Virtual private network management system
First Claim
1. A method of managing a virtual private network, the method comprising:
- receiving a request for a given network device to join a given virtual private network having a set of network devices, the request being received from the given network device, the request having a given network device identifier that identifies the given network device;
retrieving, from a network device memory set, a set of network device identifiers that identify all network devices in the set of network devices;
forwarding a notify message to each network device in the set of network devices, the notify message including the given network device identifier;
forwarding a join message to the given network device, the join message including the set of network device identifiers;
establishing an encrypted communication tunnel between the given network device and at least one of the set of network devices; and
storing, in the network device memory set, the given network device identifier.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method of managing a virtual private network having a set of network devices maintains a network device memory set for storing a set of network device identifiers that identifies each of the set of network device. More particularly, a request to join the virtual private network is received from a given network device having a given network device identifier that identifies the given network device. The set of network device identifiers then is retrieved from the network device memory set to identify all network devices in the set of network devices. A notify message then is forwarded to each of the set of network devices, and a join message is forwarded to the given network device. The notify message includes the given network device identifier, while the join message includes the set of network device identifiers. The given network device identifier then is stored in the network device memory set.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1. A method of managing a virtual private network, the method comprising:
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receiving a request for a given network device to join a given virtual private network having a set of network devices, the request being received from the given network device, the request having a given network device identifier that identifies the given network device;
retrieving, from a network device memory set, a set of network device identifiers that identify all network devices in the set of network devices;
forwarding a notify message to each network device in the set of network devices, the notify message including the given network device identifier;
forwarding a join message to the given network device, the join message including the set of network device identifiers;
establishing an encrypted communication tunnel between the given network device and at least one of the set of network devices; and
storing, in the network device memory set, the given network device identifier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for managing a virtual private network, the apparatus comprising:
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an input that receives a request for a given network device to join a given virtual private network having a set of network devices, the request being received from the given network device, the request having a given network device identifier that identifies the given network device;
data storage for storing a set of network device identifiers that identify all network devices in the set of network devices;
a message generator that generates a notify message and a join message, the notify message including the given network device identifier, the join message including the set of network device identifiers;
a request parser that parses the request to determine the given network device identifier for storage in the data storage;
a tunnel establishment component that establishes an encrypted communication tunnel between the given network device and at least one of the set of network devices; and
an output that forwards one copy of the notify message to each network device in the set of network devices, the output also forwarding the join message to the given network device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A computer program product for use on a computer system for managing a virtual private network, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, a computer readable program code including:
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program code for receiving a request for a given network device to join a given virtual private network having a set of network devices, the request being received from the given network device, the request having a given network device identifier that identifies the given network device;
program code for retrieving, from a network device memory set, a set of network device identifiers that identify all network devices in the set of network devices;
program code for retrieving, from a network device memory set, a set of network device identifiers that identify all network devices in the set of network devices;
program code for forwarding a notify message to each network device in the set of network devices, the notify message including the given network device identifier;
program code for forwarding a join message to the given network device, the join message including the set of network device identifiers;
program code for establishing an encrypted communication tunnel between the given network device and at least one of the set of network devices; and
program code for storing, in the network device memory set, the given network device identifier. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of managing a virtual private network having a set of member network devices, each member network device being identified by a device identifier, the method comprising:
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maintaining a storage device having the device identifier of each member of the set of network devices, the storage device being updated as network devices are added to and removed from the virtual private network;
receiving a request for a given network device to join the virtual private network, the request being received from the given network device, the request having a given network device identifier that identifies the given network device and data identifying the virtual private network;
generating a notify message having the given network device identifier;
generating a join message having the device identifiers in the storage device;
forwarding the notify message to each of the set of network device;
establishing an encrypted communication tunnel between the given network device and at least one of the set of network devices; and
forwarding the join message to the given network device. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A computer program product for use on a computer system for managing a virtual private network having a set of member network devices, each member network device being identified by a device identifier, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including:
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program code for maintaining a storage device having the device identifier of each member of the set of network devices, the storage device being updated as network devices are added to and removed from the virtual private network;
program code for receiving a request for a given network device to join the virtual private network, the request being received from the given network device, the request having a given network device identifier that identifies the given network device and data identifying the virtual private network;
program code for forwarding the notify message to each of the set of network devices;
program code for establishing an encrypted communication tunnel between the given network device and at least one of the set of network devices; and
program code for forwarding the join message to the given network device. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method of managing a virtual private network, the method comprising:
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a given network device transmitting a request for the given network device to join the virtual private network having a set of network devices, the request having a given network device identifier that identifies the given network device;
retrieving, from a network device memory set, a set of network device identifiers that identify all network devices in the set of network devices;
forwarding a notify message to each network device in the set of network devices, the notify message including the given network device identifier;
forwarding a join message to the given network device, the join message including the set of network device identifiers;
establishing an encrypted communication tunnel between the given network device and at least one of the set of network devices; and
storing, in the network device memory set, the given network device identifier. - View Dependent Claims (54)
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Specification