Patent ID: 7562384
Filing Date: 2009-07-14
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for resolving information associated with a particular network device, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: at a first network device, storing, in each entry of a plurality of entries in a security association database, at least: (a) a network address of some network device, (b) a security association comprised of a set of Internet Protocol security (IPSec) parameters that have been negotiated between that network device and another network device, and (c) a security parameter index for said security association; the first network device utilizing one or more of said security associations identified in said plurality of entries of said security association database to participate in secure communications with one or more other devices; the first network device adding to a particular entry of said plurality of entries in the security association database, said particular entry storing a particular network address and a particular security association for a particular network device, authenticated identity information of the particular network device; wherein the particular network address is a dynamically assigned network address; wherein the authenticated identity information is an identity, other than the particular network address and the particular security association, that has been verified to belong to the particular network device based at least on authentication information other than the identity; the first network device receiving, from a client that does not have the particular network address of the particular network device, a request for the network address of the particular network device, wherein the request includes at least a part of the authenticated identity information of the particular network device; the first network device locating, based on the at least a part of the authenticated identity information, the particular entry in the security association database that includes the particular network address of the particular network device; and the first network device responding to the request with the particular network address of the particular network device.