Secure access to remote resources over a network

• US 9,407,456 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2011
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• 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: Hoover, Paul Lawrence, Erickson, Rodger Del, Sauve, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Swearingen, Jeffrey R
• Application Number:
  US13/038,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20110167475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,981 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4675 Dynamic sharing of VLAN information amongst network nodes configuration of the network or of network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/021 Ensuring consistency of routing table updates, e.g. by using epoch numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/745 Address table lookup; Address filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5046 Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

A client computer hosts a virtual private network tool to establish a virtual private network connection with a remote network. Upon startup, the virtual private network tool collects critical network information for the client computer, and sends this critical network information to an address assignment server in the remote network. The address assignment server compares the critical network information with a pool of available addresses in the remote network, and assigns addresses for use by the client computer that do not conflict with the addresses for local resources. The address assignment server also provides routing information for resources in the remote network to the virtual private network tool. The virtual private network tool will postpone loading this routing information into the routing tables of the client computer until the client computer requests access to a specific resource in the remote network. When the client computer requests access to a specific resource in the remote network, the virtual private network tool will only provide the routing table with the routing information for that specific remote resource.

Claims

1. A method for securely accessing a remote resource on a private network, the method comprising:

storing in a memory of a client computing device a routing rule for accessing a remote resource; and

executing instructions stored in the memory of the client computing device, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor;

provides to a routing table stored in the memory of the client computing device one or more initial routing rules for accessing a name server in the network, wherein the one or more initial routing rules are limited to one or more routing rules necessary for accessing the name server;

requests access to the remote resource by a client application stored in the memory of the client computing device using the name of the remote resource;

transmits to the name server an address resolution query for the name of the remote resource based on the one or more initial routing rules;

intercepts a reply from the name server intended for the client application, the reply including a network address corresponding to the name of the resource;

obtains from the memory the routing rule corresponding to the name of the requested resource;

determines that the client computing device is permitted to access the requested resource based on the routing rule;

generates a routing rule for the network address identified in the reply;

provides to the client application the routing rule for the network address generated from the intercepted reply; and

opens by the client application a secure connection with the remote network based on the routing rule.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the name server is a Domain Name Server or Windows Internet Naming Service server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the client computing device is permitted to access the requested resource based on the routing rule includes comparing authentication information of the client computing device with an access policy, the access policy used for determining which remote resource the client computing device is permitted to access.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein opening a secure connection with the remote network includes opening a redirect all connection mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein opening a secure connection with the remote network includes opening a split tunnel connection mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing rule contains a resource identifier value and a permission value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing rule includes information corresponding to the name of a requested remote resource.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing rule indicates that the client computing device is permitted to access the requested remote resource.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for securely accessing a remote resource on a private network, the method comprising:

providing to a routing table stored in a memory of a client computing device one or more initial routing rules for accessing a name server in the network, wherein the one or more initial routing rules are limited to the routing rules necessary for accessing the name server;

requesting access to the remote resource by a client application stored in the memory of the client computing device using the name of the remote resource;

transmitting to the name server an address resolution query for the name of the remote resource based on the one or more initial routing rules;

intercepting a reply from the name server intended for the client application, the reply including a network address corresponding to the name of the resource;

obtaining from the memory the routing rule corresponding to the name of the requested resource;

determining that the client computing device is permitted to access the requested resource based on the routing rule;

generating a routing rule for the network address identified in the reply;

providing to the client application the routing rule for the network address generated from the intercepted reply; and

opening by the client application a secure connection with the remote network based on the routing rule.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the name server is a Domain Name Server or Windows Internet Naming Service server.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein determining that the client computing device is permitted to access the requested resource based on the routing rule includes comparing authentication information of the client computing device with an access policy, the access policy used for determining which remote resource the client computing device is permitted to access.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein opening a secure connection with the remote network includes opening a redirect all connection mode.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein opening a secure connection with the remote network includes opening a split tunnel connection mode.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the routing rule contains a resource identifier value and a permission value.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the routing rule includes information corresponding to the name of a requested remote resource.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the routing rule indicates that the client computing device is permitted to access the requested remote resource.