IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,452,314
Granted Patent B2
US 12,452,314 · App. 18/309,953 · Granted Oct 21, 2025

Dynamically reconfigurable traffic inspection pipeline in zero trust networks

Inventors: Kanti Varanasi (San Jose, CA); Jane Joseph (Leander, TX); Mohit Chawla (Punjab, IN); Nikhil Bhatia (San Jose, CA); Sunil Menon (Los Gatos, CA)
Assignee: Zscaler, Inc.
H04L63/30H04L63/0428H04L63/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,452,314
App. No.
18/309,953
Granted
Oct 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for a dynamically reconfigurable traffic inspection pipeline in zero trust networks. Methods include steps of intercepting traffic traversing through a zero trust network to a destination; determining one or more traffic inspection stages to utilize for inspecting the traffic based on the characteristics of the traffic; creating a traffic inspection pipeline including the one or more traffic inspection stages; and performing the one or more traffic inspection stages on the traffic through the traffic inspection pipeline. The steps can include dynamically adding or removing traffic inspection stages in the traffic inspection pipeline after performing a traffic inspection stage.

Claims (30)

1. A method comprising steps of:

intercepting traffic traversing through a zero trust network to a destination;

determining one or more traffic inspection stages to utilize for inspecting the traffic based on characteristics of the traffic;

creating a traffic inspection pipeline including the one or more traffic inspection stages; and

performing the one or more traffic inspection stages on the traffic through the traffic inspection pipeline, wherein one or more additional traffic inspection stages are added to the traffic inspection pipeline after performing a traffic inspection stage.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more traffic inspection stages include any of classification, decryption, inspection, and transformation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more traffic inspection stages are performed within a forwarding service of the zero trust network.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more traffic inspection stages are removed from the traffic inspection pipeline after performing a traffic inspection stage.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the traffic inspection pipeline is destroyed after a connection associated with the traffic is closed.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more traffic inspection stages are determined based on control messages exchanged between traffic forwarding services.

7. A method comprising steps of:

intercepting traffic traversing through a zero trust network to a destination;

determining one or more traffic inspection stages to utilize for inspecting the traffic based on characteristics of the traffic;

creating a traffic inspection pipeline including the one or more traffic inspection stages; and

performing the one or more traffic inspection stages on the traffic through the traffic inspection pipeline, wherein one or more traffic inspection stages are removed from the traffic inspection pipeline after performing a traffic inspection stage.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more traffic inspection stages include any of classification, decryption, inspection, and transformation.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more traffic inspection stages are performed within a forwarding service of the zero trust network.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein one or more additional traffic inspection stages are added to the traffic inspection pipeline after performing a traffic inspection stage.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the traffic inspection pipeline is destroyed after a connection associated with the traffic is closed.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more traffic inspection stages are determined based on control messages exchanged between traffic forwarding services.

13. A method comprising steps of:

intercepting traffic traversing through a zero trust network to a destination;

determining one or more traffic inspection stages to utilize for inspecting the traffic based on characteristics of the traffic;

creating a traffic inspection pipeline including the one or more traffic inspection stages; and

performing the one or more traffic inspection stages on the traffic through the traffic inspection pipeline, wherein the traffic inspection pipeline is destroyed after a connection associated with the traffic is closed.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more traffic inspection stages include any of classification, decryption, inspection, and transformation.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more traffic inspection stages are performed within a forwarding service of the zero trust network.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein one or more additional traffic inspection stages are added to the traffic inspection pipeline after performing a traffic inspection stage.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein one or more traffic inspection stages are removed from the traffic inspection pipeline after performing a traffic inspection stage.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more traffic inspection stages are determined based on control messages exchanged between traffic forwarding services.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 1, 2023
From: VARANASI, KANTI; JOSEPH, JANE; CHAWLA, MOHIT; BHATIA, NIKHIL; MENON, SUNIL
To: ZSCALER, INC.
Reel/Frame 063492/0159 →
Priority Claims (1)
IN 202311018238 · Mar 17, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240314176A1 · Sep 19, 2024
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