Network with virtual “Virtual Private Network” server
A distributed network is provided with mobile user devices, a virtual “Virtual Private Network” (VPN) server, and a plurality of physical VPN servers, wherein the virtual VPN server allows all mobile user devices to be configured with a single VPN server address, namely that of the virtual VPN server. The plurality of physical VPM servers all recognize and intercept network traffic sent to the virtual VPN server address, so that traffic can be distributed throughout the network. Specifically, each real VPN server responds to network traffic sent by a mobile user device to the address of the virtual VPN server and communicates with the mobile user device using the virtual VPN server address in preference to the individually assigned address of the real VPN server.
1. A data communication network having at least one Virtual Private Network comprising:
a plurality of physical Virtual Private Network servers sharing a single common layer 3 network address corresponding to a virtual Virtual Private Network server; and
a plurality of Virtual Private Network client devices configured to associate with said single common layer 3 network address of said virtual Virtual Private Network server, wherein each physical Virtual Private Network server is operative to resolve the single common layer 3 network address of the virtual Virtual Private Network server directly to a layer 2 MAC address unique to itself as said physical Virtual Private Network server in order to enable communications on physical connections between said Virtual Private Network client devices and said physical Virtual Private Network server.
2. The network of claim 1 wherein a plurality of virtual Virtual Private Network servers is associated with each said physical Virtual Private Network server.
3. The network of claim 1 further including:
at least one layer 3 network routing device, said routing device physically separating each said physical Virtual Private Network server from said Virtual Private Network client devices.
4. The network of claim 3 wherein a plurality of Virtual Private Network servers is associated with each said physical Virtual Private Network server.
5. A method for distributing Virtual Private Network services among a plurality of individual physical Virtual Private Network servers comprising:
sharing a common layer 3 network address of a virtual Virtual Private Network server with each one of a plurality of physical Virtual Private Network servers; and
physically connecting Virtual Private Network client devices to selected ones of said plurality of physical Virtual Private Network servers;
configuring said Virtual Private Network client devices to access said physical Virtual Private Network servers through said common layer 3 network address of said virtual VIrtual Private Network server; and
at each said physical Virtual Private Network server, in response to an address resolution request, resolving said common layer 3 network address to a layer 2 MAC address unique to said physical Virtual Private Network server.
6. A method for distributing Virtual Private Network services among a plurality of individual physical Virtual Private Network Servers comprising:
sharing a common layer 3 network address of a virtual Virtual Private Network server with each one of a plurality of physical Virtual Private Network servers; and
physically connecting Virtual Private Network client devices to selected ones of said plurality of physical Virtual Private Network servers via at least one intermediate routing device;
configuring each said routing device to resolve said common layer 3 network address of said virtual Virtual Private Network server to access one of said physical Virtual Private Network servers which is associated with said routing device for routing traffic between said Virtual Private Network client devices and said associated physical Virtual Private Network server;
configuring said Virtual Private Network client devices to access said physical Virtual Private Network servers through said common layer 3 network address of said virtual Virtual Private Network server; and
at each said physical Virtual Private Network server, in response to an address resolution request, resolving said common layer 3 network address to a layer 2 MAC address unique to said physical Virtual Private Network server.
7. A system comprising:
a first physical Virtual Private Network server, wherein the first physical Virtual Private Network server shares a common layer 3 network address of a virtual Virtual Private Network server with at least a second physical Virtual Private Network server and
wherein the first physical Virtual Private Network server is operable to resolve the address of the virtual Virtual Private Network server directly to a layer 2 MAC address unique to the first physical Virtual Private Network server to enable communications on physical connections with a Virtual Private Network client device configured to associate with the address of the virtual Virtual Private Network server.
8. A method, comprising:
sharing an address of a virtual Virtual Private Network server between a first and second physical Virtual Private Network servers, wherein the address is a single common layer 3 network address; and
resolving the address of the virtual Virtual Private Network server directly to a layer 2 MAC address unique to the first physical Virtual Private Network server to enable communications on physical communications with a Virtual Private Network client device, wherein the client device is configured to associate with the address of the virtual Virtual Private Network server.