Patent ID: 8300554

Claim:
A method for logically representing and analyzing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) in a plurality of functional representation layers, the method comprising the steps of: representing, using one or more processors, selected physical and logical components of said VPN as a plurality of configuration non-specific objects determined for each said functional representation layers without having specific knowledge of underlying physical and logical components of an Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) stack in said VPN; organizing selected ones of said plurality of configuration non-specific objects within selected ones of said plurality of functional representation layers, wherein said plurality of configuration non-specific objects are selected from the group consisting of: VPNService, ServiceConnectionPath, ForwarderEndpoint, TunnelGroup, Tunnel, TunnelHop, TunnelIn/Out, SignalingProtocolEndpoint, SignalingProtocollSession and SignalingProtocolService; and representing relationships among said selected physical and logical components as configuration non-specific representations within and among said plurality of functional representation layers, wherein Endpoint objects provide communication among said plurality of functional representation layers.