Patent ID: 8108525

Claim:
A method for establishing a virtual private network session on behalf of a user of a client where the user has a currently existing virtual private network session previously established on behalf of the user, the method comprising: (a-a) receiving, by an appliance, a first request from a first client operated by a user to establish a virtual private network session; (a-b) establishing, by the appliance in response to the first request, a first virtual private network session with the first client; (b-a) receiving, by the appliance, a second request from a second client operated by the user to establish a virtual private network session; (b-b) creating, by the appliance in response to the second request, a second virtual private network session with the second client, the second virtual private network session identified by the appliance as temporary and prevented from receiving data from the second client; (c-a) identifying, by the appliance in response to the creation of the second virtual private network session, the first virtual private network session of the user as a currently existing virtual private network session previously established on behalf of the user; (c-b) communicating, by the appliance to the second client, properties identified from the currently existing virtual private network session, the second client determining, on behalf of the user, to terminate the first virtual private network session based on the identified properties; (d-a) receiving, by the appliance from the second client, a third request to terminate the first virtual private network session based on the determination; (d-b) terminating, by the appliance responsive to the third request, the first virtual private network session; and (e) establishing a third virtual private network session with the client using the second virtual private network session, the third virtual private network session enabled for receiving data from the client.