Cisco Technology, Inc.

Jie Chu

Shujin Zhang

Maria Alice Dos Santos

Shuxian Lou

Jane Jiaying Jin

Xi Xu

Aravind Sitaraman

Leslie Alan Thomas

Sampath Kumar Sthothra Bhasham

Theodore Thomas Herzog

Houshang Nayeb Hosseini

Brian Eliot Weis

Jonathan Rosen

Feng Cao

Sheela Dixit Rowles

Harikrishnan Pillai

Hong Xu

Hsia R Yu

Michael Fingleton

Douglas Michael Toney

Techniques and mechanisms for IPsec processing of IPsec packets for routing platforms where IPsec is just one or more features in the middle of data path features on the packet processing path and hence, the typical, simple inline IPsec scheme does not work well for such platforms. The techniques include using a hardware look-up table for packet classification and inbound security association (SA) lookup in one pass with IP 5-tuple plus SPI as a lookup key at hardware table. The techniques provide an entry match action format and mechanism for deriving inbound SA dram addresses that may be used by a hardware (HW)/firmware (FW) crypto/IPsec engine to process inbound packet traffic. A software SA look-up table is also provided to overcome hardware look-up table resource limitations and support more IPsec session scaling than the physical hardware look-up table can handle. Additional techniques are described.

IPsec processing of packets in SoCs

Processes and systems to create a plurality of sequence number spaces in a security association at a transmission device. Each sequence number space corresponds to a respective class of traffic. Each sequence number space is identified by a unique selector value. For each sequence number space, a sequence number counter is created for counting a sequence of outbound packets of a class of traffic corresponding to the sequence number space. For an outbound packet of a particular class of traffic, a selector value of a sequence number space of the particular class of traffic is written into a first portion of a sequence number field in the outbound packet. Low-order bits of the current value of a sequence number counter, associated with the sequence number space of the particular class of traffic, is written into a second portion of the sequence number field. The sequence number counter is then incremented.

Anti-replay checking with multiple sequence number spaces

First and second nested virtual private networks share a common rekey service. A first key server generates first cryptographic keys and policies for use by gateways of the VPN to encrypt and decrypt data packets. The key server establishes a connection with a second key server to generate second cryptographic keys and policies independently of the first key server for use by encryption units of a second VPN that is nested with and operates independently of the first VPN. The first key server refreshes the first cryptographic keys in the first VPN gateways using a common rekey service, and cooperates with the second key server to refresh the second cryptographic keys in the second VPN encryption units using the common rekey service.

Nested independent virtual private networks with shared rekey and consistency services

A method for routing packets sent from a user to the internet is provided for systems in which the user is connected to a private network. The method includes: extracting a source network address from the packet; using said source network address to retrieve a user profile for the user; examining said user profile to determine whether to route the packet through the private network or to route the packet directly to the Internet; and routing said packet according to said profile. This allows a user or network provider to choose whether to route packets destined for the Internet directly to the Internet rather than through the private network, thus preventing excessive network traffic on the private network.

Default internet traffic and transparent passthrough

A gateway routes a packet from a user to a connected network utilizing a per-user routing table. A source address is extracted from the packet; a per-user routing table corresponding to the source address is found, the per-user routing table contains entries corresponding to one or more currently accessible networks for the user and the range of network addresses corresponding to the currently accessible networks; a destination address is extracted from the packet; an entry in the matching per-user routing table with a range of network addresses containing the destination address is sought; the packet is routed to a matching network if the destination address is contained within one of the ranges of network addresses for the currently accessible networks ('ranges'); and the packet is routed to a default network if the destination address is not contained within one of the ranges. Different users may access a different set of networks and select a desired network for access.

Per user and network routing tables

A method for conveying data communications network management information to an umbrella management system whereby network management information events are published on an information bus and received at a subscribing monitor interface located on the information bus. The monitor interface then converts the network management information events into umbrella management system-useable information and communicates the umbrella management useable information to the umbrella management system. In this manner, the umbrella management system is able to import valuable information pertaining to the devices and services that comprise the overall network. The monitor interface includes an adapter located on the information bus that subscribes to network management information events, a converter that formats the network management information events into data useable by the umbrella management system, and a forwarder that communicates the umbrella management system-useable data to the umbrella management system.

Facility to transmit network management data to an umbrella management system

Multiple simultaneous network connections from a single PPP connection may be accomplished by utilizing a gateway in the following manner. A first network connection is established between the gateway and a first network. A first real network address for the user is then received, the first real network address assigned by the first network. Then, the gateway may establish a network session between the gateway and a second network and receive a second real network address for the user, the second real network address assigned by the second network. A virtual network address may be assigned to the user for network address translation purposes. Additional network connections may be added in a similar manner. Network address translation is then performed on packets traveling between the user and any of the network sessions. This allows each of the simultaneous network connections to gain the benefits of network address translation.

Multiple network connections from a single PPP link with network address translation

Certain bits of a packet, such as bits in the IP header of an IP packet, are used to designate the type of service or Quality of Service (QoS) level to be afforded to the packet as it passes through a data communications network. A user entitled to a certain QoS level logs into a service selection gateway SSG. The SSG queries an authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) server in response to a log-in attempt by the user. Upon authorization, the AAA server returns an access accept signal in addition to an indication from the user's service profile (user profile) as to the QoS level to be afforded the user. While the user is logged in, all packets are routed through the SSG. The SSG sets the certain bits of the packet in accordance with the user's assigned QoS level so that as the packets are routed through the data communications network, they are consistently afforded the assigned Quality of Service level. In another aspect of the invention, on-demand QoS may be provided by the SSG and accounted for by communications with the AAA server.

Use of precedence bits for quality of service

A method and apparatus for providing management and maintenance to a node within a data communications network and to the composite data communications network. A network management application is started on a host which may be located at a network operation center. The management application is in communication with network nodes and services through adapters. A master daemon located at a node is activated. The master daemon starts a control adapter running on the node and if the control adapter fails the master daemon restarts the control adapter. The control adapter is capable of starting and stopping all services running on the node. Signals are communicated between the management application, the node and the services by way of adapters. Signaling provides for the exchange of useful event data related to the nodes and services running on the nodes.

Managing recovery of service components and notification of service errors and failures

A method and apparatus for resolving where to forward DNS (domain name service) requests for a user simultaneously logged into more than one service existing on a data communications network utilizes an active service list (ASL) to keep track of the services that the user is currently logged into. The active service list includes a list of services sorted in a particular order based on information about the service and sometimes the order in which the user logged into the services. Each service has a profile that defines, among other things, the IP Address space for the service and a Domain attribute. To determine the appropriate service and, therefore, the appropriate DNS server for a DNS request, the QName from the DNS request is compared to the configured Domain attribute(s) for each service in the order of the ASL. If a match is found, then the DNS request packet is modified to re-direct the DNS request to the DNS server configured for the matched service. If no domain match is found and the user is logged into an Internet Service, then the DNS request packet is modified to re-direct the DNS request to the DNS server configured for the first Internet Service found in the user's ASL. If no domain match is found and the user is not logged into an active Internet Service, then the DNS request is not re-directed, but rather forwarded unmodified.

Method and apparatus for DNS resolution

A gateway is provided which routes a packet sent from a user to a connected network utilizing a per-user routing table. This is accomplished by extracting a source address from the packet; finding a per-user routing table corresponding to the source address, the per-user routing table containing entries corresponding to one or more currently accessible networks for the user and the range of network addresses corresponding to the currently accessible networks; extracting a destination address from the packet; seeking an entry in the matching per-user routing table with a range of network addresses containing the destination address; routing the packet to a matching network if the destination address is contained within one of the ranges of network addresses for the currently accessible networks; and routing the packet to a default network if the destination address is not contained within one of the ranges of network addresses for the currently accessible networks. This allows different users to have access to a different set of networks and allows a user to select the network he wishes to access. The gateway may also guarantee that packet are routed through a particular destination ISP or network by looking up the destination ISP or network in a table, each entry in the table having a router network address corresponding to each network currently accessible; establishing a tunneling session to the matching router network address; and forwarding the packet to the router network address through the tunneling session.

A method for providing single step log-on access for a subscriber to a computer network. The computer network is differentiated into public and private areas. Secure access to the private areas is provided by a Service Selection Gateway (SSG) Server, introduced between a conventional Network Access Server (NAS) and an Authentication Authorization and Accounting (AAA) Server. The SSG Server intercepts and manipulates packets of data exchanged between the NAS and the AAA Server to obtain all the information it needs to automatically log the user on when the user logs on to the NAS. An authorized user is thus spared the task of having to re-enter username and password data or launch a separate application in order to gain secure access to private areas of the network.

Growing community of inventors

Los Altos, CA, United States of America

Jie Chu