VPN Manager Location Reporting via PowerShell Logs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing direct access technologies, such as VPN and DirectAccess, lack dedicated solutions for analyzing and reporting user activity based on geographic locations, making it difficult to support users experiencing issues and manage server connections effectively.
Innovation Solution
Implementing methods and systems that utilize PowerShell scripts on DirectAccess servers to generate logs and CSV files, which are then collected and analyzed to provide location-based reporting and user activity insights, integrated with a VPN manager using a LAMP stack and LDAP for secure authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If VPN connections are automatically initiated without location tracking, then user access convenience is improved, but the ability to analyze and report user activity based on geographic locations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a VPN manager as an intermediary component that sits between the automatic VPN connection system and the reporting system. This manager collects geographic location information from multiple sources (IP address geolocation, user profile data, connection metadata) and stores it in a database, enabling location-based reporting without interfering with the automatic connection process. The intermediary captures the necessary information that would otherwise be lost in the automated connection flow.
2Adaptability or versatility
If user connections are routed through multiple locations, then network flexibility and load distribution are improved, but the ability to identify the original server associated with user activity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by capturing and storing the original server location information at the point of connection establishment, before any routing through multiple locations occurs. The VPN manager records the initial server association in the database along with the user's geographic location data. This preliminary capture ensures that even if connections are later routed through multiple intermediate locations, the original server association remains preserved and can be accurately retrieved for reporting purposes.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, computer systems, and computer-storage medium are provided for monitoring, analyzing, and providing reports regarding direct access technologies, for example DirectAccess, VPN, or VPN-like technologies. User activity associated with DirectAccess servers can be filtered by server location to allow administrators to determine which users, and how many users, utilized or are utilizing each DirectAccess server, which can be identified by geographic locations. In some cases, this information can be used to address technical support issues or to determine which resources of an entity may be under- or over-utilized.