Patents by Inventor Ian James Wells
Ian James Wells has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11843610Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques for providing multiple namespace support to application(s) in containers under Kubernetes without breaking containment boundaries or escalating privileges of the application(s). A namespace service executing on a physical server may communicate with contained processes executing on the physical server by utilizing a Unix Domain Socket (UDS) endpoint in the filesystem of each of the containers. the namespace service may execute on the physical server with escalated privileges, allowing the namespace service to create a socket in a namespace and provide access and rights to utilize the socket to process(es) in a separate namespace.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2020Date of Patent: December 12, 2023Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.Inventor: Ian James Wells
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Publication number: 20230396597Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms to reduce double encryption of packets that are transmitted using encrypted tunnels. The techniques described herein include determining that portions of the packets are already encrypted, identifying portions of the packets that are unencrypted, and selectively encrypting the portions of the packets that are unencrypted prior to transmission through the encrypted tunnel. In this way, potentially private or sensitive data in the packets that is unencrypted, such as information in the packet headers, will be encrypted using the encryption protocol of the encrypted tunnel, but the data of the packets that is already encrypted, such as the payload, may avoid unnecessary double encryption. By reducing (or eliminating) the amount of data in data packets that is double encrypted, the amount of time taken by computing devices, and computing resources consumed, to encrypted traffic for encrypted tunnels may be reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 15, 2023Publication date: December 7, 2023Inventors: Kyle Andrew Donald Mestery, Ian James Wells, Grzegorz Boguslaw Duraj
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Patent number: 11822443Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques for providing a distributed scalable architecture for Network Address Translation (NAT) systems with high availability and mitigations for flow breakage during failover events. The NAT servers may include functionality to serve as fast-path servers and/or slow-path servers. A fast-path server may include a NAT worker that includes a cache of NAT mappings to perform stateful network address translation and to forward packets with minimal latency. A slow-path server may include a mapping server that creates new NAT mappings, depreciates old ones, and answers NAT worker state requests. The NAT system may use virtual mapping servers (VMSs) running on primary physical servers with state duplicated VMSs on different physical failover servers.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2022Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.Inventors: Pierre Pfister, Ian James Wells, Kyle Andrew Donald Mestery, William Mark Townsley, Yoann Desmouceaux, Guillaume Ruty, Aloys Augustin
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Patent number: 11765146Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms to reduce double encryption of packets that are transmitted using encrypted tunnels. The techniques described herein include determining that portions of the packets are already encrypted, identifying portions of the packets that are unencrypted, and selectively encrypting the portions of the packets that are unencrypted prior to transmission through the encrypted tunnel. In this way, potentially private or sensitive data in the packets that is unencrypted, such as information in the packet headers, will be encrypted using the encryption protocol of the encrypted tunnel, but the data of the packets that is already encrypted, such as the payload, may avoid unnecessary double encryption. By reducing (or eliminating) the amount of data in data packets that is double encrypted, the amount of time taken by computing devices, and computing resources consumed, to encrypted traffic for encrypted tunnels may be reduced.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2020Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.Inventors: Kyle Andrew Donald Mestery, Ian James Wells, Grzegorz Boguslaw Duraj
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Publication number: 20230281100Abstract: Techniques are described for configuring and using analytics for requested software components deployed within cloud-based and other distributed computing environments. An orchestration system may determine particular analytics for a requested component implemented within a computing environment, based on the deployed workloads and/or computing resources on which the requested component was deployed. In conjunction with orchestration of the requested component, the orchestration system may determine the associated performance metrics, including particular telemetry metrics and/or composite metrics, based on the orchestration of the requested component. The orchestration system also may manage the presentation of the performance analytics for the requested component, including customized dashboards with component-specific metrics and/or alerts to target devices associated with the requested component.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2022Publication date: September 7, 2023Inventors: Ian James Wells, Viktor Mats Emanuel Leijon, Arghya Mukherjee
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Publication number: 20230275845Abstract: Techniques for load balancing communication sessions in a networked computing environment are described herein. The techniques may include establishing a first communication session between a client device and a first computing resource of a networked computing environment. Additionally, the techniques may include storing, in a data store, data indicating that the first communication session is associated with the first computing resource. The techniques may further include receiving, at a second computing resource of the networked computing environment, traffic associated with a second communication session that was sent by the client device, and based at least in part on accessing the data stored in the data store, establishing a traffic redirect such that the traffic and additional traffic associated with the second communication session is sent from the second computing resource to the first computing resource.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2023Publication date: August 31, 2023Inventors: Kyle Andrew Donald Mestery, Andree Toonk, Rahim Lalani, Ian James Wells
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Publication number: 20230254255Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques for performing application-based tagging. An example method includes receiving, at a virtual socket, non-packetized data from an application and generating, by the virtual socket, a label based on the application. One or more data packets are generated by packetizing at least a portion of the non-packetized data. A header field of the one or more data packets includes a tag based on the label.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2023Publication date: August 10, 2023Inventors: Ian James Wells, Kyle Andrew Donald Mestery, Carlos M. Pignataro, Nagendra Kumar Nainar
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Publication number: 20230221946Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques and mechanisms for using a domain-specific language (DSL) to express and compile serverless network functions, and optimizing the deployment location for the serverless network functions on network devices. In some examples, the serverless network functions may be expressed entirely in the DSL (e.g., via a text-based editor, a graphics-based editor, etc.), where the DSL is a computer language specialized to a particular domain, such as a network function domain. In additional examples, the serverless network functions may be expressed and compiled using a DSL in combination with a general-purpose language (GSL). Once the serverless network function have been expressed and/or compiled, the techniques of this disclosure further include determining an optimized network component on which the serverless network function is to execute, and deploying the serverless function to the optimized network component.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2023Publication date: July 13, 2023Inventors: Kyle Andrew Donald Mestery, Ian James Wells, Grzegorz Boguslaw Duraj
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Publication number: 20230224248Abstract: Techniques for NAT-based steering of traffic in cloud-based networks. The techniques may include establishing, by a frontend node of a network, a connection with a client device. The frontend node may receive, via the connection, a packet including an indication of an identity of a service hosted on a backend node of the network. Based at least in part on the indication, the frontend node may establish a second connection with the backend node. Additionally, the frontend node may store a mapping indicating that packets received from the client device are to be sent to the backend node. The techniques may also include receiving another packet at the frontend node or another frontend node of the network. Based at least in part on the mapping, the frontend node or other frontend node may alter one or more network addresses of the other packet and forward it to the backend node.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2022Publication date: July 13, 2023Inventors: Kyle Andrew Donald Mestery, Vincent E. Parla, Ian James Wells
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Publication number: 20230153161Abstract: Techniques are described for using observability to allocate and deploy workloads for execution by computing resources in a cloud network. The workloads may be allocated and deployed to the computing resources based on metrics. The workloads may be deployed to the computing resources, based on the computing resources providing a number of types of observability that matches the number of metrics. The workloads may be deployed to the computing resources, further based on each of the computing resources matching a corresponding one of the metrics. Deployment of the workloads may be further based on availability of the computing resources. The workloads may be redeployed to other computing resources that provide different types of observability associated with the metrics, in comparison to the initial computing resources. The workloads may be allocated and deployed based on intent based descriptions indicating characteristics utilized to determine types of metrics for providing observability.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2021Publication date: May 18, 2023Inventors: Kyle Andrew Donald Mestery, Ian James Wells
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Patent number: 11646969Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques for performing application-based tagging. An example method is performed by a virtual socket of a device. The method includes receiving non-packetized data from an application, generating a label based on the application, and providing the non-packetized data and the label to a kernel of the device.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2021Date of Patent: May 9, 2023Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.Inventors: Ian James Wells, Kyle Andrew Donald Mestery, Carlos M. Pignataro, Nagendra Kumar Nainar
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Patent number: 11625230Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques and mechanisms for using a domain-specific language (DSL) to express and compile serverless network functions, and optimizing the deployment location for the serverless network functions on network devices. In some examples, the serverless network functions may be expressed entirely in the DSL (e.g., via a text-based editor, a graphics-based editor, etc.), where the DSL is a computer language specialized to a particular domain, such as a network function domain. In additional examples, the serverless network functions may be expressed and compiled using a DSL in combination with a general-purpose language (GSL). Once the serverless network function have been expressed and/or compiled, the techniques of this disclosure further include determining an optimized network component on which the serverless network function is to execute, and deploying the serverless function to the optimized network component.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2020Date of Patent: April 11, 2023Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.Inventors: Kyle Andrew Donald Mestery, Ian James Wells, Grzegorz Boguslaw Duraj
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Patent number: 11588749Abstract: Techniques for load balancing communication sessions in a networked computing environment are described herein. The techniques may include establishing a first communication session between a client device and a first computing resource of a networked computing environment. Additionally, the techniques may include storing, in a data store, data indicating that the first communication session is associated with the first computing resource. The techniques may further include receiving, at a second computing resource of the networked computing environment, traffic associated with a second communication session that was sent by the client device, and based at least in part on accessing the data stored in the data store, establishing a traffic redirect such that the traffic and additional traffic associated with the second communication session is sent from the second computing resource to the first computing resource.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2020Date of Patent: February 21, 2023Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.Inventors: Kyle Andrew Donald Mestery, Andree Toonk, Rahim Lalani, Ian James Wells
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Publication number: 20230032924Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques for performing application-based tagging. An example method is performed by a virtual socket of a device. The method includes receiving non-packetized data from an application, generating a label based on the application, and providing the non-packetized data and the label to a kernel of the device.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2021Publication date: February 2, 2023Inventors: Ian James Wells, Kyle Andrew Donald Mestery, Carlos M. Pignataro, Nagendra Kumar Nainar
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Publication number: 20220413975Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques for providing a distributed scalable architecture for Network Address Translation (NAT) systems with high availability and mitigations for flow breakage during failover events. The NAT servers may include functionality to serve as fast-path servers and/or slow-path servers. A fast-path server may include a NAT worker that includes a cache of NAT mappings to perform stateful network address translation and to forward packets with minimal latency. A slow-path server may include a mapping server that creates new NAT mappings, depreciates old ones, and answers NAT worker state requests. The NAT system may use virtual mapping servers (VMSs) running on primary physical servers with state duplicated VMSs on different physical failover servers.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2022Publication date: December 29, 2022Inventors: Pierre Pfister, Ian James Wells, Kyle Andrew Donald Mestery, William Mark Townsley, Yoann Desmouceaux, Guillaume Ruty, Aloys Augustin
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Publication number: 20220385662Abstract: Techniques for transferring address rights (e.g., internet protocol address(es), media access control address(es), etc.) amongst devices in a data center network fabric. A data center (DC) authority (e.g., network controller and/or a service controller) of a data center network fabric may determine that a device in the network is to communicate on an address in the network. The DC authority may create and sign a token that indicates a verifiable authorization to communicate on the address. The token may allow any device that posses the token to communicate on the address, following verification from an associated network switch. Additionally, the token may be signed by a device in the network in possession of the token, and delegated to another device in the data center network fabric following a migration of a service from one server to another, for example.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2021Publication date: December 1, 2022Inventors: Ian James Wells, Kyle Andrew Donald Mestery
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Patent number: 11442703Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques and mechanisms for using a domain-specific language (DSL) to express and compile serverless network functions, and optimizing the deployment location for the serverless network functions on network devices. In some examples, the serverless network functions may be expressed entirely in the DSL (e.g., via a text-based editor, a graphics-based editor, etc.), where the DSL is a computer language specialized to a particular domain, such as a network function domain. In additional examples, the serverless network functions may be expressed and compiled using a DSL in combination with a general-purpose language (GSL). Once the serverless network function have been expressed and/or compiled, the techniques of this disclosure further include determining an optimized network component on which the serverless network function is to execute, and deploying the serverless function to the optimized network component.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2020Date of Patent: September 13, 2022Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.Inventors: Ian James Wells, Kyle Andrew Donald Mestery, Grzegorz Boguslaw Duraj
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Patent number: 11436111Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques for providing a distributed scalable architecture for Network Address Translation (NAT) systems with high availability and mitigations for flow breakage during failover events. The NAT servers may include functionality to serve as fast-path servers and/or slow-path servers. A fast-path server may include a NAT worker that includes a cache of NAT mappings to perform stateful network address translation and to forward packets with minimal latency. A slow-path server may include a mapping server that creates new NAT mappings, depreciates old ones, and answers NAT worker state requests. The NAT system may use virtual mapping servers (VMSs) running on primary physical servers with state duplicated VMSs on different physical failover servers.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2019Date of Patent: September 6, 2022Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.Inventors: Pierre Pfister, Ian James Wells, Kyle Andrew Donald Mestery, William Mark Townsley, Yoann Desmouceaux, Guillaume Ruty, Aloys Augustin
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Publication number: 20220271920Abstract: Techniques for creating consent contracts for devices that indicate whether the devices consent to receiving network-based communications from other devices. Further, the techniques include enforcing the consent contracts such that network-based communications are either allowed or disallowed in the network-communications layer prior to the network communications reaching the devices. Rather than simply allowing a device to communicate with any other device over a network, the techniques described herein include building in consent for network-based communications where the consent is consulted at one or more points in a communication process to make informed decisions about network-based traffic.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 19, 2021Publication date: August 25, 2022Inventors: Ian James Wells, Kyle Andrew Donald Mestery
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Publication number: 20220271947Abstract: Techniques for creating consent contracts for devices that indicate whether the devices consent to receiving network-based communications from other devices. Further, the techniques include enforcing the consent contracts such that network-based communications are either allowed or disallowed in the network-communications layer prior to the network communications reaching the devices. Rather than simply allowing a device to communicate with any other device over a network, the techniques described herein include building in consent for network-based communications where the consent is consulted at one or more points in a communication process to make informed decisions about network-based traffic.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2021Publication date: August 25, 2022Inventors: Kyle Andrew Donald Mestery, Ian James Wells