Distributed systems for providing secured HTTP communications over the network

• US 6,785,719 B1
• Filed: 08/06/2002
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Inventors: Jacobson, Paul, Peisel, William
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US10/213,463
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/227, 709/228, 709/237, 709/246, 719/313, 719/328, 713/201
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer

Abstract

A method of distributing computations is provided. The method includes receiving a secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol request over secured sockets layer, and routing the request to an SSL handler that is distributed on a network of computer systems. Secured sockets layer front end processing is performed on the first server, which then sends SSL big number requests to a second server over a secure channel. The second server performs public key computations using a SSL big number library, and returns the replies to the first server, which completes the SSL processing and routes the request to a web server.

Claims

1. A method comprising;

receiving a secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request over secured sockets layer (SSL);

routing the request to an SSL handler that is distributed on a network of computer systems to a first server;

performing secured sockets layer (SSL) front end processing on the request in the first server;

sending SSL big number requests to a second server over a secure channel;

performing public key computations using a SSL big number library residing in the second server;

returning replies to the first server for completion of SSL processing; and

routing the request to a web server.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the HTTP request is a user request received through a browser.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the network of computer systems is the Internet.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the network of computer systems is an intranet.

5. An article comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by a machine result in the following;

receiving a secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request over secured sockets layer (SSL);

routing the request to an SSL handler that is distributed on a network of computer systems to a first server;

performing secured sockets layer (SSL) front end processing on the request in the first server;

sending SSL big number requests to a second server over a secure channel;

performing public key computations using a SSL big number library residing in the second server;

returning replies to the first server for completion of SSL processing; and

routing the request to a web server.