Applying a packet routing policy to an application session

• US 9,253,152 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2014
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A10 Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: A10 Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Chen, Lee, Oshiba, Dennis, Chiong, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Colin, Carl
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lavelle, Gary
• Application Number:
  US14/323,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20160036778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/365 Application layer names, e.g. buddy names, unstructured names chosen by a user or home appliance name
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2596 Translation of addresses of the same type other than IP, e.g. translation from MAC to MAC addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 : Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 : with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 : using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 : using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 : Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/45 : using multiple identity modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 : Time-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 : Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/76 : Group identity

Abstract

A security gateway includes packet routing policies, each including a host network address, an application network address, and a forwarding interface. In routing data packets of an application session, the security gateway: recognizes the application session between a network and an application; determines a user identity from an application session record for the application session; determines packet routing policies applicable to the application session based on the user identity; receives a data packet for the application session, including a source network address and a destination network address; compares the source network address with the host network address, and the destination network address with the application network address; and in response to finding a match between the source network address and the host network address, and between the destination network address and the application network address, processes the data packet using the forwarding interface of the packet routing policy.

Claims

1. A method for routing data packets of an application session, the method comprising:

recognizing the application session between a network and an application via a security gateway;

determining by the security gateway a user identity from an application session record for the application session, the application session record comprising a user identity used for accessing a network through a host, a host identity for the host, and an application session time;

querying, by the security gateway, an identity server by sending the host identity and the application session time in the application session record, the identity server comprising an access session record for an access session between a second host and the network, the access session record comprising a second user identity used for accessing the network through the second host, a second host identity for the second host, and an access session time;

comparing, by the identity server, the host identity in the application session record with the second host identity in the access session record, and comparing the access session time with the application session time;

returning, by the identity server, the second user identity in the access session record if the host identity in the application session record matches the second host identity in the access session record, and if the access session time matches the application session time;

storing at the identity server the second user identity as a network user identity used for accessing the network in the application session record;

determining by the security gateway at least one packet routing policy applicable to the application session based on the user identity;

receiving, at the security gateway, a data packet for the application session, the data packet comprising a source network address and a destination network address;

comparing, by the security gateway, information from the data packet with the at least one packet routing policy; and

in response to finding a match between the data packet and the at least one packet routing policy, processing the data packet using a forwarding interface of the at least one packet routing policy by the security gateway.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the security gateway comprises a network interface, wherein the forwarding interface of the at least one packet routing policy indicates a modification to be applied to the data packet, wherein the processing further comprises:

in response to finding the match between the data packet and the at least one packet routing policy, modifying the data packet by the security gateway.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting the modified data packet using the network interface of the security gateway.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the modifying the data packet by the security gateway comprises adding a tunnel header to the data packet.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the tunnel header is one of:

an IP-IP tunnel header, an L2TP tunnel header, an IPSec tunnel header, or a layer 2 tunnel header.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the security gateway is coupled to a network element, wherein the forwarding interface of the at least one packet routing policy directs the security gateway to apply a modification to the data packet and send the data packet to the network element, wherein the processing further comprises:

in response to finding the match between the data packet and the at least one packet routing policy, modifying the data packet by the security gateway.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting the modified data packet to the network element using a network interface of the security gateway.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the modifying the data packet by the security gateway comprises adding a tunnel header to the data packet.

9. A system, comprising:

a security gateway, wherein the security gateway;

recognizes an application session between a network and an application via the security gateway;

determines a user identity from an application session record for the application session, the application session record comprising a user identity used for accessing the network through a host, a host identity for the host, and an application session time;

queries an identity server by sending the host identity and the application session time in the application session record, the identity server comprising an access session record for an access session between a second host and the network, the access session record comprising a second user identity used for accessing the network through the second host, a second host identity for the second host, and an access session time, wherein the identity server;

compares the host identity in the application session record with the second host identity in the access session record, and compares the access session time with the application session time;

returns the second user identity in the access session record if the host identity in the application session record matches the second host identity in the access session record, and if the access session time matches the application session time; and

stores the second user identity as a network user identity used for accessing the network in the application session record;

determines at least one packet routing policy applicable to the application session based on the user identity;

receives a data packet for the application session, the data packet comprising a source network address and a destination network address;

compares information from the data packet with the at least one packet routing policy; and

in response to finding a match between the data packet and the at least one packet routing policy, processes the data packet using a forwarding interface of the at least one packet routing policy.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the security gateway comprises a network interface, wherein the forwarding interface of the at least one packet routing policy indicates a modification to be applied to the data packet, wherein in processing the data packet, the security gateway:

in response to finding the match between the data packet and the at least one packet routing policy, modifies the data packet.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein in processing the data packet, the security gateway further:

transmits the modified data packet using the network interface of the security gateway.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein in modifying the data packet, the security gateway adds a tunnel header to the data packet.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the tunnel header is one of:

an IP-IP tunnel header, an L2TP tunnel header, an IPSec tunnel header, or a layer 2 tunnel header.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising a network element coupled to the security gateway, wherein the forwarding interface of the at least one packet routing policy directs the security gateway to apply a modification to the data packet and send the data packet to the network element, wherein in processing the data packet, the security gateway:

in response to finding the match between the data packet and the at least one packet routing policy, modifies the data packet by the security gateway.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein in processing the data packet, the security gateway further:

transmits the modified data packet to the network element using a network interface of the security gateway.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein in modifying the data packet, the security gateway adds a tunnel header to the data packet.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith for routing data packets of an application session, the computer readable program code configured to:

recognize the application session between a network and an application via a security gateway;

determine by the security gateway a user identity from an application session record for the application session, the application session record comprising a user identity used for accessing a network through a host, a host identity for the host, and an application session time;

query, by the security gateway, an identity server by sending the host identity and the application session time in the application session record, the identity server comprising an access session record for an access session between a second host and the network, the access session record comprising a second user identity used for accessing the network through the second host, a second host identity for the second host, and an access session time;

compare, by the identity server, the host identity in the application session record with the second host identity in the access session record, and compare the access session time with the application session time;

return, by the identity server, the second user identity in the access session record if the host identity in the application session record matches the second host identity in the access session record, and if the access session time matches the application session time;

store at the identity server the second user identity as a network user identity used for accessing the network in the application session record;

determine by the security gateway at least one packet routing policy applicable to the application session based on the user identity;

receive at the security gateway a data packet for the application session, the data packet comprising a source network address and a destination network address;

compare, by the security gateway, information from the data packet with the at least one packet routing policy; and

in response to finding a match between the data packet and the at least one packet routing policy, process the data packet using a forwarding interface of the at least one packet routing policy.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the security gateway comprises a network interface, wherein the forwarding interface of the at least one packet routing policy indicates a modification to be applied to the data packet, wherein the computer readable program code configured to process is further configured to:

in response to finding the match between data packet and the at least one packet routing policy, modify the data packet by the security gateway.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein the computer readable program code configured to process is further configured to:

transmit the modified data packet using the network interface of the security gateway.

20. The medium of claim 18, wherein the modification of the data packet by the security gateway comprises adding a tunnel header to the data packet.

21. The medium of claim 20, wherein the tunnel header is one of:

an IP-IP tunnel header, an L2TP tunnel header, an IPSec tunnel header, or a layer 2 tunnel header.

22. The medium of claim 17, wherein the security gateway is coupled to a network element, wherein the forwarding interface of the at least one packet routing policy directs the security gateway to apply a modification to the data packet and send the data packet to the network element, wherein the computer readable program code configured to process is further configured to:

in response to finding the match between the data packet and the at least one packet routing policy, modify the data packet by the security gateway.

23. The medium of claim 22, wherein the computer readable program code configured to process is further configured to:

transmit the modified data packet to the network element using a network interface of the security gateway.

24. The medium of claim 22, wherein the modification of the data packet by the security gateway comprises adding a tunnel header to the data packet.