Patent ID: 6754831
Filing Date: 2004-06-22
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method of communicating between a process on an external host and an internal host behind a firewall, the method comprising:authenticating a user relative to the firewall that is associated with the process; and if the user is authenticated relative to the firewall, then: generating a first set of configuration data indicating a configuration of a tunnel for connecting the process to the internal host and the manner in which the tunnel is created, generating a socket based on the first set of configuration data, the socket being configured to connect the process to the internal host through the tunnel, establishing a session associated with the user, wherein the tunnel is associated with the session, and transmitting the first set of configuration data to the external host, wherein generating said socket includes instantiating said socket as an object belonging to a socket subclass, wherein: said socket subclass belongs to a socket super class that includes a first routine, and said socket subclass defines an implementation for said first routine, said implementation configuring sockets.