm on said data, under the control of said first network entity, thereby saving processing power in the network entity that does not implement a data compression algorithm on said data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said communications device comprises a wireless communications device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said first network entity comprises a home agent for said wireless communications device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said home agent instructs said foreign agent to either enable or disable a Point-to-Point Protocol layer data compression protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sending a message from said foreign agent to said first network entity indicating whether said foreign agent is willing to negotiate said data compression protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said message sent from said first network entity to said foreign agent further indicates whether said first network entity will negotiate a second data compression protocol with said communications device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein data compression protocol comprises a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) data compression protocol and wherein said second data compression protocol comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) layer compression protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said foreign agent comprises a network access server coupling said communications device to a packet switched network and said first network entity comprises an Internet Protocol router.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said message send from said first network entity further comprises an instruction to said second network entity to either negotiate, or not negotiate, an encryption protocol with said communications device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of sending a reply message from said foreign agent to said first network entity indicating whether said foreign agent is willing to negotiate said data compression protocol and said encryption protocol.

11. A method of controlling encryption of data exchanged between two different network entities and a communications device, wherein said two different network entities comprise a first network entity and a second network entity comprising a foreign agent for said communications device, wherein said first network entity and said foreign agent comprise a processing unit capable of performing at least one encryption algorithm on said data, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a message from said first network entity to said foreign agent instructing said foreign agent to either negotiate, or not negotiate, an encryption protocol with said communications device;

in the event that said foreign agent is instructed to not negotiate said encryption protocol with said communications device, implementing an encryption algorithm on said data in said first network entity, and

in the event that said foreign agent is instructed to negotiate an encryption protocol with said communications device, implementing an encryption algorithm on said data in said foreign agent and not implementing an encryption algorithm on said data in said first network entity,

whereby only one of said first network entity and said foreign agent performs an encryption algorithm on said data, under the control of said first network entity, thereby saving processing power in the network entity that does not implement an encryption algorithm on said data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said message sent from said first network entity further comprises an instruction to said foreign agent to either negotiate, or not negotiate, a data compression protocol with said communications device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of sending a reply message from said foreign agent to said first network entity indicating whether said foreign agent is willing to negotiate said data compression protocol and said encryption protocol.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said communications device comprises a wireless communications device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said first network entity comprises a home agent for said wireless communications device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said home agent instructs said foreign agent to either enable or disable a Point-to-Point Protocol encryption protocol.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of sending a message from said foreign agent to said first network entity indicating whether said foreign agent is willing to negotiate said encryption protocol in accordance with said message.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said message sent from said first network entity to said foreign agent further indicates whether said first network entity will negotiate a second encryption protocol with said communications device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein encryption protocol comprises a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) encryption protocol and wherein said second encryption protocol comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) layer encryption protocol.

20. A method for controlling implementation of Internet Protocol (IP) and Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) encryption and compression algorithms, the method implemented in a system comprising a home agent and a foreign agent coupled to a network and terminating a PPP session with a communications device over said network, comprising the steps of:

sending a message from said home agent to said foreign agent instructing said foreign agent to either enable or disable (1) a PPP layer compression protocol, and/or (2) a PPP layer encryption protocol;

including in said message information identifying whether said home agent will negotiate an IP layer data compression protocol and/or an IP layer encryption protocol, and

said foreign agent responsively enabling or disabling said PPP layer compression protocol and/or said PPP layer encryption protocol in response to said message.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said message from said home agent to said foreign agent instructs said foreign agent with respect to both said PPP layer compression protocol and said PPP layer encryption protocol.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said message is contained in a registration reply message sent from said home agent to said foreign agent.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein said home agent comprises a router.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein said foreign agent comprises a network access server.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of sending a message from said foreign agent to said home agent indicating whether said foreign agent is willing to enable or disable either said PPP layer compression protocol or said PPP layer encryption protocol.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said message sent from said foreign agent to said home agent is sent in a registration request message.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein said network comprises a wireless communications network.