초록 ▼

A system and method are disclosed for providing remote access to network applications using a dual proxy. A request is received via a first network, from a remote client on the first network, to access a second network. A client side proxy applet is provided to the remote client. Client side applic

A system and method are disclosed for providing remote access to network applications using a dual proxy. A request is received via a first network, from a remote client on the first network, to access a second network. A client side proxy applet is provided to the remote client. Client side application software associated with an application residing on the second network and installed at the remote client establishes a connection with the client side proxy applet. A server side proxy configured (1) to communicate with the client side proxy applet via the first network and (2) to communicate with an application server via the second network is provided on a proxy server associated with the second network. The client side proxy is configured to relay data between the remote client and the server side proxy and the server side proxy is configured to relay data between the client side proxy applet and the application server.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method for providing remote access via a first network to an application residing on an application server comprising part of a second network, comprising: receiving from a remote client on the first network a request to access the second network, the remote client having i

What is claimed is: 1. A method for providing remote access via a first network to an application residing on an application server comprising part of a second network, comprising: receiving from a remote client on the first network a request to access the second network, the remote client having installed on it a client side application software associated with the application; sending to the remote client, in response to said request to access the second network, a client side proxy applet; causing the client side application software to establish with the client side proxy applet a connection associated with the application, wherein causing the client side application software to establish with the client side proxy applet a connection associated with the application comprises providing to the client side application software an indication that a network address monitored by the client side proxy is associated with the application; providing on a proxy server associated with the second network a server side proxy configured to communicate with the client side proxy applet via the first network and to communicate with the application server via the second network; wherein the client side proxy applet is executed on the remote client and is configured to relay data between the remote client and the server side proxy and the server side proxy is configured to relay data between the client side proxy applet and the application server; and wherein the client side proxy applet acts as a proxy for the application server with respect to the client side application software and the server side proxy acts as a proxy for the application server with respect to the client side proxy applet, the client side proxy applet and the server side proxy thereby acting as a dual layer proxy for the application server with respect to the client side application software. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending a client side proxy applet to the remote client comprises sending the client side proxy applet to the remote client via the first network. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the client side proxy applet comprises browser-executable code. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the client side proxy applet comprises Java code. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the client side proxy applet comprises self-executable code. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising completing an authorization process prior to providing the client side proxy applet to the remote system. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the authorization process comprises: prompting the remote client to supply authorization data indicating the remote client is authorized to access the application; receiving said authorization data from the remote client; and verifying based at least in part on the authorization data that the remote client is authorized to access the application. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of verifying comprises querying an authorization process by sending to the authorization process a query comprising the authorization data. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the authorization data is received at a first system associated with the second network and the authorization process resides on a second system associated with the second network, the second system being physically separate from the first system. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the client side proxy applet is configured to monitor at least one network address that the remote client system to which the client side proxy applet has been downloaded is capable of monitoring and wherein the step of providing to the client side application software an indication that a network address monitored by the client side proxy is associated with the application comprises providing to the client side application software an indication that the at least one network address associated with the remote client to which the client side proxy applet has been downloaded is associated with the application. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein: the client side proxy applet is configured to monitor a plurality of network addresses that the remote client system to which the client side proxy applet has been downloaded is capable of monitoring; and the step of sending to the client side application software an indication that a network address monitored by the client side proxy is associated with the application comprises providing to the client side application software an indication that a selected one of the plurality of network addresses that the remote client system to which the client side proxy applet has been downloaded is capable of monitoring is associated with the application. 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the TCP/IP suite of network protocols is used and the at least one network address that the remote client system to which the client side proxy applet has been downloaded is capable of monitoring comprises a local host IP address. 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one network address that the remote client system to which the client side proxy applet has been downloaded is capable of monitoring is provided to the client side application software in response to a query sent by client side application software to request a network address associated with the application. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: providing a domain name server configured to receive via the first network a request from the client side application software for a network address associated with the application, and to return to the client side application software via the first network a reply indicating that the at least one network address that the remote client system to which the client side proxy applet has been downloaded is capable of monitoring is associated with the application. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the domain name server is further configured to distinguish between requests received via the first network and requests received via the second network, and to respond to requests received via the first network by returning to the client side application software via the first network a reply indicating that the at least one network address that the remote client system to which the client side proxy applet has been downloaded is capable of monitoring is associated with the application and to respond to requests received via the second network by returning to the client side application software via the second network a reply indicating that a true network address of the application server on the second network is associated with the application. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the server side proxy is configured to communicate with the client side proxy applet via the first network using a secure network communication protocol. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the secure network communication protocol comprises the secure hypertext transfer protocol (HTTPS). 18. A method for providing remote access via a first network to an application residing on an application server comprising part of a second network, comprising: receiving from a remote client on the first network a request to access the second network, the remote client having installed on it a client side application software associated with the application; sending to the remote client, in response to said request to access the second network, a client side proxy applet; causing the client side application software to establish with the client side proxy applet a connection associated with the application; providing on a proxy server associated with the second network a server side proxy configured to communicate with the client side proxy applet via the first network and to communicate with the application server via the second network; establishing an external network communication session between the server side proxy and the client side proxy applet over the first network; establishing an internal network communication session between the server side proxy and the application server over the second network; and associating the external network communication session with the internal network communication session; wherein the client side proxy applet is executed on the remote client and is configured to relay data between the remote client and the server side proxy and the server side proxy is configured to relay data between the client side proxy applet and the application server; and wherein the client side proxy applet acts as a proxy for the application server with respect to the client side application software and the server side proxy acts as a proxy for the application server with respect to the client side proxy applet, the client side proxy applet and the server side proxy thereby acting as a dual layer proxy for the application server with respect to the client side application software. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: receiving at the server side proxy via the external network communication session a message from the client side proxy applet comprising request data provided to the client side proxy applet by the client side application software; associating the request data with the internal network communication session associated with the external network communication session via which the request data was received; and sending the request data to the application server via the associated internal network communication session. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: receiving at the server side proxy via the internal network communication session a message from the application server comprising response data provided by the application server in response to the request data; associating the response data with the external network communication session associated with the internal network communication session via which the response data was received; and sending the response data to the client side proxy applet via the associated external network communication session. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the client side proxy applet is configured to relay the response data to the client side application software. 22. A system for providing remote access via a first network to an application residing on an application server comprising part of a second network, comprising: a proxy server having an internal network connection to the second network and an external network connection to the first network, the proxy server being configured to: receive from a remote client on the first network a request to access the second network, the remote client having installed on it a client side application software associated with the application; provide to the remote client, in response to said request to access the second network, a client side proxy applet; and a domain name server having an external connection to the first network, the domain name server being configured to cause the client side application software to establish with the client side proxy applet a connection associated with the application; wherein the client side proxy applet is configured to relay data between the remote client and the proxy server and the proxy server is configured to relay data between the client side proxy applet and the application server; whereby the client side proxy applet acts as a proxy for the application server with respect to the client side application software and the proxy server acts as a proxy for the application server with respect to the client side proxy applet, the client side proxy applet and the proxy server thereby acting as a dual layer proxy for the application server with respect to the client side application software. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the proxy server is further configured to: establish an external network communication session between the proxy server and the client side proxy applet over the first network; establish an internal network communication session between the proxy server and the application server over the second network; and associate the external network communication session with the internal network communication session. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the proxy server is further configured to: receive via the external network communication session a message from the client side proxy applet comprising request data provided to the client side proxy applet by the client side application software; associate the request data with the internal network communication session associated with the external network communication session via which the request data was received; and send the request data to the application server via the associated internal network communication session. 25. The system of claim 24, wherein the proxy server is further configured to: receive at the proxy server via the internal network communication session a message from the application server comprising response data provided by the application server in response to the request data; associate the response data with the external network communication session associated with the internal network communication session via which the response data was received; and send the response data to the client side proxy applet via the associated external network communication session. 26. The system of claim 25, wherein the client side proxy applet is configured to relay the response data to the client side application software. 27. A computer readable storage medium that embodies computer program product for providing remote access via first network to an application residing on an application server comprising part of a second network, the computer program product comprising computer instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of: receiving from a remote client on a first network a request to access the second network, the remote client having installed on it a client side application software associated with the application; providing to the remote client, in response to said request to access the second network, a client side proxy applet; causing the client side application software to establish with the client side proxy applet a connection associated with the application; establishing an external communication session with the client side proxy applet via the first network; establishing an internal communication session with the application server via the second network; wherein the client side proxy is configured to relay data between the remote client and the server side proxy and the server side proxy is configured to relay data between the client side proxy applet and the application server; whereby the client side proxy applet acts as a proxy for the application server with respect to the client side application software and the server side proxy acts as a proxy for the application server with respect to the client side proxy applet, the client side proxy applet and the server side proxy thereby acting as a dual layer proxy for the application server with respect to the client side application software. 28. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the computer code comprises separate modules, one or more of which are installed on physically separate systems associated with the second network. 29. A method for redirecting a client side application software installed on a client system connected to a first network to a proxy applet that has been provided to the client system, the client side application software being associated with an application residing on an application server connected to a second network, comprising: receiving via the first network an external request from the client side application software for a network address associated with the application; and providing to the client side application software an external reply indicating that a network address associated with the proxy applet is associated with the application. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the proxy applet is configured to monitor at least one local host network address associated with the client system and the network address associated with the proxy applet comprises the at least one local host network address. 31. The method of claim 29, wherein the application server is associated with an internal network address on the second network and the method further comprises receiving via the second network from an internal source connected to the second network an internal request for a network address associated with the application and providing to the internal source via the second network an internal reply indicating that the internal network address of the application server on the second network is associated with the application. 32. A system for redirecting a client side application software installed on a client system connected to a first network to a proxy applet that has been provided to the client system, the client side application software being associated with an application residing on an application server connected to a second network, comprising: a domain name server having an external network connection to the first network, the domain name server being configured to: receive via the first network an external request from the client side application software for a network address associated with the application; and provide to the client side application an external reply indicating that a network address associated with the proxy applet is associated with the application. 33. The system of claim 32, wherein the proxy applet is configured to monitor at least one local host network address associated with the client system and the network address associated with the proxy applet comprises the at least one local host network address. 34. The system of claim 32, wherein the application server is associated with an internal network address on the second network and the domain name server has an internal network connection to the second network, and the domain name server is further configured to: receive via the second network from an internal source connected to the second network an internal request for a network address associated with the application; and provide to the internal source via the second network an internal reply indicating that the internal network address of the application server on the second network is associated with the application. 35. A computer readable storage medium that embodies a computer program product for redirecting a client side application software installed on a client system connected to a first network to a proxy applet that has been provided to the client system, the client side application software being associated with an application residing on an application server connected to a second network, the computer program product comprising computer instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes: receiving via the first network an external request from the client side application software for a network address associated with the application; and providing to the client side application software an external reply indicating that a network address associated with the proxy applet is associated with the application. 36. The computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein the proxy applet is configured to monitor at least one local host network address associated with the client system and the network address associated with the proxy applet comprises the at least one local host network address. 37. The computer readable medium of claim 35, wherein the application server is associated with an internal network address on the second network, wherein a domain name server has an internal network connection to the second network, and wherein the computer program product further comprises computer instructions for: receiving via the second network from an internal source connected to the second network an internal request for a network address associated with the application; and providing to the internal source via the second network an internal reply indicating that the internal network address of the application server on the second network is associated with the application. 38. A physical storage medium that embodies a client side proxy applet for use in providing, to a remote client to which the applet has been provided, remote access via a first network to an application residing on an application server comprising part of a second network, the remote client having installed thereon client side application software associated with the application, the applet comprising computer instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause: monitoring at least one network address that the remote client is capable of monitoring; using the at least one network address to establish a first network connection to the client side application software; establishing a second network connection via the first network to a proxy server associated with the second network; receiving from the client side application software via the first connection application data intended by the client side application software to be sent to the application server; and relaying the application data to the proxy server via the second network connection. 39. The physical medium of claim 38, wherein the computer instructions comprises browser-executable code. 40. The physical medium of claim 39, wherein the browser-executable code comprises Java code. 41. The physical medium of claim 38, wherein the computer instructions comprises self-executable code.