Custom Socket Factory Firewall Tunneling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for accessing data behind a network separation device, such as a firewall or NAT, require opening a listener socket and port for incoming connections, which compromises security by allowing outside connections.
Innovation Solution
A custom socket factory is used to establish a connection with a cloud server through the network separation device, allowing for direct connection to a client device without a listener port, using connection information received from the cloud server to create a new socket connection, thereby bypassing the need for opening ports for incoming connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a listener socket and port are opened for incoming connections to access data behind a network separation device, then data accessibility is improved, but security is worsened due to allowing outside connections
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of opening a listener socket to wait for incoming connections (traditional approach), the invention inverts the connection direction by having the host device initiate an outgoing connection to a cloud server. This allows the host to receive connection information and directly connect to client devices without exposing any ports to outside connections, thus maintaining security while achieving data accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a cloud server as an intermediary that receives connection information from client devices and relays it to the host device through an existing connection. This intermediary enables indirect communication without requiring the host to open ports, allowing data access while maintaining firewall protection.
2Ease of operation
If intermediate software is used to establish socket connections and transfer data between host server and client, then data access behind network separation device is enabled, but device complexity and resource usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the intermediate software component from the system architecture. Instead of running intermediate software on the local network to manage socket connections and data transfer, the host device directly establishes connections using connection information from the cloud server, eliminating the need for complex intermediate software and reducing resource usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The host device performs its own connection establishment and data transfer operations directly, without relying on intermediate software. The custom socket factory on the host device uses received connection information to directly connect to client devices, making the system self-sufficient and reducing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of tunneling through a network separation device such as a firewall or a Network Address Translator comprising establishing via a custom socket factory coupled with a host device, a connection with a cloud server by tunneling through a network separation device; maintaining, via the custom socket factory, the connection with the cloud server through the network separation device; receiving, via the connection between the custom socket factory and the cloud server, connection information; and directly connecting, via the custom socket factory, to a client device using the connection information received from the cloud server.