Patent ID: 8601257
Filing Date: 2013-12-03
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for distributing to a plurality of service nodes a data packet addressed to at least one virtual address provided in an IP header of the data packet as the destination address and received over a communication network using a protocol that allows at least some content of the data packets including the data contained in a subsequent UDP or TCP header to be encrypted, the method comprising: a) receiving an incoming data packet addressed to a virtual address through a gateway node of a cluster system identified by at least one common virtual address comprising: a plurality of service nodes; at least one gateway node; a packet analyzer that analyzes destination addresses and encryption states of incoming data packets; a packet decryption module comprising a key that decrypts encrypted content of data packets; and a packet scheduler that determines which of the service nodes receives data packets addressed to the at least one virtual address based upon service information comprising at least one of a port number and an application protocol contained in the UDP or TCP header of the data packets; b) identifying the encryption state of the incoming data packet via the packet analyzer based upon the presence of an ESP header in the incoming data packets; c) scheduling the received data packet via the packet scheduler based upon the port number or the application protocol in the service information contained in the UDP or TCP header of the received data packet in response to no encryption being identified in b); d) in response to encryption being identified in b): e) distributing the modified data packet in its encrypted state to one of the service nodes having a unique address according to the determination of the packet scheduler.