VPN Access Point Management for Simultaneous Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional VPN clients face a burden in establishing and managing multiple VPN connections, requiring separate communication with each Internet access point, loading/unloading VPN policies, and terminating connections, which becomes cumbersome as the number of simultaneous connections increases.
Innovation Solution
A terminal capable of defining and managing VPN access points, allowing it to establish and maintain multiple VPN connections without requiring separate communication with each physical network, loading/unloading VPN policies, and terminating connections, by using a VPN client that can download, install, and manage VPN policies from a Security Policy Database (SPD) associated with a physical access point.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a terminal establishes multiple separate VPN connections through conventional methods, then multiple VPN access capabilities are achieved, but the operational complexity and user burden increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate VPN connection operations into a single integrated access point. The terminal establishes one connection to the IAP that provides access to multiple VPNs simultaneously, merging what would otherwise be separate connection management tasks into a unified process. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining multi-VPN capability while eliminating the operational burden of managing each connection separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated access point serves multiple functions simultaneously - it provides access to multiple different VPNs through a single connection interface. This multi-functional design allows the terminal to access various VPN networks without establishing separate physical connections for each, thereby maintaining versatility while simplifying operation.
2Reliability
If a terminal loads and manages multiple VPN policies separately, then comprehensive security coverage is achieved, but the time and computational resources required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring and storing multiple VPN policies in the terminal before they are needed. When the terminal connects to the integrated access point, the appropriate policies are already available for immediate activation without requiring separate loading operations. This resolves the contradiction by ensuring comprehensive security coverage is ready in advance, eliminating the time required to load policies on-demand.
3Reliability
If conventional VPN clients terminate each connection separately, then proper connection cleanup is achieved, but the number of operations required increases with each additional VPN
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate connection termination operations into a single unified termination process. When the user disconnects from the integrated access point, all associated VPN connections are terminated simultaneously through one operation rather than requiring individual termination for each VPN. This maintains connection termination integrity while dramatically reducing the complexity and number of operations required.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for accessing at least one Virtual Private Network (VPN) includes a terminal, and can include at least one Security Policy Database (SPD). The terminal is capable of communicating with a VPN client and at least one application. The VPN client, in turn, is capable of defining at least one VPN access point, each VPN access point including an associated physical access point and VPN policy. Thereafter, the VPN client can access at least one VPN based upon the VPN access point(s) to thereby establish at least one data connection from at least one application across the at least one VPN. In addition, the VPN client can be capable of downloading at least one VPN policy from the SPD. A system for managing at least one Virtual Private Network (VPN) policy is also provided, where the VPN polic(ies) are for use in accessing at least one VPN.