Method and device for data transfer over a plurality of links

1. A method for data transfer over a plurality of links, the method comprising:

selecting, by a transmitting device, at least one virtual link over which a data packet needs to be transmitted, from a plurality of virtual links;

determining, by the transmitting device, a physical link corresponding to the selected virtual link according to a binding relationship between the virtual link and the physical link; and

transmitting, by the transmitting device, the data packet to a receiving device over the determined physical link;

wherein the data packet comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address corresponding to the virtual link, and the plurality of virtual links correspond to the same IP address; and

if handshake authentication needs to be performed on the receiving device, then performing, by the transmitting device, the handshake authentication on the receiving device, and notifying the receiving device after the handshake authentication is successful and it is determined that a virtual link can be set up for a physical link corresponding to an IP address notified by the receiving device; and

receiving, by the transmitting device, an updated binding relationship between the virtual link and the physical link, from the receiving device.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the binding relationship between the virtual link and the physical link is a binding relationship between an identifier of the virtual link and the IP address of the physical link.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein before the transmitting device selects the virtual link over which the data needs to be transmitted, from the plurality of virtual links, the method further comprises:

determining, by the transmitting device, an IP address which is notified to the receiving device during handshake authentication, and setting up a virtual link for a physical link corresponding to the determined IP address, after the handshake authentication between the transmitting device and the receiving device is successful; and

updating, by the transmitting device, a binding relationship between the virtual link and the physical link, and transmitting the updated binding relationship between the virtual link and the physical link to the receiving device.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

upon detecting that a virtual link is saturated, transmitting, by the transmitting device, a data packet corresponding to the saturated virtual link over a physical link corresponding to another virtual link, and after the saturated virtual link is resumed, transmitting the data packet corresponding to the resumed virtual link over a physical link corresponding to the resumed virtual link.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

updating, by the transmitting device, a binding relationship between the virtual link and a physical link after the receiving device notifies a released virtual link.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein selecting, by the transmitting device, the virtual link over which the data packet needs to be transmitted, from the plurality of virtual links comprises:

selecting, by the transmitting device, the virtual link over which the data packet needs to be transmitted, from the plurality of virtual links according to link quality values corresponding to the virtual links, link quality values being determined according to link parameters of the physical links corresponding to the virtual links.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein if the transmitting device is a terminal, then the receiving device is a Virtual Private Network (VPN) server; and

if the transmitting device is a VPN server, then the receiving device is a terminal.

8. A device for data transfer over a plurality of links, the device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory;

wherein the memory has computer readable program codes stored therein, and the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer readable program codes to perform:

selecting at least one virtual link over which a data packet needs to be transmitted, from a plurality of virtual links;

determining a physical link corresponding to the selected virtual link according to a binding relationship between the virtual link and the physical link; and

transmitting the data packet to a receiving device over the determined physical link;

wherein the data packet comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address corresponding to the virtual link, and the plurality of virtual links correspond to the same IP address; and

if handshake authentication needs to be performed on the receiving device, then performing the handshake authentication on the receiving device, and notifying the receiving device after the handshake authentication is successful and it is determined that a virtual link can be set up for a physical link corresponding to an IP address notified by the receiving device; and

receiving an updated binding relationship between the virtual link and the physical link, from the receiving device.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the binding relationship between the virtual link and the physical link is a binding relationship between an identifier of the virtual link and the IP address of the physical link.

10. The device according to claim 8 , wherein before the selecting the virtual link over which the data needs to be transmitted, from the plurality of virtual links, the one or more processors are further configured to perform:

determining an IP address which is notified to the receiving device during handshake authentication, and setting up a virtual link for a physical link corresponding to the determined IP address, after the handshake authentication between the device for data transfer and the receiving device is successful; and

updating a binding relationship between the virtual link and the physical link, and transmitting the updated binding relationship between the virtual link and the physical link to the receiving device.

11. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform:

upon detecting that a virtual link is saturated, transmitting a data packet corresponding to the saturated virtual link over a physical link corresponding to another virtual link, and after the saturated virtual link is resumed, transmitting the data packet corresponding to the resumed virtual link over a physical link corresponding to the resumed virtual link.

12. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform:

updating a binding relationship between the virtual link and a physical link after the receiving device notifies a released virtual link.

13. The device according to claim 8 , wherein selecting the virtual link over which the data packet needs to be transmitted, from the plurality of virtual links comprises:

selecting the virtual link over which the data packet needs to be transmitted, from the plurality of virtual links according to link quality values corresponding to the virtual links, link quality values being determined according to link parameters of the physical links corresponding to the virtual links.