Rule-based routing to resources through a network

• US 9,397,927 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2014
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SonicWALL US Holdings, Inc. (SonicWall Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Aventail LLC
• Inventors: Hopen, Chris, Sauve, Bryan, Hoover, Paul, Perry, Bill
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEHESHTI SHIRAZI, SAYED ARESH
• Application Number:
  US14/477,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20150052248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 713/13, 726/13, 726/19, 726/23, 709/223, 709/224, 709/226, 709/249
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• 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 45/14 Routing performance; Theoretical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

Techniques for determining which resource access requests are handled locally at a remote computer, and which resource access requests are routed or “redirected” through a virtual private network. One or more routing or “redirection” rules are downloaded from a redirection rule server to a remote computer. When the node of the virtual private network running on the remote computer receives a resource access request, it compares the identified resource with the rules. Based upon how the identified resource matches one or more rules, the node will determine whether the resource access request is redirected through the virtual private network or handled locally (e.g., retrieved locally from another network). A single set of redirection rules can be distributed to and employed by a variety of different virtual private network communication techniques.

Claims

1. A method of routing resource access requests based upon a resource name, the method comprising:

receiving a name service reply for a resource;

extracting a name for the resource from the name service reply;

identifying that the resource name matches a redirection rule;

deriving routing information for the resource from the name service reply in response to the resource name matching the redirection rule;

identifying that the name service reply for the resource corresponds to at least one of a transfer control protocol synchronization (TCP SYNC) value, a universal datagram protocol (UDP) datagram, or an Internet control message protocol (ICMP) value;

identifying that the incoming name service reply does not already have a corresponding entry in a virtual private network (VPN) look aside table;

creating a routing entry in the VPN look aside table based on identifying that the VPN look aside table does not already have a corresponding entry that maps the name against the derived routing information in a look aside table based upon the name service reply;

identifying that the incoming name service reply does not already have a corresponding entry in a system routing table; and

creating an entry in the system routing table.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a resource access request that identifies a requested resource by name;

identifying that the name of the requested resource is in the VPN look aside table;

obtaining the routing information mapped to the name of the requested resource from the VPN look aside table when the name of the requested resource is in the VPN look aside table; and

routing the resource access request using the obtained routing information.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising routing the resource access request using the obtained routing information by providing the obtained routing information to the system routing table.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the name service reply is a domain name service reply or a WINS reply.