Patent ID: 8478999

Claim:
A system comprising: a first network device coupled to a second network device via a network, the first network device to: receive a first request to establish a virtual private network (VPN) through the network, determine a quantity of Internet Key Exchange (IKE) negotiation sessions that can be completed during a particular period of time, determine a threshold load value based on: the determined quantity of IKE negotiation sessions that can be completed during the particular time period, and an amount of time associated with an IKE negotiation session time out, determine whether a second received request to establish a VPN is stored in a queue, the second request being received prior to the first request being received, determine, when the second request is not stored in the queue, whether a current quantity of ongoing IKE negotiation sessions at the first network device is less than the threshold load value, determine to bypass the queue and begin an IKE negotiation session to establish the VPN when the second request is not stored in the queue and the current quantity of ongoing IKE negotiation sessions at the first network device is less than the threshold value, and store, when the second request is stored in the queue or the current quantity of ongoing IKE negotiation sessions at the first network device is not less than the threshold value, the first request in the queue to delay contacting the second network device to begin the IKE negotiation session.