System and method for providing proactive VPN establishment

• US 9,769,136 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shigapov, Andrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Zee, Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/529,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20150215303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0038 of security context information

Abstract

A system and method which includes monitoring an existing first connection to a secured network domain. A first network configuration is employed to access the secured network domain via the first connection. An available second connection to the network domain is detected, whereby the system and method automatically switch to the second connection to access the secured network domain upon detecting a termination with the first connection. Access to the secured network domain, via the second connection, is established by employing a second network configuration. In an aspect, the first connection is by cable and the first network configuration is associated with direct access to the secured network domain. In an aspect, the second connection is a wired or wireless signal and the second network configuration is associated with a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating network connectivity across connection types implemented by a network traffic management system comprising one or more network traffic management devices, server devices, or client devices, the method comprising:

monitoring an existing first connection to a secured network domain, wherein a first network configuration is employed to access the secured network domain via the first connection;

detecting a termination of the first connection and subsequent to detecting the termination of the first connection;

retrieving locally stored authentication information for a user and automatically switching from the first connection to a second connection to allow access to the secured network domain, wherein the first connection is a wired connection and the second connection is a wireless connection or the first connection is a wireless connection and the second connection is a direct connection and one or more of the first or second network connection is a virtual private network (VPN) connection;

establishing access to the secured network domain via the second connection by employing a second network configuration; and

initiating one or more user login processes associated with the second network configuration using the retrieved locally stored authentication information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first network configuration or the second network configuration is associated with wired access to the secured network domain and one of the first network configuration or the second network configuration is associated with wireless access to the secured network domain.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the previously terminated first connection to again be available;

automatically employing the first network configuration to establish access to the secured network domain via the available first connection; and

terminating the second connection to the secured network domain after establishing access to the secured network domain using the first connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein access to the secured network domain is substantially uninterrupted upon switching between the first and the second connections.

5. A non-transitory machine readable medium having stored thereon instructions for facilitating network connectivity across connection types comprising executable code which when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

monitor an existing first connection to a secured network domain, wherein a first network configuration is employed to access the secured network domain via the first connection;

detect a termination of the first connection and subsequent to detecting the termination of the first connection;

retrieve locally stored authentication information for a user and automatically switching from the first connection to a second connection to allow access to the secured network domain, wherein the first connection is a wired connection and the second connection is a wireless connection or the first connection is a wireless connection and the second connection is a direct connection and one or more of the first or second network connection is a virtual private network (VPN) connection;

establish access to the secured network domain via the second connection by employing a second network configuration; and

initiate one or more user login processes associated with the second network configuration using the retrieved locally stored authentication information.

6. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 5, wherein one of the first network configuration or the second network configuration is associated with wired access to the secured network domain and one of the first network configuration or the second network configuration is associated with wireless access to the secured network domain.

7. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 5, wherein the executable code when executed by the one or more processors further causes the one or more processors to:

detect the previously terminated first connection to again be available;

automatically employ the first network configuration to establish access to the secured network domain via the available first connection; and

terminate the second connection to the secured network domain after establishing access to the secured network domain using the first connection.

8. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 5, wherein access to the secured network domain is substantially uninterrupted upon switching between the first and the second connections.

9. A network device comprising memory comprising programmed instructions stored thereon and one or more processors configured to execute the stored programmed instructions to:

monitor an existing first connection to a secured network domain, wherein a first network configuration is employed to access the secured network domain via the first connection;

detect a termination of the first connection and subsequent to detecting the termination of the first connection;

retrieve locally stored authentication information for a user and automatically switch from the first connection to a second connection to allow access to the secured network domain, wherein the first connection is a wired connection and the second connection is a wireless connection or the first connection is a wireless connection and the second connection is a direct connection and one or more of the first or second network connection is a virtual private network (VPN) connection;

establish access to the secured network domain via the second connection by employing a second network configuration; and

initiate one or more user login processes associated with the second network configuration using the retrieved locally stored authentication information.

10. The network device of claim 9, wherein one of the first network configuration or the second network configuration is associated with wired access to the secured network domain and one of the first network configuration or the second network configuration is associated with wireless access to the secured network domain.

11. The network device of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the stored programmed instructions to:

detect the previously terminated first connection to again be available;

automatically employ the first network configuration to establish access to the secured network domain via the available first connection; and

terminate the second connection to the secured network domain after establishing access to the secured network domain using the first connection.

12. The network device of claim 9, wherein access to the secured network domain is substantially uninterrupted upon switching between the first and the second connections.

13. A network traffic management system, comprising one or more network traffic management devices, server devices, or client devices, the network traffic management system comprising memory comprising programmed instructions stored thereon and one or more processors configured to execute the stored programmed instructions to:

monitor an existing first connection to a secured network domain, wherein a first network configuration is employed to access the secured network domain via the first connection;

detect a termination of the first connection and subsequent to detecting the termination of the first connection;

retrieve locally stored authentication information for a user and automatically switch from the first connection to a second connection to allow access to the secured network domain, wherein the first connection is a wired connection and the second connection is a wireless connection or the first connection is a wireless connection and the second connection is a direct connection and one or more of the first or second network connection is a virtual private network (VPN) connection;

establish access to the secured network domain via the second connection by employing a second network configuration; and

initiate one or more user login processes associated with the second network configuration using the retrieved locally stored authentication information.

14. The network traffic management system of claim 13, wherein one of the first network configuration or the second network configuration is associated with wired access to the secured network domain and one of the first network configuration or the second network configuration is associated with wireless access to the secured network domain.

15. The network traffic management system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the stored programmed instructions to:

detect the previously terminated first connection to again be available;

automatically employ the first network configuration to establish access to the secured network domain via the available first connection; and

terminate the second connection to the secured network domain after establishing access to the secured network domain using the first connection.

16. The network traffic management system of claim 13, wherein access to the secured network domain is substantially uninterrupted upon switching between the first and the second connections.