Private virtual LAN spanning a public network for connection of arbitrary hosts

• US 8,489,701 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Manion, Todd, Ahmad, Arsalan, Gefflaut, Alain, Singhal, Sandeep
• Primary Examiner(s): TANG, KAREN C
• Application Number:
  US11/769,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20080183853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,210 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/223, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 Some peer nodes performing special functions

Abstract

Architecture for exposing a virtual private network of peer devices into the public domain via an overlay network. Computing devices, peripheral devices, as well as mobile devices can be physically distributed, but appear to belong to the same virtual private (or home) network, and be accessible from anywhere. Benefits include access to user media/documents from anywhere, searching of all connected devices from one location, multicast and broadcast connectivity, management of the private network and the associated policies, and device discovery on the private network from across public networks. P2P networks and ad-hoc networks can be exposed as a virtual interface, as well as the utilization of client operating systems to create the virtual network, grouping, graphing, the integration with relay services and other NAT/firewall traversal schemes, and the creation of a P2P overlay manager on a physical NIC (network interface card) address rather than a virtual address.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented networking system, comprising:

a computing device having a processor for executing computer-executable components stored in memory, the computer-executable components including;

a management component for creating and managing a peer-to-peer (P2P) graph that overlays a private local area network which includes the computing device and a mobile device, the management component publishing name records of the computing device and the mobile device in the P2P graph to enable discovery of the computing device and the mobile device for P2P communications between nodes of the P2P graph, the management component including a local name resolver for resolving name records in the P2P graph, the local name resolver maintaining a list of peer identifiers, IP addresses, and name records published by the nodes of the P2P graph; and

an interface component for exposing the P2P graph to a public node of a public network as a virtual network interface card configured by the management component to;

receive packets from the public node of the public network, forward packets comprising name resolution requests to the management component for server-less name resolution of the name resolution requests by the local name resolver, and forward packets intended for a destination node of the P2P graph to the management component for routing the packets intended for the destination node of the P2P graph as P2P messages through the nodes of the P2P graph using the peer identifiers for enabling communication between the public node of the public network and the destination node of the P2P graph when an IP address of the mobile device changes.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the management component assigns IPv4 and IPv6 addresses to the virtual network interface card.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the management component is created on a physical network interface card address.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the physical network interface card address is an IPv4 address or an IPv6 address.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the virtual network interface card (VNIC) is controlled by a VNIC driver, and

the VNIC driver exposes a miniport driver interface and a file stream interface for passing Internet Protocol (IP) packets to the management component.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the management component includes a user-level application for controlling and configuring the virtual network interface card (VNIC) and for communicating IP packets on behalf of the VNIC.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the management component facilitates at least one of multicast traffic or broadcast traffic.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the management component facilitates traversal of at least one of a firewall system or a network address translation system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual network interface card (VNIC) comprises a VNIC driver that intercepts Ethernet packets and exposes a file stream interface for passing Internet Protocol (IP) packets to the management component for routing and transmission of the IP packets to the nodes of the P2P graph.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the management component includes a routing protocol for enabling multi-hop message routing over the P2P graph.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the local name resolver uses at least one of a peer name resolution protocol and a link local multicast name resolution protocol.

12. A computer-implemented method of networking devices, comprising:

creating, by a user application on client computing device, a peer-to-peer (P2P) graph that overlays a private local area network which includes the client computing device and a mobile device, the client computing device comprising a physical network interface card and a virtual network interface card (VNIC);

publishing, by the user application, name records of the client computing device and the mobile device in the P2P graph to enable discovery of the client computing device and the mobile device for P2P communications between nodes of the P2P graph, the user application comprising a local name resolver for resolving name records in the P2P graph;

maintaining, by the local name resolver, a list of peer identifiers, IP addresses, and name records published by the nodes of the P2P graph;

exposing, by the VNIC, the P2P graph to a public node of a public network;

receiving, by the VNIC, Internet Protocol (IP) traffic from the public node of the public network;

forwarding, by the VNIC, IP packets comprising name resolution requests to the management component for server-less name resolution of the name resolution requests by the local name resolver;

forwarding, by the VNIC, IP packets intended for a destination node of the P2P graph to the user application; and

routing, by the user application, the IP packets intended for the destination node of the P2P graph as P2P messages through the nodes of the P2P graph for enabling communication between the public node of the public network and the destination node of the P2P graph when an IP address of the mobile device changes.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

assigning, by the user application, a private IP address range to each of the nodes of the P2P graph.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

enabling, by the user application, multi-hop message routing over the P2P graph.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

flooding, by the user application, the name records to all nodes of the P2P graph.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

exposing, by the VNIC, IPv4 and IPv6 interfaces for accommodating corresponding applications.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the local name resolver uses at least one of a peer name resolution protocol and a link local multicast name resolution protocol.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing, by the user application, point-to-point TCP connections for direct communications between participating nodes of the P2P graph.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

replicating, by the user application, a database among the nodes of the P2P graph.

20. A computer-readable storage device storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to performs steps comprising:

creating, via a user application, a peer-to-peer (P2P) graph that overlays a private local area network which includes the computing device and a mobile device;

publishing, by the user application, name records of the computing device and the mobile device in the P2P graph to enable discovery of the computing device and the mobile device for P2P communications between nodes of the P2P graph, the user application comprising a local name resolver for resolving name records in the P2P graph;

maintaining, by the local name resolver, a list of peer identifiers, IP addresses, and name records published by the nodes of the P2P graph;

configuring, via the user application, a virtual network interface card to;

expose the P2P graph to a public node of a public network,

receive packets from the public node of the public network,

forward packets comprising name resolution requests to the management component for server-less name resolution of the name resolution requests by the local name resolver, and

forward packets intended for a destination node of the P2P graph to the user application for routing the packets intended for the destination node of the P2P graph as P2P messages through the nodes of the P2P graph using the peer identifiers for enabling communication between the public node of the public network and the destination node of the P2P graph when an IP address of the mobile device changes.