Automated VPN Endpoint Configuration Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity and high management overhead of deploying and maintaining Quality of Service (QoS) aware IPSec-based virtual private networks (VPNs) require significant expertise and time, involving manual configuration and maintenance, which can be error-prone and costly.
Innovation Solution
A remote device automation engine that automates the provisioning and configuration of VPN devices, using a graphical user interface to input parameters, generating customized configurations, and deploying them to endpoints with minimal human intervention through a scheduler and delivery engine, supporting advanced features like voice and video traffic management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual configuration and maintenance methods are used for QoS-aware IPSec VPNs, then deployment flexibility and customization are maintained, but the time required, expertise needed, and error rates increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automated self-provisioning where VPN endpoints automatically discover available VPNs, retrieve their configurations, and apply them without manual intervention. The configuration management system automatically generates, distributes, and updates configurations based on policy decisions, eliminating the need for manual configuration while maintaining system complexity through automated processes.
Solution Approach 2:
Configuration templates and policies are pre-defined and stored in the system before deployment. When a VPN is deployed, the system automatically retrieves these pre-configured templates and applies them to endpoints, significantly reducing deployment time and complexity while maintaining customization capabilities through template selection and parameter adjustment.
2Loss of time
If automated provisioning is implemented, then deployment time and expertise requirements are reduced, but system complexity and initial setup requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The configuration management system serves multiple functions: it stores configuration templates, makes policy decisions, generates endpoint-specific configurations, distributes them to endpoints, and handles updates. This multi-functional automated system reduces provisioning time and expertise requirements while consolidating complexity into a centralized management platform.
Solution Approach 2:
The configuration management system acts as an intermediary between the VPN service provider and the endpoints. It automatically manages the configuration lifecycle, translating high-level policy decisions into device-specific configurations and distributing them to endpoints, thereby reducing both provisioning time and the complexity burden on operators.
3Reliability
If manual configuration updates are performed, then configuration accuracy can be verified, but the frequency and timeliness of updates to endpoints are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automated feedback mechanisms where endpoints report their configuration status and the configuration management system monitors for updates. When policy changes occur or configurations need updating, the system automatically generates updated configurations, distributes them to endpoints, and verifies successful application, enabling frequent and reliable updates without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
Configuration templates and update policies are pre-configured in the system. When updates are needed, the system automatically retrieves the latest templates, generates updated configurations based on current policies, and pushes them to endpoints. This preliminary setup enables rapid, accurate configuration updates without requiring manual verification at each step.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and Methods for determining endpoint configurations for endpoints of a virtual private network (VPN) and deploying the configurations to the endpoints. Parameters required for building the configurations are accepted from a user, the configurations enabling the endpoints to process a mixture of time sensitive and non-time sensitive data, and the parameters comprising: endpoint IP addressing scheme information, network design information, and templates used to define profiles of the endpoints. The configurations for the parameters are generated, wherein the parameters comprise endpoint authentication information, and the configurations are set based on endpoint hardware-specific information with no further input required from the user. Each endpoint is queried to verify that the endpoint hardware-specific information is consistent with the configurations for the endpoint. The configurations are deployed to the endpoints of the VPN.