Patent ID: 7280540
Filing Date: 2007-10-09
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A gateway node of a network element cluster, said gateway node having first means for processing data packets and establishing secure tunnel connections in accordance with a protocol suite for securing packet data communications, second means for storing hash values, which are currently allocated to said gateway node and different from hash values allocated to other gateway nodes in the cluster so as to enable load distribution, third means for filtering at least a plurality of data packets based on packet-specific first hash values, a first packet-specific hash value being calculated using a first hash function and first header field(s) of a data packet, said third means being arranged to accept only data packets having one of the hash values currently allocated to said node and to ignore other data packets, fourth means for filtering a plurality of second data packets, which are data packets of a secure tunnel according to a protocol suite for securing packet data communications, based on second packet-specific hash values, a second packet-specific hash value being calculated using a second hash function and at least second header field(s) of a second data packet, said fourth means being arranged to accept only second data packets having one of the hash values being currently allocated to said node and to ignore other data packets, fifth means for generating value(s) for the second header field(s), arranged to generate such value(s) that a hash value calculated using said value(s) and the second hash function is a hash value currently allocated to said node, and means for providing the second header field(s) of a second data packet outbound from the node with said generated value(s).