Patent ID: 8203965

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for logically representing and analyzing a Virtual Private Network (VPN), the method comprising the steps of: representing, using one or more processors, a set of high level functionality layers corresponding to the VPN without having specific knowledge of the underlying physical and logical components of an Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) stack in the VPN, the set of high level functionality layers including a first functionality layer and a second functionality layer, the first functionality layer having representations of a first plurality of configuration non-specific objects corresponding to a first selection of underlying physical and logical components of the VPN, the second functionality layer having representations of a second plurality of configuration non-specific objects corresponding to a second selection of underlying physical and logical components of the VPN, at least one of the first plurality of configuration non-specific objects and at least one of the second plurality of configuration non-specific objects capable of representing objects from multiple layers of the OSI stack to enable analysis of the OSI stack of the VPN based on the first and the second functionality layers; organizing selected ones of the first and second plurality of configuration non-specific objects within selected ones of the first and second functionality layers among the set of high level functionality layers, wherein the first and second plurality of configuration non-specific objects are selected from the group consisting of: VPNService, ServiceConnectionPath, ForwarderEndpoint, TunnelGroup, Tunnel, TunnelHop, TunnelIn/Out, SignalingProtocolEndpoint, SignalingProtocolSession and SignalingProtocolService; and representing relationships among the first and second selections of physical and logical components as configuration non-specific representations within and among the first and second functionality layers, wherein Endpoint objects provide communication among the first and second functionality layers.