Method and apparatus to provide inline encryption and decryption for a wireless station via data streaming over a fast network

• US 7,548,532 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2005
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Krischer, Mark, Ryan, Philip J., Webb, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, CHI HO A
• Application Number:
  US11/198,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20060014522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/392, 380/200
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0485 Networking architectures for enhanced packet encryption processing, e.g. offloading of IPsec packet processing or efficient security association look-up
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A method of wirelessly transmitting or receiving a packet of information, and an apparatus to wirelessly transmit or receive a packet of information. In the case of transmitting, the method includes streaming a data element, including at least some of the contents of the packet, over a network link during transmit time, including encrypting the data element during the streaming in real time prior to the transfer over the network link. In the case of receiving, the method includes streaming a data element, including at least some of the contents of the received packet, over a network link during receive time, including decrypting the data element during the streaming in real time after to the transfer over the network link. The transmitting or receiving is by a station of a wireless network and the streaming is to or from the station from or to a network device coupled to the station by the network link.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless transmitter coupled to a network device by a packetized network link, the method comprising:

streaming a data element including at least some of the contents of a wireless network packet over the packetized network link during wireless transmit time of the wireless network packet by the wireless transmitter receiving the streamed data element via the packetized network, the streaming including real-time encrypting the data prior to the transfer over the network link; and

wirelessly transmitting the wireless network packet of information while the streaming occurs,

such that the wirelessly transmitting of the packet occurs while at least part of the wireless network packet is being streamed over the packetized network link.

2. A method as recited in claim 1,

wherein the wireless transmitter is part of a station of a wireless network and the streaming is to the station from the network device coupled to the station by the packetized network link, and

wherein the network device includes a memory wherefrom data is streamed during the wireless transmitting of the wireless packet,

the method further comprising:

forming a DMA request for said data element and encryption information;

converting the formed DMA request and the encryption information to a first packet for transport over the network link;

sending the first packet to the network device over the packetized network link;

receiving a second packet over the packetized network link from the network device, said second packet containing said data element encrypted according to the encryption information; and

responding to the formed DMA request with said data element from the second packet,

such that the streaming of said data element of the data over the packetized network link uses the second packet, and such that the encryption occurs in real time at the network device during the streaming.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter is part of a wireless station that includes a media access control (MAC) processor, wherein the wireless network packet is a MAC packet according to a wireless standard, wherein the wireless station is coupled by the network link to a network device, such that the real-time encrypting occurs in the network device outside the wireless station.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter is part of a wireless station that includes the wireless transmitter and a media access control (MAC) processor, wherein the wireless network packet is a MAC packet according to a wireless standard, wherein the wireless station is coupled by the network link to the network device by the packetized network link, wherein the network device includes a memory, wherein the real-time encrypting occurs in the network device outside the wireless station, and wherein the streaming is via direct memory access from the memory.

5. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the network device is a network switch that includes a memory wherefrom data is streamed during the wireless transmitting of the MAC packet.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the network device is a network switch that includes a memory whereto data is streamed during the wireless receiving of the MAC packet.

7. A method of operating a wireless receiver, the method comprising:

wirelessly receiving a wireless network packet of information at the wireless receiver;

streaming a data element including at least some of the contents of the wireless network packet over a packetized network link to a network device coupled to the wireless receiver by the packetized network, the streaming of the data element during receive time of wirelessly receiving the wireless network packet;

wherein the data element is streamed in encrypted form and is decrypted in real time during the streaming, the decrypting after transfer over the packetized network link such that the wirelessly receiving of the wireless network packet occurs while at least part of the wireless network packet is being streamed over the packetized network link.

8. A method as recited in claim 7,

wherein the wirelessly receiving is by a station of a wireless network, the station including the wireless receiver and the streaming is from the station to the network device coupled to the station by the packetized network link, and

wherein the network device includes a memory whereto data is streamed during the wirelessly receiving of the wireless network packet, the method further comprising:

forming a DMA request for writing said data element and encryption information;

converting the formed DMA request and the encryption information to a first packet for transport over the network link;

sending the first packet to the network device over the packetized network link;

encapsulating said data element encrypted according to the encryption information into a second packet for transport over the network link to the network device; and

sending the second packet over the network link to the network device for writing into the memory of the network device according to the formed DMA request,

such that the streaming of said data element of the data uses the second packet.

9. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the wireless receiver is part of a wireless station that includes a media access control (MAC) processor, wherein the wireless network packet is a MAC packet according to a wireless standard, wherein the wireless station is coupled by the network link to the network device, such that the real-time decrypting occurs in the network device outside the wireless station.

10. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the wireless receiver is part of a wireless station that includes a media access control (MAC) processor, wherein the wireless network packet is a MAC packet according to a wireless standard, wherein the wireless station is coupled by the network link to the network device, wherein the network device includes a memory, wherein the real-time decrypting occurs in the network device outside the wireless station, and wherein the streaming is via direct memory access to the memory.

11. An apparatus to wirelessly transmit a wireless network packet, the apparatus coupled to a network device by a packetized network link, the apparatus comprising:

means for wirelessly transmitting a wireless network packet; and

means for streaming a data element, including at least some of the contents of the wireless network packet, over the packetized network link during the time the means for wirelessly transmitting is wirelessly transmitting the wireless network packet, wherein the streaming includes real-time encrypting the data prior to the transfer over the packetized network link,

such that the wirelessly transmitting of the wireless network packet occurs while at least part of the wireless network packet is being streamed over the packetized network link.

12. A computer-readable storage medium having encoded thereon machine executable instructions that when executed cause carrying out a method of wirelessly transmitting a wireless network packet by a wireless transmitter coupled to a network device by a packetized network link, the method including:

streaming a data element, including at least some of the contents of the wireless network packet, over a network link during wireless transmit time of the wireless network packet, the streaming including real-time encrypting the data prior to the transfer over the network link,

such that the wirelessly transmitting of the wireless network packet occurs while at least part of the wireless network packet is being streamed over the packetized network link.

13. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 12,

wherein the wireless transmitter is part of a station of a wireless network and the streaming is to the station from the network device coupled to the station by the packetized network link,

wherein the network device includes a memory wherefrom data is streamed during the wireless transmitting of the wireless network packet, and

wherein the method further comprises:

forming a DMA request for said data element and encryption information;

converting the formed DMA request and the encryption information to a first packet for transport over the network link;

sending the first packet to the network device over the network link;

receiving a second packet over the packetized network link from the network device, said second packet containing said data element encrypted according to the encryption information; and

responding to the formed DMA request with said data element from the second packet,

such that the streaming of said data element of the data uses the second packet, and such that the encryption occurs at the network device in real time during the streaming.

14. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the wireless transmitter is included in a wireless station of a wireless network, wherein the packet is a medium access control (MAC) packet according to a wireless standard, wherein the wireless station is coupled by the packetized network link to the network device, such that the real-time encrypting occurs in the network device outside the wireless station.

15. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the wireless transmitter is included in a wireless station of a wireless network, wherein the wireless network packet is a medium access control (MAC) packet according to a wireless standard, wherein the wireless station is coupled by the packetized network link to the network device, wherein the network device includes a memory, wherein the real-time encrypting occurs in the network device outside the wireless station, and wherein the streaming is via direct memory access from the memory.

16. An apparatus to wirelessly receive a wireless network packet, the apparatus including:

means for wirelessly receiving a wireless network packet, the means for wirelessly receiving coupled to a network device by a packetized network link; and

means for streaming a data element, including at least some of the contents of the wireless network packet received by the means for wirelessly receiving, the streaming being over the packetized network link during wireless receive time of the wireless network packet by the means for wirelessly receiving,

wherein the data element is streamed by the means for streaming in encrypted form and is decrypted in real time during the streaming, the decrypting after transfer over the packetized network link,

such that the wirelessly receiving of the wireless network packet by the means for wirelessly receiving occurs while at least part of the wireless network packet is being streamed over the packetized network link.

17. A computer-readable storage medium having encoded thereon machine executable instructions that when executed cause carrying out a method of wirelessly receiving a wireless network packet by a wireless receiver coupled to a network device by a packetized network, the method including:

streaming a data element, including at least some of the contents of the received wireless network packet, over the packetized network link to the network device, the streaming of the data element during wireless receive time of wirelessly receiving the wireless network packet,

wherein the data element is streamed in encrypted form and is decrypted in real time during the streaming, the decrypting after transfer over the packetized network link,

such that the wirelessly receiving of the wireless network packet occurs while at least part of the wireless network packet is being streamed over the packetized network link.

18. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 17,

wherein the wirelessly receiving is by a station of a wireless network the station including the wireless transmitter and the streaming is from the station to the network device coupled to the station by the packetized network link,

wherein the network device includes a memory whereto data is streamed during the wirelessly receiving of the wireless network packet, and

wherein the method further comprises:

forming a DMA request for writing said data element and encryption information;

converting the formed DMA request and the encryption information to a first packet for transport over the network link;

sending the first packet to the network device over the packetized network link;

encapsulating said data element encrypted according to the encryption information into a second packet for transport over the network link to the network device; and

sending the second packet over the packetized network link to the network device for writing into the memory of the network device according to the formed DMA request,

such that the streaming of said data element uses the second packet.

19. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the wireless receiving is by a wireless station of a wireless network, the wireless station including the wireless receiver, wherein the wireless network packet is a medium access control (MAC) packet according to a wireless standard, wherein the wireless station is coupled by the packetized network link to the network device, such that the real-time decrypting occurs in the network device outside the wireless station.

20. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 17 wherein the wireless receiving is by a wireless station of a wireless network, the wireless station including the wireless receiver, wherein the wireless network packet is a medium access control (MAC) packet according to a wireless standard, wherein the wireless station is coupled by the packetized network link to the network device, wherein the network device includes a memory, wherein the real-time decrypting occurs in the network device outside the wireless station, and wherein the streaming is via direct memory access to the memory.