System for connecting, securing and managing network devices with a dedicated private virtual network

• US 9,918,346 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2016
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barracuda Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Barracuda Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Perone, Michael, Shi, Fleming
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Anh-Vu
• Application Number:
  US15/130,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20160309395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A device includes a database, a controller, and a PVN router. The database is configured to store network settings information and tracks devices connected to a network. The controller is configured to control access of devices to one another after establishing a connection to the network. The PVN router is configured to receive a provisioning request from a requesting to connect to the network. The PVN router is further configured to transmit a provisioning response to the requesting device based on instantiation of a PVN template received from the database. The PVN template is generated based on the network settings information and further based on the control access determined by the controller. The provisioning response establishes a connection between the requesting device and the network. The requesting device is inaccessible by a subset of devices already connected in the network after the connection is established and vice versa.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a memory component configured to store information associated with network settings;

a controller configured to control access of an external device of a network and an internal device of the network to one another; and

a private virtual network (PVN) router within the network, wherein the PVN router is configured to receive a request signal from the external device to connect to the network and wherein the PVN router is further configured to receive another request signal from another external device to connect to the network, and wherein the PVN router is further configured to transmit a response signal to the external device and further configured to transmit another response signal to the another external device wherein the response signals are based on the network settings stored in the memory component and further based on the control access by the controller, wherein the response signal to the external device comprises a dedicated PVN to establish a connection between the external device and the network and wherein the response signal to the another external device comprises another dedicated PVN to establish another connection between the another external device and the network, wherein the external device is inaccessible by the internal device after the connection is established and wherein the external device is inaccessible by the another device after the connection and the another connections are established, and wherein the another external device is inaccessible by the internal device after the another connection is established and wherein the another external device is inaccessible by the external device after the another connection and the connection are established, and wherein the internal device is inaccessible by the external device after the connection is established and wherein the internal device is inaccessible by the another external device after the another connection is established.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein presence of the external device remains unknown by the internal device after the connection is established, and wherein presence of the internal device remains unknown by the external device after the connection is established.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory component is configured to track devices connected to the network.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the network settings comprises an internet protocol, subnet size, default gateway, routing tables, and domain name system services.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the PVN router is further configured to receive a request from the external device, after the connection is established between the external device and the network, to provide access to the internal device, and wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether access to the internal device should be granted.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the PVN router is further configured to provide a signal to the external device to enable the external device to access the internal device in response to a determination by the controller that access should be granted.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the request signal from the external device to connect to the network is a provisioning request.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the PVN router is further configured to automatically discover new devices.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the dedicated PVN transmitted within a template to the external device.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the control access of the external device by the controller is configurable by network administrator.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a request for connecting an external device of a network to the network;

transmitting a dedicated private virtual network (PVN) response to the external device;

establishing a connection between the external device and the network, wherein the external device is inaccessible by an internal device of the network after the connection is established and wherein the internal device is inaccessible by the external device after the connection is established;

receiving another request for connecting another external device to the network;

transmitting another dedicated PVN response to the another external device; and

establishing a connection between the another external device and the network, wherein the another external device is inaccessible by the internal device and the external device after the connection is established and wherein the internal device and the external device are inaccessible by the another external device after the connection is established.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein presence of the external device remains unknown by the internal device after the connection is established, and wherein presence of the internal device remains unknown by the external device after the connection is established.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the dedicated PVN response is included in a template being transmitted and it includes an internet protocol, subnet size, default gateway, routing tables, and domain name system services.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving a request from the external device, after the connection is established between the external device and the network, to provide access to the internal device; and

determining whether access to the internal device should be granted.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

granting access to the external device in response to determining that access should be granted.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining whether to grant access is performed by a controller, and wherein the controller is dynamically configurable by a network administrator to modify access and a level of access.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the external device is accessible by another internal device of the network after the connection is established and wherein the another internal device is accessible by the external device after the connection is established.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

detecting another external device to be connected to the network.

19. A device comprising:

a database configured to store network settings information and further configured to track devices connected to a network;

a controller configured to control access of devices to one another after establishing a connection to the network; and

a private virtual network (PVN) router configured to receive a first provisioning request from a first requesting device to connect to the network and further configured to receive a second provisioning request from a second requesting device to connect to the network, wherein the PVN router is further configured to transmit a first provisioning response to the first requesting device based on instantiation of a PVN template received from the database and wherein the PVN router is further configured to transmit a second provisioning response to the second requesting device based on instantiation of the PVN template, wherein the PVN template is generated based on the network settings and further based on the control access determined by the controller, and wherein the provisioning response establishes a first connection between the first requesting device and the network and wherein the second provisioning response establishes a second connection between the second requesting device and the network, wherein the first requesting device is inaccessible by a first subset of devices already connected in the network after the first connection is established and wherein the first subset of devices is inaccessible by the first requesting device after the first connection is established and wherein the second requesting device is inaccessible by a second subset of devices already connected in the network after the second connection is established and wherein the second subset of devices is inaccessible by the second requesting device after the second connection is established, and wherein the first requesting device is inaccessible by the second requesting device and vice versa after the first and the second connection are established.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the requesting device is accessible by another subset of devices already connected in the network after the connection is established and wherein the another subset of devices is accessible by the requesting device after the connection is established.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the requesting device is invisible to the subset of devices and wherein the subset of devices is invisible to the requesting device.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein the controller is configurable in response to receiving instructions from a network administrator to modify accessibility of the requesting device to the subset of devices and vice versa prior to establishing the connection.

23. The device of claim 19, wherein the PVN router is configured to receive a request from the requesting device, after the connection is established, to grant access to another device connected to the network that is not in the subset of devices.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the requesting device should be given access to the another device connected to the network that is not in the subset of devices.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the controller is configured to provide access to the requesting device in response to determining that the requesting device should be given access to the another device connected to the network that is not in the subset of devices.

26. The device of claim 19, wherein presence of the requesting device remains unknown by the subset of devices after the connection is established, and wherein presence of the subset of devices remains unknown by the requesting device after the connection is established.

27. The device of claim 19, wherein the PVN template comprises information regarding an internet protocol, subnet size, default gateway, routing tables, and domain name system services.

28. The device of claim 19, wherein the PVN router is further configured to automatically discover new devices.