Patent ID: 8260922

Claim:
A method for dynamically utilizing a plurality of multi-homed Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnels from a client node to an enterprise network in a computer network, the method comprising: establishing a plurality of multi-homed VPN tunnels from the client node to the enterprise network; designating, on a per-prefix basis, one of the VPN tunnels of the plurality of multi-homed VPN tunnels as a primary VPN tunnel for each of a plurality of reachable address prefixes; designating, on a per-prefix basis, one or more remaining VPN tunnels of the plurality of multi-homed VPN tunnels as secondary VPN tunnels for each of the plurality of reachable address prefixes; monitoring, by a router in the computer network, quality of the primary VPN tunnel and the one or more secondary VPN tunnels for each of the plurality of reachable address prefixes; comparing the monitored quality of the primary VPN tunnel to the monitored quality of the one or more secondary VPN tunnels; and dynamically load balancing traffic for each of the plurality of reachable address prefixes between the primary VPN tunnel and the one or more secondary VPN tunnels for the respective reachable address prefixes in proportion to the quality of the primary VPN tunnel and the one or more secondary VPN tunnels for the respective reachable address prefixes, wherein both the primary VPN tunnel and the one or more secondary VPN tunnels for each of the plurality of reachable address prefixes are utilized to pass at least some traffic while the primary VPN tunnel is operational.