VPN Gateway Decapsulation for Deep Packet Inspection

The patent introduces a VPN gateway as an intermediary component between the firewall and VPN traffic. The gateway performs decapsulation of VPN packets, extracting the original IP packets from their encrypted encapsulation. This intermediary enables the firewall to inspect VPN traffic without requiring decryption keys, as the gateway预处理 the packets to a inspectable format.

The patent merges the decapsulation function with the existing VPN gateway infrastructure. Rather than adding a separate complex decapsulation system, the functionality is integrated into the gateway that already manages VPN connections. This consolidation reduces overall system complexity while enabling the required inspection capability.

The patent extracts and highlights only the most relevant packet information for administrative review. Instead of presenting all collected data, the system selectively extracts key elements such as source/destination addresses, protocol types, and session identifiers. This extraction approach maintains inspection accuracy while presenting manageable information to administrators through the user interface.

The patent creates simplified copies of session information for tracking and correlation purposes. Rather than managing complex original packet data structures, the system generates streamlined session records that capture essential correlation information. These copied session objects enable effective network management while reducing the complexity of data correlation operations.