VPN Session Generation from Server Logs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in generating VPN sessions from VPN server logs due to variations in message IDs and their meanings across different VPN service providers, leading to significant system modifications and potential failures when message IDs change, making it difficult to accurately identify suspicious network activity.
Innovation Solution
A system processes VPN server log messages using a VPN sessions table with attributes like username, start time, status, and IP addresses to generate VPN sessions without relying on specific message IDs, allowing for the creation of new sessions and updating existing ones based on inactivity thresholds and session durations, enabling efficient identification of suspicious activity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the system relies on specific message IDs to generate VPN sessions, then it can accurately identify login/logout events, but it requires significant system modifications when message IDs change between VPN service providers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer that translates between VPN server log messages and internal session representations. Instead of directly relying on message IDs, the system uses a message queue and session management layer that abstracts the underlying message format, allowing the system to work with different VPN service providers without modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter used for session identification from message ID-based to timestamp-based. By using timestamps and session state transitions rather than specific message ID values, the system becomes adaptable to different VPN service providers while maintaining accurate session tracking.
2Reliability
If the system processes every log message individually using message ID matching, then it can track session events, but it becomes vulnerable to failures when message ID meanings change
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic session management system where session state transitions are determined by temporal patterns and state machine logic rather than static message ID matching. This allows the system to adapt to changing message formats while maintaining reliable session tracking through dynamic state transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback loops where session state is continuously updated based on incoming log messages. The session manager monitors message patterns and adjusts session state accordingly, providing feedback mechanisms that ensure reliable session tracking even when message ID meanings change, without requiring system modifications.
3Loss of information
If the system uses voluminous raw log data for security analysis, then it has complete information, but it becomes difficult for security analysts to identify suspicious activity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts essential session information from voluminous raw log data and presents it in a condensed, analyst-friendly format. The session management system filters and aggregates log messages into meaningful session records, extracting only the critical information needed for security analysis while maintaining complete session context.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the continuous stream of raw log messages into discrete, manageable session units. Each session is treated as a separate analytical entity with defined boundaries (login/logout events), making it easier for security analysts to review and identify suspicious activity without being overwhelmed by raw data volume.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for generating virtual private network (VPN) sessions from VPN server log messages uses and displays a VPN sessions table in which each row contains attributes of a corresponding VPN session. Processing of a log message causes a session to be generated when there is no ACTIVE session in the table for a username extracted from a log message. A time extracted from the log message is stored as the session start time and as a temporary end time associated with the session. If a gap between a temporary end time and a time extracted from a log message for the associated ACTIVE session is less than a threshold amount, the temporary end time is set to the extracted time. If the gap is equal to or exceeds the threshold, the status of the session is changed from ACTIVE to CLOSED, and a new ACTIVE session is generated.