Cloud Security Service Localization via Source NAT

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cloud-based security service providers face challenges in providing localization and reducing network performance latency for users located outside their data center regions, leading to a less desirable user experience due to mismatched IP addresses and geographic locations.

Innovation Solution

Implementing Source Network Address Translation (SNAT) techniques that decouple the location of network gateways from user IP addresses, allowing users to be assigned IP addresses matching their geographic location, thereby enhancing user experience and security by using public cloud services with multiple points of presence for global coverage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If cloud-based security service providers use centralized data centers, then security management is simplified, but network latency increases for users located outside data center regions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity management complexityVSAvoidnetwork latency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the centralized security service into multiple distributed regional data centers across different geographic locations. Each regional data center independently provides security services to local users, reducing network latency while maintaining standardized security management through centralized control planes that coordinate across all regions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If cloud-based security service providers expand to multiple regions, then user localization experience improves, but IP address management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser localization experienceVSAvoidIP address management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary IP address management system that automatically allocates and manages IP addresses across multiple regional data centers. This intermediary layer handles the complexity of multi-region IP management centrally, while local users experience simplified, location-appropriate IP addressing without directly interacting with the complex underlying management system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If users are assigned IP addresses from their local region, then localization experience improves, but security isolation between customers decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocalization experienceVSAvoidsecurity isolation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements local quality by assigning IP addresses from local regional pools to users based on their geographic location, providing localized experience. Simultaneously, it maintains security isolation through customer-specific security contexts and policies that are enforced regardless of IP origin, ensuring that each customer's security boundaries remain intact even though IP addresses are locally sourced.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12107829B2Localization at scale for a cloud-based security service

Publication Date: 2024.10.01 PALO ALTO NETWORKS INC

AI summary

Techniques for providing localization at scale for a cloud-based security service are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system/method/computer program product for providing localization at scale for a cloud-based security service includes receiving a connection request at a network gateway of a cloud-based security service; performing a source Network Address Translation (NAT) from a registered set of public IP addresses associated with a tenant; and providing secure access to a Software as a Service (SaaS) using the cloud-based security service.