Physical Routing Appliance With Multiplexed VPN Link Aggregation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for configuring network connections to cloud services are time-consuming and expensive, lacking efficient protocols for secure, high-bandwidth, and redundant data transport.
Innovation Solution
A physical routing appliance (PRA) with a configurable multiplexed virtual private network (VPN) protocol that aggregates links for redundancy and increased bandwidth, enabling secure multiplexed data transmission and reducing setup steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional configuration methods are used to establish network connections to cloud services, then connection reliability is achieved, but setup time and expense are substantial
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically provisioning VPN resources and pre-establishing connection parameters before actual data transmission begins. The PRA appliance automatically configures multiplexed VPN tunnels and link aggregation groups in advance, eliminating manual setup time while ensuring connection reliability is established beforehand.
Solution Approach 2:
The PRA appliance implements self-service capabilities by automatically configuring multiplexed VPN connections, performing link aggregation, and managing tunnel establishment without requiring manual intervention. The system autonomously handles resource provisioning, connection testing, and failover configurations, dramatically reducing setup time while maintaining reliable connections.
2Device complexity
If single network connections are used to cloud services, then device complexity is low, but bandwidth and speed are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple physical network connections into a single logical connection through link aggregation groups (LAGs). The PRA appliance merges multiple VPN tunnels and physical links into unified communication paths, increasing total bandwidth and transmission speed while presenting a simplified single-connection interface to end systems, thus avoiding complexity increases.
Solution Approach 2:
The multiplexed VPN architecture enables a single connection structure to serve multiple functions simultaneously - handling different data streams, providing redundant paths, and supporting multiple cloud service connections. This multi-functionality increases effective bandwidth and speed without requiring separate dedicated connection structures for each function.
3Reliability
If multiple redundant connections are established for high bandwidth and reliability, then data transmission reliability improves, but connection management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The PRA appliance acts as an intermediary that manages multiple redundant connections between end systems and cloud services. It abstracts the complexity of managing multiple VPN tunnels and link aggregation groups, handling failover, load balancing, and connection state management automatically. This intermediary role provides reliable redundant connections while hiding management complexity from users.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates virtual copies of connection interfaces through virtual routing appliances (VRAs) and multiplexed VPN tunnels. These virtual connections replicate the functionality of physical connections while being easier to manage and configure. The VRA instances provide simplified management interfaces that control multiple physical connections without requiring direct management of each individual link.
4Reliability
If manual configuration of VPN connections is performed, then security can be customized, but setup expense and time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The PRA appliance implements automated self-service provisioning for VPN connections, automatically configuring security parameters, certificates, and encryption settings based on pre-defined policies. The system performs mutual TLS authentication, automatically manages certificate validation, and configures secure tunnels without manual security hardening, dramatically reducing setup expense while maintaining high security standards through automated best practices.
Data Source
AI summary
A physical routing appliance facilitates connection of a user installation to a cloud service. At the physical routing appliance, system data received from the user installation may be multiplexed for transmission to a virtual routing appliance at the cloud service as multiplexed data. At the virtual routing appliance, system data received from the cloud service may be multiplexed for transmission to the physical routing appliance as multiplexed data. The physical routing appliance receives the multiplexed data from the virtual routing appliance and formats that data for transmission to the user installation. The virtual routing appliance in turn receives the multiplexed data from the physical routing appliance and formats that data for transmission to the cloud service. A plurality of paths between the physical routing appliance and the virtual routing appliance enable transmission of the multiplexed data as multiplexed data portions without having to retransmit all of the system data.