Patent ID: 7673048

Claim:
A computerized device, comprising: at least one communications interface; a controller; and an interconnection mechanism coupling the at least one communications interface and the controller; where the computerized device: establishes a first tunnel connection with a first gateway; transmits a first data connection request to the first gateway through the first tunnel connection, the first data connection request requesting establishment of a data connection with a destination device; receives a notification from the first gateway that the first gateway detected a connection characteristic associated with the data connection request; establishes a plurality of data connections with the destination device through the first tunnel connection with the first gateway upon receiving the notification; receives a connection command from the first gateway, the connection command directing the computerized device to establish a second tunnel connection with a second gateway, where the second gateway was chosen by the first gateway based, at least in part, on the connection characteristic; establishes a second tunnel connection with the second gateway in response to receiving the connection command; transmits a second data connection request to the second gateway through the second tunnel connection, the second data connection request requesting establishment of a data connection with the destination device; establishes a data connection with the destination device through the second tunnel connection; and maintains the first tunnel connection and the plurality of data connections with the destination device upon establishing the data connection with the destination device through the second tunnel connection and determining that a member of the plurality of data connections through the first tunnel connection is an application level session connection that cannot be interrupted.