IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,949,661
Granted Patent B2
US 11,949,661 · App. 17/367,751 · Granted Apr 2, 2024

Systems and methods for selecting application connectors through a cloud-based system for private application access

Inventors: Kunal Shah (Los Altos, CA); John A. Chanak (Saratoga, CA); Vamshi Palkonda (Pleasanton, CA)
Assignee: Zscaler, Inc.
H04L63/0272G06F9/547H04L9/006H04L9/0894H04L9/14H04L9/30H04L9/3263H04L63/029H04L63/0823H04L63/0876H04L67/01H04L67/1021H04L61/4511H04L61/59
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,949,661
App. No.
17/367,751
Granted
Apr 2, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods include obtaining criteria for selecting connectors for private application access in a cloud-based system; responsive to a request to access an application, by a user device, located in any of a public cloud, a private cloud, and an enterprise network, wherein the user device is remote over the Internet, determining a connector coupled to the application based on the criteria; and, responsive to a user of the user device being permitted to access the application, stitching together connections between the cloud-based system, the application, and the user device to provide access to the application.

Claims (32)

1. A method comprising:

obtaining predetermined criteria for selecting connectors for private application access in a cloud-based system, wherein the predetermined criteria specify which connectors to utilize when providing application access based on geographic data and performance, and wherein the predetermined criteria further specified a tenant-based order for which connectors to utilize;

responsive to a request to access an application, by a user device, located in any of a public cloud, a private cloud, and an enterprise network, wherein the user device is remote over the Internet, determining a specific connector coupled to the application to utilize as the appropriate connector based on the predetermined criteria; and

responsive to a user of the user device being permitted to access the application, stitching together connections between the cloud-based system, the application, and the user device to provide access to the application.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising

if the user device is not permitted to access the application, notifying the user device the application does not exist.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stitching together the connections includes the user device creating a connection to the cloud-based system and a connector associated with the application creating a connection to the cloud-based system, to enable the user device and the application to communicate, wherein a connector application executing on the user device and the connector both dial out to the cloud-based system for creating the connection.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the criteria for selecting connectors specifies utilizing one or more specific connectors based on a location of the user device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the criteria is based on a location of the application.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the criteria is based on any of a closest connector to the user device, a closest connector to the application, a list of specific connectors, a list excluding specific connectors, and a priority of connectors.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the criteria is based on any of a closest connector to the user device, a closest connector to the application, a list of specific connectors, a list excluding specific connectors, and a priority of connectors, each of which is in an order.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable code stored thereon for programming a device to perform steps of:

obtaining predetermined criteria for selecting connectors for private application access in a cloud-based system, wherein the predetermined criteria specify which connectors to utilize when providing application access based on geographic data and performance, and wherein the predetermined criteria further specified a tenant-based order for which connectors to utilize;

responsive to a request to access an application, by a user device, located in any of a public cloud, a private cloud, and an enterprise network, wherein the user device is remote over the Internet, determining a specific connector coupled to the application to utilize as the appropriate connector based on the predetermined criteria; and

responsive to a user of the user device being permitted to access the application, stitching together connections between the cloud-based system, the application, and the user device to provide access to the application.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the steps include

if the user device is not permitted to access the application, notifying the user device the application does not exist.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the stitching together the connections includes the user device creating a connection to the cloud-based system and a connector associated with the application creating a connection to the cloud-based system, to enable the user device and the application to communicate, wherein a connector application executing on the user device and the connector both dial out to the cloud-based system for creating the connection.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the criteria for selecting connectors specifies utilizing one or more specific connectors based on a location of the user device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the criteria is based on a location of the application.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the criteria is based on any of a closest connector to the user device, a closest connector to the application, a list of specific connectors, a list excluding specific connectors, and a priority of connectors.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the criteria is based on any of a closest connector to the user device, a closest connector to the application, a list of specific connectors, a list excluding specific connectors, and a priority of connectors, each of which is in an order.

15. A node in a cloud-based system comprising:

one or more processors and memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to

obtain predetermined criteria for selecting connectors for private application access in the cloud-based system, wherein the predetermined criteria specify which connectors to utilize when providing application access based on geographic data and performance, and wherein the predetermined criteria further specifies a tenant-based order for which connectors to utilize;

responsive to a request to access an application, by a user device, located in any of a public cloud, a private cloud, and an enterprise network, wherein the user device is remote over the Internet, determine a specific connector coupled to the application to utilize as the appropriate connector based on the predetermined criteria; and

responsive to a user of the user device being permitted to access the application, stitching together connections between the node, the application, and the user device to provide access to the application.

16. The node of claim 15 , wherein the instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to if the user device is not permitted to access the application, notify the user device the application does not exist.

17. The node of claim 15 , wherein the stitching together the connections includes the user device creating a connection to the cloud-based system and a connector associated with the application creating a connection to the cloud-based system, to enable the user device and the application to communicate, wherein a connector application executing on the user device and the connector both dial out to the cloud-based system for creating the connection.

18. The node of claim 15 , wherein the criteria for selecting connectors specifies utilizing one or more specific connectors based on a location of the user device.

19. The node of claim 15 , wherein the criteria is based on a location of the application.

20. The node of claim 15 , wherein the criteria is based on any of a closest connector to the user device, a closest connector to the application, a list of specific connectors, a list excluding specific connectors, and a priority of connectors.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 6, 2021
From: SHAH, KUNAL; CHANAK, JOHN A.; PALKONDA, VAMSHI
To: ZSCALER, INC.
Reel/Frame 056758/0980 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation In Part 16800307 · Feb 25, 2020
Continuation 15986874 · May 23, 2018
Continuation In Part 15158153 · May 18, 2016
Related Publication 20210336933A1 · Oct 28, 2021
Cited By (6)
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