WO2001086906A2 - Serveur et procede destines a fournir des services de reseau specifiques - Google Patents

Serveur et procede destines a fournir des services de reseau specifiques Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2001086906A2
WO2001086906A2 PCT/CA2001/000675 CA0100675W WO0186906A2 WO 2001086906 A2 WO2001086906 A2 WO 2001086906A2 CA 0100675 W CA0100675 W CA 0100675W WO 0186906 A2 WO0186906 A2 WO 0186906A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
server
address
routable
registration
user
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/CA2001/000675
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2001086906A3 (fr
Inventor
Tim Wilson
Michael Thompson
Original Assignee
Solutioninc Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Solutioninc Limited filed Critical Solutioninc Limited
Priority to AU2001258123A priority Critical patent/AU2001258123A1/en
Priority to CA2408631A priority patent/CA2408631C/fr
Publication of WO2001086906A2 publication Critical patent/WO2001086906A2/fr
Publication of WO2001086906A3 publication Critical patent/WO2001086906A3/fr

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
    • H04L12/02—Details
    • H04L12/14—Charging, metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
    • H04L12/28—Data switching networks characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]
    • H04L12/46—Interconnection of networks
    • H04L12/4641—Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN]
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L61/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
    • H04L61/50—Address allocation
    • H04L61/5007—Internet protocol [IP] addresses
    • H04L61/5014—Internet protocol [IP] addresses using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L61/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
    • H04L61/50—Address allocation
    • H04L61/5061—Pools of addresses
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L63/00—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security
    • H04L63/10—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security for controlling access to devices or network resources
    • H04L63/104—Grouping of entities
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
    • H04L12/28—Data switching networks characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]
    • H04L12/46—Interconnection of networks
    • H04L12/4641—Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN]
    • H04L12/4645—Details on frame tagging
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
    • H04L12/28—Data switching networks characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]
    • H04L12/46—Interconnection of networks
    • H04L12/4641—Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN]
    • H04L12/467—Arrangements for supporting untagged frames, e.g. port-based VLANs
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L63/00—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security
    • H04L63/02—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
    • H04L63/0227—Filtering policies
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L63/00—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security
    • H04L63/02—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
    • H04L63/0272—Virtual private networks
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L63/00—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security
    • H04L63/08—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security for authentication of entities
    • H04L63/083—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security for authentication of entities using passwords

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an Internet access server such as described in U.S. Application Serial No.09/742,006, filed December 22,2000, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
  • the preferred embodiment of the Internet access server described in U.S. Application Serial No. 09/742,006, will be referred herein as the SolutionIP server.
  • Local AreaNetworks are data communication networks that span a physically limited area. LANs allow users to have shared access to many common resources, such as files, printers, or other communication devices. The concept of shared access to resources is central to the LAN philosophy.
  • VLANs Nirtual Local Area Networks
  • a NLAN is a logical subgroup within a Local Area Network that offers an effective solution to the LANs problems.
  • the major features of NLANs are flexible network segmentation and enhanced network security.
  • NLANs are used for security and group collaboration, generally they have to be manually configured ahead of time, on switching hardware. Furthermore, there is a finite number of NLANs that the switching hierarchy can support and this physical limitation on the number of NLANs supported may be an issue.
  • IP Internet Protocol
  • VPNs Nirtual Private Networks
  • a user requesting a dynamic IP address can be given either a routable or non-routable IP address depending upon the configuration of the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server on that network.
  • DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
  • a first aspect of the present invention is directed to a server and method for interpreting and processing VLAN tags coupled with server communication with the switching infrastructure for VLAN management.
  • a method according to the present invention for automatically providing enhanced and secure access to a group of users initiated by a non-technically trained user on a computer network without the intervention of information systems personnel includes the steps of receiving a request from the a user to establish the group of users;configuring a network infrastructure to support the group;providing a group identifier;allowing users to join the group according to the group identifier; further configuring the network infrastructure to support the joining users; and dissolving the group based on predetermined rules.
  • a server provides enhanced and secure access to a group of users initiated by a non-technically trained user on a computer network without the intervention of information systems personnel and includes a registration module to receive a request including a group identifier from the user; a registration driver to register the user to access the group of users, assign the group of users and maintain registration information and state information of a network infrastructure associated with the group of users; a module to assign VLAN tags based on registration status; and a packet driver module to insert/remove VLAN tags from packets based on registration status.
  • VLANs whose management is automated by the server.
  • the server facilitates user initiated group collaboration by placing users requesting the service in the same VLAN.
  • VLAN limits can be overcome through creative use of the filtering policies on the switching infrastructure.
  • User-to-server security can be further provided by placing each individual user into a separate VLAN.
  • the server' s automation and management of VLAN creation/deletion facilitates this process, which allows a user to control groupings of users into common VLANs (i.e. group collaboration). Further, the filtering policies implemented on the switches allow users to utilize a broad range of VLANs.
  • Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a server and method for dynamically providing an address according to users' requests.
  • a method for dynamically managing pools of IP addresses on a computer network with different characteristics and moving a user from pool to pool as required includes the steps of maintaining a registry of user records and associated sets of characteristics; further maintaining a registry of IP address pools with associated sets of characteristics; receiving a request from a user to switch from a first set of characteristics to a second set of characteristics; modifying the user record in the registry so that the set of characteristics associated with the user matches the second set of characteristics; and assigning an IP address to the user from the IP address pool associated with the second set of characteristics.
  • a server dynamically manages pools of IP addresses on a computer network with different characteristics and moves a user from pool to pool as required, and includes a module to receive a request from a user to switch from a first set of characteristics to a second set of characteristics; a registration driver to register the user and assign an IP address to the user from IP address pools associated with the second set of characteristics, and maintain a registry of user records, associated sets of characteristics and IP address pools with associated sets of characteristics; and a DHCP module to issue an address switching request to the registration driver and receive IP addresses from the registration driver and allocate IP addresses to users.
  • the server dynamically handles the management and facilitation of the requests.
  • the server offers users reassignment of IP addresses from a first set of characteristics to a second set of characteristics with minimal user intervention. This allows users the ability to run a broader range of protocols.
  • Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a server and method for providing a routable IP address to a remote computer.
  • a method according to the present invention for providing a routable IP address to a remote computer includes the steps of providing a pool of routable IP addresses on a server; receiving at the server a request from the remote computer to establish an IP tunnel between the remote computer and the server; establishing an IP tunnel between the remote computer and the server; further receiving a request from the remote computer through the tunnel for the routable IP address from the server; and further providing the routable IP address to the remote computer from the server through the tunnel.
  • a server provides a routable IP address to a remote computer, and includes a module to receive a request from the remote compute through a tunnel for the routable IP address; a registration driver to assign the routable IP address to the remote computer from a pool of routable IP addresses and establish an IP tunnel ; and a DHCP module to provide the routable IP address to the remote computer through the tunnel.
  • the server allows pools of routable addresses to be maintained on one or more remote servers.
  • the server can solve the shortage of the IP routable addresses.
  • FIG. 1 shows an example of a system structure of a first embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 shows an example of the core components and interactions of the VBN server according to the first embodiment.
  • FIG. 3 shows an example of Registration processing according to the first embodiment.
  • FIG. 4 shows an example of VLAN Group Administration ( Create VLAN Group ) processing according to the first embodiment.
  • FIG. 5 shows an example of VLAN Group Administration ( Show VLAN Group ) processing according to the first embodiment.
  • FIG. 6 shows an example of VLAN Group Administration ( Delete VLAN Group ) processing according to the first embodiment.
  • FIG. 7 is a pictorial representation of a typical server connection in a hotel environment.
  • FIG. 8 shows a functional block diagram of Fig.7.
  • FIG.9 shows an example of the core components and interactions of the server shown in Fig.7.
  • FIG. 10 shows an example of DHCP request processing.
  • FIG. 11 shows an example of ARP request processing.
  • FIG. 12 shows an example of unregistered HTTP request processing.
  • FIG. 13 shows an example of registered HTTP request processing.
  • FIG. 14 shows billing components and interactions.
  • FIG. 15 shows an example of the VBN Server 1000 according to the first embodiment.
  • FIG. 16 shows an example of the components and interactions of the VBN Server
  • FIG. 17 shows an example of Registration processing according to the second embodiment.
  • FIG. 18 shows an example of the relation between ReallP Server and VBN Server according to the second embodiment.
  • FIG. 19 shows a system architecture of a third embodiment.
  • FIG. 20 shows a scenario for Standard Internet Service Registration in the structure shown in Fig. 19.
  • FIG. 21 shows a scenario for Premium Internet Service Registration in the structure shown in Fig. 19.
  • FIG.22 shows a scenario for Create VLAN Group in the structure shown in Fig. 19.
  • FIG. 23 shows a scenario for VLAN Group Service Registration in the structure shown in Fig. 19.
  • the invention is referred to from time to time by its trade-mark and means the server and/or other aspects of the invention as the context may dictate.
  • This invention is useful in multi-unit buildings whether used as offices, apartments and/or for hotels or similar accommodation buildings. It is also advantageous to use the invention in seminar rooms, boardrooms, training rooms and like areas where users wish to access the network from the room.
  • VLAN implementation system according to a first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
  • the main features of the VLAN implementation system are as follows:
  • VLAN enabling of the server of the first embodiment allows the processing of VLAN tags and various VLAN services such as: create VLAN, show VLAN, join VLAN
  • IVLAN Interactive Virtual Local Area Network
  • TCP/IP the communications protocol of the Internet
  • VBN Visitor Based Network
  • VLAN Virtual Local Area Network
  • This technology allows for all clients of the VBN to communicate with each other and any services available via the VBN Gateway.
  • the capability for clients to communicate with each other is often suppressed on VBNs due to security considerations; for example, while guests at a hotel may wish to share data with some other guests, it would be considered unacceptable to share that data with every hotel guest registered with the hotel VBN. Since VLAN creation and maintenance must typically be performed manually by a network administrator, most
  • VBN systems will include at most one VLAN.
  • the IVLAN technology of the first embodiment allows for the dynamic creation of secure VLANs interactively by registered users of a VBN.
  • the user(client) may create a VLAN group and grant access to other registered users on a group name/password basis.
  • IVLAN also allows for registered users to access VBN Gateway service via a secure private VLAN in which no other user may participate.
  • IVLAN also allows the client who creates a VLAN Group (referred to as administrator) to delete the created VLAN.
  • IVLAN executes on a variety of operating systems. The preferred embodiment is based on a Linux operating system.
  • the VLAN implementation system comprises: 1. IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ) 802.1Q Compliant core switch; 2. IEEE 802.1 Q Compliant leaf switches;
  • CGI Common Gateway Interface
  • IEEE802.1Q is a standard for providing VLAN identification.
  • the IEEE 802.1Q standard provides for the capability to add a "Q-Tag" to an Ethernet frame of a message packet. Information for VLAN identification is added to the frame as a part of the Q-Tag.
  • VLANs are implemented within the switched infrastructure by using Q- Tags.
  • the VLAN implementation system comprises VBN Server 901, core switch SO and leaf switches S 1 and S2.
  • Clients C 1 and C2 connect to the leaf switch S 1 and Clients C3 ,C4 and C5 connect to the leaf switch S2.
  • the leaf switches connect the clients to the core switch SO.
  • the VBN server 901 is an Internet access server. The clients may access the Internet 909 via Router 910 connected to the VBN Server 901.
  • Each port of the leaf switch can be assigned to at least one VLAN.
  • Client ports are only assigned one VLAN ID and that is the ID that they tag untagged client traffic with.
  • Switch interconnect ports are tagged with every VLAN defined on that switch to allow VLAN traffic to traverse the switch infrastructure.
  • the clients are segmented into VLAN k, VLAN n and VLAN m regardless of physical location.
  • one port is assigned to VLAN n and another port is assigned to VLAN m.
  • the leaf switch S2 one port is assigned to VLANk and another is assigned to VLAN k and VLAN m.
  • the client C3 ( an administrator) creates a VLAN group (VLAN m) via the VBN Server 901.
  • the clients C2 and C3 are registered to join "VLAN m". Group access allows users to share files, printers, CD-ROMs and so on in a secure and closed environment.
  • the core switch SO forwards or filters traffic based on the VLAN identification specified in the Q-Tag.
  • the packet filter enables group collaboration access by forwarding packets to all uplink ports( connections to the leaf switches) that are defined as members of the same VLAN.
  • the untagged packet is used to communicate between the VBN Server 901 and the Router 910 and between the client and the corresponding leaf switch. Between the VBN Server 901 and the core-leaf switches, the packet is tagged (Q-tag is inserted ) or untagged based on client port configuration.
  • Fig.2 shows the breakdown of the core components of the invention and their interactions according to the first embodiment.
  • the VBN Server 901 connects the core switch and the Internet 909 via the internal interface 907 and the exterior interface 908 respectively.
  • the Registration Device Driver 904 is a pseudo driver in that it is not actually associated with any physical device.
  • the Registration Device Driver 904 manages the assignment of appropriate VLAN IDs for a given registration request
  • the Registration Device Driver 904 maintains the following information; • registration information including; 1. the VLAN ID associated with the user;
  • driver state information including
  • the Packet Driver 903 has enhanced functionality over the standard Linux protocol handlers at the point where the generic packet handlers interface with the hardware specific Ethernet drivers.
  • the Packet Driver 903 handles;
  • Ethernet header with a Q-Tag header using the appropriate tag.
  • Broadcast packets destined for the internal network are treated specially, if appropriate a copy of the tagged packet is sent to each known VLAN(Q-Tag) as well as sending an untagged packet.
  • the replication of broadcast packets is to ensure that the packet is received by all systems regardless of their VLAN.
  • the Registration WEB Server 914 is a WEB Server that serves local content for the VBN server 901. This includes the Registration WEB pages, the Administration WEB pages and Configuration WEB pages.
  • the Registration WEB page serves as a client's gateway to the services provided by the VBN Server 901.
  • the Registration page offers the clients the opportunity to register for access to the Internet 910, to sign-up for group VLAN access, to create a
  • VLAN group and so on. If the user elects to sign-up for an existing VLAN group, the user will enter the group name and password that will be checked agamst a database. If the user elects to create a VLAN group, they will be asked to provide a group name and password that will be stored in the database.
  • the component which checks the group name and password against the database is referred to as Authenticator.
  • These various servers may be hardware or software implemented.
  • Solsnmpd 905 uses a proprietary protocol to accept requests and return results. This daemon handles communications with switches and other network devices on the client network using Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). Solsnmpd 905 enables creation of new VLANs on switches, delete VLANs from switches, add and remove ports from VLANs and so on.
  • the Switch Commander is the functionality within the Solsnmpd which performs all VLAN operations. More specifically, the Switch Commander maintains the VLAN definitions on the switches.
  • IVLAN client registration is performed via an HTML interface, where a client may interactively select to create a private VLAN, a group VLAN, or to join an existing group VLAN. If a client registers for access to Internet services available from the
  • VBN Gateway a private VLAN is established using the core-leaf switch mechanism for the use of the client user.
  • the client may register to administer a Group VLAN by supplying a VLAN group name and password that other clients may use to gain access to the
  • the group name and password are recorded by the CGI components that underlie the IVLAN VBN Registration HTML pages. Other clients may indicate upon registration for VBN services that they wish to join an existing Group VLAN by providing the group name and password for authentication.
  • the CGI components communicate with Solsnmpd through Command Line Daemon (or Soln Daemon)described below which executes on the VBN Server 901.
  • the Solsnmpd process issues SNMP commands to create both private and group VLANs on the core-leaf switch system. Communication ports of the core-leaf switch system are assigned as necessary to the created VLANs as clients register for access.
  • Private and Group VLANs may co-exist within the VBN due to the ability to tag message packets as they flow through the routing system.
  • the IEEE 802.1Q standard provides for capability to include a Q-Tag as part of the
  • the VBN Server 901 manages the addition and removal of Q-Tags for the message traffic of the clients , which need not necessarily contain 802.1Q compliant Network Interface Card (NIC) hardware.
  • the CGI components obtain a Q-Tag generation ID from the Registration Device Driver 904 of the VBN Server 901 during the registration process for the purpose of VLAN creation.
  • the VLAN is created as a final activity of the registration process.
  • Ethernet frames will be tagged and untagged as part of the packet routing through the core-leaf switch system.
  • the message When a message is transmitted by a client, the message is untagged.
  • the leaf switch to which the client is connected will insert a Q-Tag in the Ethernet frame before it is routed to the core switch.
  • the message packet is routed through the core switch to the VBN Server 901 , where the Q-Tag is stripped from the Ethernet frame by the Packet Driver 903 which executes as part of the VBN Server kernel.
  • the Packet Driver 903 of the VBN Server 901 also inserts Q-Tags into the Ethernet frames of incoming message packets destined for the client.
  • the mapping between client and Q-Tags is based on the client's registration state information.
  • Ethernet Frames may or may not be tagged as part of the routing of the packet through the system. If all clients belonging to the VLAN are physically connected to the same leaf switch, no Q-Tags need be inserted in the Ethernet frame of the packets. Whether tags are inserted or not in this instance is dependent on the implementation of the given switch, and is not relevant to the operation of IVLAN. However, if clients are connected to different leaf switches within the system, the packets must be routed through the core switch connected to each leaf switch. In this instance, the Ethernet frames will be tagged before leaving the source leaf switch, and untagged before leaving the destination leaf switch. In Fig.l, as the clients C2,C3 and C4 belonging to VLAN m are physically connected to the different switches, the tagged packet is used for communication between the VBN Server 901 and the clients C2,C3 and C4.
  • Both private and group VLANs are de-assigned from the communication ports of the switching system at the expiry of the user registration lease.
  • the expiration of the registration is managed by the Registration Device Driver 904.
  • VLAN ID or " VLID” is synonymous with a Q-Tag ID(identif ⁇ cation).
  • Fig.3 shows the registration process for join VLAN Group Service.
  • the Registration Driver corresponds to the Registration Device Driver 904 in Fig.l.
  • the VBN Web Server 914A and the Authenticator 914B correspond to the Registration WEB Server
  • Step si The Client/Browser 915 sends data including room number, registration type(VLAN group), group name and access password to VBN Web Server 914A.
  • Step s2 The VBN Web Server 914A passes data to the Registration Driver
  • Step s3 If the user' s startup parameters are invalid, the event will be logged for diagnostic purposes.
  • Step s4 If the user's startup parameters are valid, NLAN group name and password are sent to the Authenticator 914B for validation.
  • Step s5 The Authenticator 914B queries the IP Billing database 920 to determine if the NLAN group name and password match.
  • Step s6 If a match occurred, the Authenticator 914B will send an authenticated response to the Registration Driver 904.
  • Step s7 Upon receiving the authenticated response, the Registration Driver 904 will send an "Add Port to NLAN Group " request to the Switch Commander 917. The request will specify the NLAN ID assigned to the group, and the switch and port to be added to the NLAN.
  • Step s8 On command completion, the Switch Commander 917 will report command status to the Registration Driver 904.
  • Step s9 If the command is successful , the Registration Driver 904 will register the user by sending the port and registration type to the IP Billing database 920.
  • Step slO Registration status is returned to the NBN Web Server 914A.
  • All client traffic originated or relayed by the NBN server will have the appropriate Q- Tag inserted, if applicable, by the Packet Driver based on their registration status before being passed through the socket interface 918 and on to the switching infrastructure 919.
  • VLAN GROUP ADMINISTRATION-CREATE VLAN GROUP
  • Fig.4 shows the process for creating the VLAN Group.
  • Step s21 The Client/Browser 915 sends data including room number, group administration command(Create VLAN Group), group name, administration password, usage period, and user access password to
  • VBN Web Server 914A passes data to the Registration Driver 904.
  • Step s23 The Registration Driver 904 will send two command requests to the
  • Switch Commander 917 The first command will create a unique VLAN group definition. The second will add the administrator's port to the VLAN definition. Step s24 : For each command completion, the Switch Commander 917 will report command status to the Registration Driver 904 . Step s25: If the commands were successful , the Registration Driver 904 will send data to IP Billing database 920 to register the administrator's room number, VLAN group name , admimstration password, usage
  • Step s26 The Create VLAN status is returned to the VBN Web Server 914A.
  • VLAN GROUP ADMINISTRATION-SHOW VLAN GROUP Fig.5 shows the process for retrieving VLAN group information.
  • Step s31 The Client/Browser 915 sends data including room number, group name, administration command ( Show VLAN Group ), and administration password to the VBN Web Server 914A.
  • Step s32 The VBN Web Server 914A passes data to the Registration Driver 904. Step s33: VLAN group name and administration password are sent to the
  • Step s34 The Authenticator 914B queries IP Billing database 920 to determining if the VLAN group name and administration password match. Step s35: If a match occurred, the Authenticator 914B will send an authenticated response to the Registration Driver 904.
  • Step s36 On command completion, the Registration Driver 904 will send the query results to the VBN Web Server 914A.
  • VLAN GROUP ADMINISTRATION-DELETE VLAN GROUP Fig.6 shows the process for deleting VLAN group. It is noted that "an Open VLAN VLID" is the default VLAN in which an unregistered port is placed.
  • Step s41 The Client/Browser 915 sends data including room number, group name, administration command (Delete VLAN Group), and administration password to the VBN Web Server 914A.
  • Step s43 VLAN group name and administration password are sent to the
  • Step s44 The Authenticator 914B queries IP Billing database 920 to determining if the VLAN group name and administration password match.
  • Step s45 If amatch occurred, the Authenticator 914B will send an authenticated response to the Registration Driver 904.
  • Step s46 Upon receiving the authenticated response, the Registration Driver 904 will send a " Delete VLAN Group" request to the Switch Commander
  • the request will specify the VLAN group VLID and request the administrator's port be removed from the definition and set back to an
  • Step s47 On command completion, the Switch Commander 917 will report command status to the Registration Driver 904. Step s48: If the command was successful, the Registration Driver 904 will remove the VLAN group definition including group name, admimstration password, user password and administrator's room number from IP Billing database 920.
  • Step s49 Delete VLAN group command status is returned to the VBN Web
  • Step s50 The VBN Web Server 914A reports successful or unsuccessful status back to the Client.
  • IVLAN may also execute on any UNIX type operating systems.
  • VBN Server 901 The functions of the VBN Server 901 are applicable to the following Internet access server described in U. S . patent application No. 09/742,006 (Referred to as SolutionlP server/ SolutionlPTM server).
  • the SolutionlP server will be described with reference to Figs. 7-14.
  • SolutionlPTM is for the hotel industry.
  • the primary objective is to provide guests with the ability to log into the Internet from their hotel rooms without having to modify their personal computer network settings. The guests will be able to transparently and seamlessly get their email, surf the web, etc. as if they were in their offices.
  • a typical usage scenario for the SolutionlPTM invention is shown in Fig.7 and consists of a business traveler requiring access to her companies email server from their hotel room. After connecting her laptop 101 to the hotel room's network jack 102 and registering for the SolutionlPTM service, the hotel guest can access the Internet, as well as online hotel services 104 (eg. Virtual Concierge) using the high-speed Internet connection of the hotel. She can then connect to the company email server via the Internet at speeds much higher than possible using a dial-up network connection.
  • the server 103 provides the seamless and transparent connectivity.
  • SolutionlPTM is a server-based solution designed to allow users to connect a computer with a working Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC) and an IP-based network configuration to the Internet.
  • NIC Network Interface Card
  • the guests physically connect to the SolutionlPTM system via a network interface connection.
  • Most users will have seamless connectivity, however there are limitations, which are described in detail below.
  • the server will detect all attempts at gaining access to the Internet and continue to redirect users to a SolutionlPTM web site until registration is completed. Once registered, they will be able to use the high-speed Internet connection of the hotel to access corporate computing resources and email via the Internet, browse the World Wide Web (WWW), etc. Guests attempting to pop (read or download) their email before registration are issued an email message. The message simply asks them to register using their browser before email can be downloaded.
  • WWW World Wide Web
  • SolutionlPTM translates network traffic from client (hotel guest) computers in such a way that it can be properly routed to and from the client via the hotel Internet connection. This is possible regardless of the current network settings (IP address, DNS servers, gateway, etc.) on the client machine, provided that the existing configuration is functional, (i.e. The client machine must have a working network configuration, although the actual addresses used are not expected to be configured for the hotel's network).
  • SolutionlPTM transparently translates the settings of the client machine into addresses appropriate to the hotel's network environment while routing data to the Internet.
  • the server "reverse translates" return network traffic to use addresses compatible with the client computer's configuration.
  • SolutionlPTM provides DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server functionality, which is used to supply configuration data to those clients configured to dynamically obtain their network settings.
  • DNS Domain Name Service
  • DNS Domain Name Service
  • SolutionlPTM based on destination port number
  • DNS Domain Name Service
  • Outbound network traffic is intercepted by the SolutionlPTM server, which acts as a gateway to the Internet and forwards the data as appropriate.
  • SolutionlPTM will pretend it is the client's gateway, even if the client has specified a different gateway, such as the one normally used by the client in the office.
  • SolutionlPTM Unauthorized use of the network (i.e. network traffic from clients who have not registered for the network service) is blocked by SolutionlPTM until the client registers.
  • SolutionlPTM maintains a list of those client computers that have been registered and are authorized to use the network. Traffic from authorized clients is routed, while other traffic is discarded or redirected.
  • Fig. 8 provides a functional block diagram of the invention in a typical hotel application.
  • the guest 201 connects to the hotel network and the SolutionlPTM server 202 carries out the appropriate functions to handle browser traffic 205 (HTTP), email 206 (POP3), hotel services traffic (207) (IP(TCP, UDP)) and Internet traffic 208 (IP(TCP,UDP)).
  • the server 202 also provides a facility to handle maintenance traffic 209 from hotel services. Billing data 210 is collected and maintained in the server and supplied to hotel services as required.
  • a guest can communicate with the SolutionlPTM server via Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests 205 (the protocol used to access the WWW), or email requests 206
  • HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol
  • IP-based traffic originating from the guest's computer passes through the SolutionlPTM server to the Hotel Services Intranet 203 or to the Public Internet 204.
  • SolutionlPTM In general, the SolutionlPTM solution is not directly involved with attempts to secure the hotel network from external threats. Creating and enforcing a security policy for the Internet connection of the hotel is to be dealt with by other components of the overall solution. SolutionlPTM does not perform filtering of in-bound network traffic destined for registered clients.
  • the SolutionlPTM server has unnecessary services disabled and file permissions checked to try to prevent malicious modifications.
  • the only login access to a SolutionlPTM server is by secure shell (SSH), serial connection or from the console.
  • SSL secure shell
  • the registration component is a web-based application, which allows hotel guests to register for the network service, as well as log off from it. It is accessible to all guests who are connected to the network (i.e. access to the registration site is not blocked by SolutionlPTM).
  • the web server for the registration component can run on a separate machine from SolutionlPTM minimizing the load on SolutionlPTM.
  • any attempts to access WWW and POP3 (a type of email) servers are detected by SolutionlPTM and intercepted. This is based on the TCP port number. These requests are answered by SolutionlPTM or forwarded to the web server where information is provided on how to register for the hotel network service.
  • POP3 a type of email
  • SolutionlPTM also has the ability to track registration information, which can be used for billing purposes.
  • registration information can be used for billing purposes.
  • This information is available through an administration web site that displays who is connected to the network, who is registered, time and date of registration, etc.
  • the server could implement a feature to track data volumes.
  • CLIENT REQUIREMENTS Although the system is a server-only solution and transparent to registered clients, there are certain minimum requirements for client computers. SolutionlPTM is designed to operate without modifications to the client's computer configuration in the majority of cases, but certain components must be present and working. A utility could enable certain systems to access the network if the client does not meet the minimum requirements.
  • Ethernet Network Interface Card installed and configured, with compatible interface to hotel network jacks; • Installed TCP/IP stack, configured for DHCP or for static IP address, gateway, and DNS server(s); and • Web browser configured for direct network access (i.e. not a dial-up-only browser configuration and without proxies enabled). (Only required for registration/log-off process and
  • SolutionlPTM provides transparent network access via two mechanisms:
  • NAT Network Address Translation
  • SolutionlPTM utilizes NAT as the primary mechanism for providing transparent network access. Despite the problems associated with IP number allocation this choice offers the best available mechanism to effectively deal with various unsupported network protocols.
  • the preferred embodiment of the invention is based on a customized version of the Lanes operating system.
  • the client is configured to use a particular, fixed IP configuration.
  • the server captures Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) requests from the client and the server responds with its own Media Access Control (MAC) address.
  • ARP Address Resolution Protocol
  • MAC Media Access Control
  • the client is assigned an IP address, which is mapped to the client's configured IP address and its MAC address. If the client has not "registered" for the service, then any attempts to communicate with a web server or a pop server will result in a redirection to the registration screen (web) or a mail message with directions to the registration screen. Once they have registered, the client logs off the registration system, their traffic is allowed to proceed unimpeded. As the traffic passes through the server, the IP address of the client is translated back and forth between the configured (fixed) IP address and the server-assigned IP address.
  • ARP Address Resolution Protocol
  • MAC Media Access Control
  • SolutionIPTM 's DHCP server component assigns an IP address and then SolutionlPTM acts simply as a router, except that normal IP traffic is blocked or redirected until the client goes through the registration process.
  • CORE SERVER COMPONENTS AND INTERACTIONS Fig. 9 shows the breakdown of the core components of the invention and their interactions. These components are further described below.
  • the ARP module 307 of the server uses ARP which is a standard networking protocol the behaviour of which is described below.
  • ARP Address Resolution Protocol
  • RFC-826 RFC stands for Request For Comment and is the standard way of asking for comments on standards and other aspects of Internet operation via the Internet.
  • a website that is useful in accessing the various RFCs is www.faqs.com)for the protocol specification) is intended to provide a method for one machine to obtain the MAC (Media
  • a machine will determine that the machine that they wish to communicate with is on the same local network by comparing the IP address of the target machine with their own IP address information. If the machine they want to communicate with is on the same network, currently there is no association between the IP address of the target system and a MAC address then the machine will make an ARP request for the target machine's IP address. If the target machine is active, it should be watching for ARP requests and if the IP address specified in the ARP request matches the IP address of the target machine it will respond to the ARP request.
  • the address resolution protocol is a protocol used by the Internet Protocol (IP) network layer protocol to map IP network addresses to the hardware addresses used by a data link protocol. This protocol is used below the network layer as a part of the OSI link layer, and is used when IP is used over Ethernet.
  • IP Internet Protocol
  • address resolution refers to the process of finding an address of a computer in a network.
  • the address is "resolved" using a protocol in which a piece of information is sent by a client process executing on the local computer to a server process executing on a remote computer.
  • the information received by the server allows the server to uniquely identify the network system for which the address was required and therefore to provide the required address.
  • the address resolution procedure is completed when the client receives a response from the server containing the required address.
  • Proxy- ARP (See RFC- 1009 for a description) is a variation on the ARP protocol where a router (a system with more than one interface that routes packets between networks on or through the networks on each interface) will respond to ARP requests for systems on one interface made by systems on an other interface with it's own MAC address. This is done to support situations where it is necessary or expedient to split a network without sub-netting or where machines not capable of understanding sub-nets have to reside on sub-netted networks.
  • SolutionlP modifies the standard behaviors described above on an interface-by-interface basis by promiscuously responding to ARP requests. This is an extension to Proxy- ARP.
  • any ARP request is responded to by the SolutionlP Server with the SolutionlP Server's MAC address regardless of the IP address being requested, with the following exceptions:
  • the ARP request is for a system for which the SolutionlP server has an entry in the registration driver, then it is left up to that system to respond rather than the SolutionlP Server.
  • SolutionlP Server needs the MAC address for an IP address it will first determine if an entry exists in the registration driver and if it does use that MAC address rather than sending an ARP request.
  • SolutionlP server This allows the SolutionlP server to pretend to be the gateway (default router), DNS Server, etc. for clients using fixed IP configurations.
  • the server avoids delays when communicating with systems on its client networks by using the registration driver rather than making ARP requests.
  • REGISTRATION DEVICE DRIVER (sometimes referred to as Soln Device)
  • the registration device driver 304 is apseudo driver in that it is not actually associated with any physical device but rather the device is the registration data that is stored and managed by this driver.
  • the registration information maintained by the driver includes : • Original IP - this is the original IP address that the client used when communicating with the server. Under certain circumstances, it may be equal to the assigned IP address.
  • a fixed IP configured client will have the IP address for which the client is configured. For a DHCP configured client this will usually be zero or the IP address that the client was assigned on its previous network or it will equal the assigned IP address.
  • IP address is the IP address assigned to the client by the registration server. This will be a number chosen from the available IP addresses in the address ranges that the driver is configured to support. An IP address is always assigned to each new MAC address as it is encountered. If the original IP address is equal to an unassigned IP address that the driver has been configured to support then that IP address will be assigned, otherwise the next available IP address will be offered.
  • Registration Time - is the time that the client was registered (for Internet access) by going through the registration process for that site.
  • Registration Expiry - is the time that the registration is due to expire (lose Internet access).
  • Entry Expiry - is the time that the assigned IP address will be returned to the pool of free IP addresses.
  • Flags - used to contain bit fields used to indicate the state and nature of a particular client (i.e. registered; DHCP; valid; permanent; no expiry; etc.)
  • This information is accessed and manipulated by other kernel drivers and processes through function calls defined in Registration Device Driver 304.
  • User space applications access and manipulate the registration information with the standard Lanes device interface and the associated ioctl calls. Entries can be looked up using original
  • IP, MAC, or Assigned IP addresses All characteristics of an entry can be manipulated, although not all directly, an entry can be marked as registered and the driver will assign the appropriate registration expiry time. Certain attempts to look up an entry will result in an entry being assigned if an existing entry can not be found, specifically the soln_get_aipjnac call will cause an IP address to be assigned to the specified MAC address if an existing entry can not be found.
  • a complete dump of the current state of the driver can be obtained by opening and reading the device. Likewise, this information can be used to initialize the driver by opening the device and writing the same (or similar) information back into the device. This gives us the ability to backup and restore the current state of the driver thus minimizing the effects of reboots on registered clients.
  • the state information for the driver includes:
  • RELATIVE_OFFSET_EXPIRY where entries are expired a fixed amount of time relative to the time that they registered.
  • TIMEOFDAY_EXPIRY where entries are expired at a particular time of day regardless of when they registered.
  • the expiry period is either the time offset for the relative offset mode or the time of day for the time of day mode depending on the expiry mode chosen.
  • the time of day grace period this is used to determine if the second time of day expiry should be used rather than the next. In other words if the time of day expiry time is 11 :00am and the grace period is V2 hour then if someone registers between 10:30am and 11:00am they will actually be registered until the following day rather than just being registered for Y hour or less.
  • the inactive timeout which is used to decide whether to expire a unregistered entry, in essence if activity has been detected for an entry within the inactive timeout period then the entry will not be purged. • The number of ranges available for assignment to clients.
  • each range may consist of up to 256 entries, this allows multiple ranges to specify a network larger than a class C subnet.
  • the registration driver In addition to externally triggered events, the registration driver has certain automatic activities that it performs on a regular (configurable) basis:
  • the TCP/IP Socket Interface (311) is the standard socket networking interface provided by Linux, Unix, and many other operating systems that provide networking services.
  • the Command Line Interface 317 offers an administrative and diagnostic tool to system administrators. It serves as a user space interface into the registration driver. It has options for most of the Registration Driver's ioctls. It can be used to check the current state of the registration driver 304 or modify it.
  • the Soln Daemon 315 shares the same code base as the Command Line Interface 317 and thus shares much the same functionality. It is launched from the Command Line Interface using a command line parameter that forces it to run as a daemon. As a daemon, it has several special functions. It is responsible for performing regular periodic backups of the registration driver. It also listens for UDP traffic on a specified port. This facilitates most of the registration and administrative requirements of the web based interface. It is also able to communicate with Solsnmpd ( a module for carrying out network management) and retrieves information as required during a registration request.
  • Solsnmpd a module for carrying out network management
  • the packet filter module 305,306 allows packet filter rules that test the state of the registration entry flags for the source and/or destination addresses of packets, these tests include: • tests for whether the address is a valid entry or not (i.e. is it in a valid range and has it been assigned to a MAC address);
  • Ipfwadm the standard Linux utility for defining the packet filter rules in the kernel at run-time has been modified to set and interpret the new tests as specified above.
  • Packet filter rules are defined to provide the following functionality:
  • the filters can be configured to perform masquerading or NAPT (Network Address Port Translation).
  • the packet drivers 303 have enhanced functionality over the standard Linux protocol handlers at the point where the generic packet handlers interface with the hardware specific Ethernet drivers. This additional functionality is selectable on aper-interface basis.
  • all incoming packets are examined, and their MAC looked up in the registration driver. If the packet is an IP or ARP packet then the MAC is looked up in the registration driver, if this is the first time that this MAC is encountered then an IP address is assigned and if the source IP address of the packet is a valid unassigned IP address then that IP address will be assigned to that MAC address. Once the assigned IP address is determined, sanity tests are applied to ensure that the original IP address associated with the MAC has not changed in an unacceptable manner, if it has changed in an unacceptable manner then the entry is deleted, thus forcing the client to re-register if they were previously registered.
  • the assigned IP address is different from the original IP address in the client's packet then that IP address will be replaced with the assigned IP address in the IP or ARP header and the packet checksum recalculated according to the methods described in RFC- 1624. If the packet contains a TCP or UDP packet then the checksum is further recalculated as above to account for the changed IP address in the pseudo-header associated with such packets as described in section 3.3 of RFC- 1631.
  • All outgoing packets on an enabled interface have their source destination address looked up in the registration driver (as an assigned IP address). If a matching entry is found then the original IP address is substituted provided it is non-zero and not equal to the current destination address. Then the packet's checksums are recalculated as described above for incoming packets.
  • DHCP SERVER A modified DHCP server 316 has been included in SolutionlP to provide IP addresses to clients requesting IP information based on the assigned IP address provided by the registration device driver 304 for that client's MAC address. Additionally the DHCP server 316 has been modified to provide leases based on the inactivity timeout as obtained from the driver.
  • a modified POP server 313 is provided to:
  • a MTA Mail Transfer Agent
  • a MTA Mail Transfer Agent
  • the SMTP server (not shown on Fig. 9) is configured to block relaying attempts using the SolutionlP server.
  • the firewall rules redirect all unregistered traffic on port 80 (http) to a special port on the SolutionlP server.
  • the solhttpd daemon is a web server 314 configured to listen for http traffic on a special port. When it receives an http request, it is configured to rewrite the URL such that it will send the client to the Registration WEB Server 310. This means that any unregistered client who launches their standard web browser will be redirected to the Registration WEB Server instead of their intended destination.
  • the Registration WEB Server (310) is a web server that serves local content for the
  • SolutionlP server This includes the Registration WEB pages, Administrative WEB pages, and Configuration WEB pages.
  • the Registration WEB pages serve as a client's gateway to SolutionlP services. This includes registering for access to the Internet.
  • the client can choose between two different methods of authentication, port based or access code based.
  • port based authentication model a client's room and fee information is determined based upon their assigned IP address (facilitated by Solsnmpd).
  • access code based authentication clients can enter access codes that map them to a particular room number and fee.
  • the registration WEB pages use the Soln Daemon (315) to communicate with the Registration Driver and Solsnmpd to facilitate administration and the registration process. Also provided are several first generation web based configuration tools. Primarily, these are designed as middleware to insulate the users from the database.
  • a standard open source relational DBMS database management system
  • the schema allows flexible configuration of the system and includes the following:
  • a standard open-source DNS server 312 is provided to all clients to handle their DNS requests. There is nothing special about this server; rather what is special is that all client DNS requests are directed to this server. This ensures that no client (static or DHCP) will have its DNS requests timeout because the DNS server is either inaccessible (behind a firewall) or too far away (too many network hops) to respond in a timely manner.
  • This server uses a proprietary protocol to accept requests and return results. Request and response packet formats are defined as needed for each query.
  • the purpose of this daemon is to handle communications with switches and other network devices on the client network using Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to achieve various ends.
  • SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol
  • the initial functionality for this daemon is to accept requests to determine at which "physical port" a client is connected.
  • the daemon is sent a request containing the MAC address of the client.
  • the daemon then uses the switch hierarchy as defined in the billing database to walk through the switches using the Bridge MIB (RFC- 1493) to determine the what port the client is connected through. Once the switch and port are determined then the "physical port" can be derived, again using the billing database. This information is returned to the requesting process.
  • This .server (not shown in Fig. 9) extracts configuration information from the billing database and places it in flat (text) configuration files to allow access of the configuration information without accessing the database. If the resulting configuration files have changed then a HUP signal will be sent to specific processes so they will re-read their configuration files and get the updated data.
  • This script is run every minute and is configured to check the status of several daemons on the server, complain if they are not running and if they continue to not run for a configurable length of time they are restarted.
  • This tool takes a per-site configuration file and applies it to a hierarchy of template configuration files to configure the server for a particular site.
  • server is used both to refer to a computer running the programs to achieve the desired functionality and to software modules themselves that carry out the desired functionality. It is understood that there is a continuum of structure and various aspects of the invention can be carried out by hardware, firmware or software, or a combination, as may be desired.
  • DHCP REQUEST PROCESSING The processing performed by SolutionlPTM for DHCP requests is described below in reference to Fig. 10.
  • the computer 401 When a guest with a computer configured for DHCP powers on, the computer 401 initiates a DHCP request to the other computers on the LAN.
  • the modified DHCP server 405 receives and processes that request.
  • the DHCP server 405 captures the
  • the Registration Device Driver 404 provides an appropriate IP address for the guest.
  • the IP address is returned to the DHCP server, which then passes the address and any additional parameters (gateway to use, DNS server to use, etc.) back to the guest's computer.
  • ARP ARP request
  • the Registration Device Driver 504 detects the ARP request and responds with its own MAC address via the ARP server 505, regardless of the IP address actually requested. While processing the ARP request, the ARP server 505 will notify the Registration Device Driver 504 of the guest computer's MAC address and IP address. The Registration Device Driver 504 can then determine if a matching MAC address and IP address pair exists, as well as whether NAT will be required for the guest computer. The Registration Device Driver 504 will then update its data structures with the new information if necessary.
  • UNREGISTERED HTTP REQUEST PROCESSING Processing of HTTP requests involves redirecting unregistered guests to the registration web server, and allowing requests from registered guests to be routed normally. Processing of unregistered HTTP requests is described as shown in Fig. 12.
  • Hypertext Transfer Protocol begins with receipt of the request by SolutionIPTM's packet drivers 603. These drivers query the Registration Device Driver 604 to identify whether NAT translation of the packet headers is required. If required, the packet drivers 603 perform this translation.
  • the IPFW component 606 is then given control of the request. It queries the Registration Device Driver 604 to determine whether the guest is registered. If the guest is registered, it allows the request to be routed normally. If the guest is not registered, the request is passed to the Redirection Web Server 608, which translates it into a request for the registration area of the Registration Web Server. The translated request is then submitted to the Registration Web Server and the guest is presented with the hotel's registration screen. If the guest chooses to register for the network access service, this information is provided to the Control Program/Daemon, which updates the Registration Device Driver appropriately. Subsequent requests from the guest computer following the update of the Registration Device Driver will be processed as from a registered guest.
  • HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol
  • IP-based traffic initiates from the guest's computer 701 and is sent to the
  • the packet drivers 703 on the SolutionlPTM server determine whether the traffic requires NAT and performs translation on the headers if so required.
  • the IPFW packet filter 705,706 determines whether the guest has registered for the network access service. If the guest is registered, the data traffic is allowed to proceed and is routed normally. If the guest has not registered, the data is blocked by discarding the incoming network packets. BILLING ASPECT OF INVENTION
  • the billing aspect of the invention has two methods of registration, access codes and port identification.
  • Access codes are generated for each room on a daily basis. Clients must enter the access code for their room as part of the registration process.
  • Port identification will automatically determine the client's room number by querying the network switch infrastructure to determine the specific switch port from which the client is connected. Switch ports will be mapped to specific rooms. Access codes can be used in the event the client is not connecting from a guestroom, such as when working from a public area in the hotel, or if the switch port cannot be determined.
  • Authorization codes are used as an override mechanism to apply special processing rules (discounts, free usage, etc.) to particular clients.
  • the system stores and displays the authorization code as part of the billing report.
  • the interpretation and application of authorization codes is the responsibility of hotel staff.
  • the hotel Property Management System performs the actual billing of clients.
  • the billing system provides web-based reports which can be printed and manually entered in the PMS by hotel staff.
  • SolutionlP requires two Pentium class systems operating at 200 MHz or greater. One functions as the SolutionlP server while the other hosts the web site and database.
  • NIC Network Interface Card
  • the client component has the following requirements:
  • SolutionlP supports a variety of client operating systems including Win95, Win98, WinNT, Macintosh OS 8 and Linux.
  • the switches for port identification must support:
  • Billing begins with the identification of the room associated with each client.
  • Rooms are identified either manually by associating an access code with a particular room, or automatically by obtaining the switch port the client is connected to and deriving the associated room.
  • the system provides facilities to automatically generate a new access code for each room, either for the current day or the next day.
  • the codes are displayed via a web page and can be printed.
  • a configurable history of access codes is maintained to prevent duplicate codes from being generated within the history period. No mechanism is provided to prevent access codes from being used more than once or by more than one client. Each new MAC registering is billed to the associated room.
  • the access code is used to determine which room to bill, and so it will be the responsibility of the client to ensure that the code is kept secure. Billing is based on the room from which the client registers when using port identification.
  • the registration interface allows clients to enter special authorization codes. These codes will be stored with the client's billing information. Authorization codes used will be included in the billing report generated for hotel staff, but will not actually affect the fee generated by the billing system. Interpretation and application of authorization codes will be the responsibility of the hotel staff.
  • a web-based billing report is provided and printed by the hotel staff. It displays who has been online since the last checkout time. Additional queries for arbitrary dates is also available. These show who was online from checkout time on the specified day until checkout time the next day. Information included in the report includes client room, registration time, access code, port, authorization code, and fee. Access to all administrative web reports are password protected.
  • the database is capable of storing one month's worth of data. Backup, restoration, and disaster recovery procedures can be provided.
  • Port Identification One method of associating a client (MAC Address) with a Room for billing purposes is Port Identification. If, on registration, the physical port connection can be identified as being associated with a room, then that client's registration will be billed to that room. To determine what physical port a client is connected to the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is used to discover which switch port they are talking to, static data tables are then used to determine the room number.
  • SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol
  • the switch/port number that a MAC is using is determined by using SNMP to search the installation's switches.
  • mapping from the switch/port number that a MAC appears on identifies physical ports . This mapping is maintained in the database.
  • Physical ports map to room numbers and billing rates. These mappings are maintained in the database.
  • the determination of the MAC to physical port mapping is done on an as required basis.
  • port identification If port identification is available it takes precedence over access code identification and no access code is requested of the user during the registration process. The exception to this are physical ports flagged as requiring a valid access code for registration to succeed. ACCESS CODE IDENTIFICATION
  • Port Identification An alternative to Port Identification is Access Code Identification. Each access code is associated with a particular room and will be valid for a limited time period (usually one day from checkout time to checkout time). If port identification fails or is not available on a given port then the client will be prompted for an access code which the system then validates. This will ensure that a billing record is generated for the appropriate room.
  • the administrative features serve as the interface between the billing system and the hotel staff.
  • the two main components are the billing and access code reports.
  • the billing report provides information to the hotel staff regarding room numbers, access codes, authorization codes, physical ports, registration time and fees.
  • the report is web-based and viewable from a standard web browser. The hotel staff are able to generate and view the report on an as-needed basis.
  • the access code report provides hotel staff with the information related to room numbers and access codes.
  • the report is web-based and viewable from a standard web browser.
  • the hotel staff are able to generate and view the report on an as-needed basis.
  • the system automatically generates access codes for the current or the following day if they do not exist in the database.
  • Fig. 14 The following section describes the functional components of the billing system and refers to Fig. 14. It is to be understood that the preferred embodiment here described uses two computers acting as servers but a person skilled in the art would understand that one server could be used or more than two could be used without departing from the invention.
  • the billing system consists of components running on both the SolutionlP Server 802 and the Web Server 801.
  • the Web Server hosts the billing and configuration database 803, the Admin Interface 804 which will be part of the Admin web site and the Registration Interface 805 which will be the existing Registration Web pages with modifications to accommodate the new billing system methods.
  • the Registration Driver 806 and Command Line Daemon 807 accommodates the new billing system methods.
  • the Synchronization Daemon 808 and the SNMP Daemon 809, are implemented to support the billing system.
  • the database stores configuration information, access codes, and billing records. One month of data will be maintained at any given time. Data older than one month will be regularly purged from the database. Database backup and recovery procedures can be provided, required.
  • Configuration data handled by the database includes switch configuration information (switch addresses, types, mappings of switch ports to rooms, etc.). Hotel checkout time, amount of data history to maintain, and other related parameters will also be stored in the database.
  • the database stores the access code and its effective dates for each room. By default, each code will only be effective for one day. A history of access codes for each room is kept. New codes are checked against this history to prevent duplication.
  • Billing records identify the room to be billed for each connection.
  • the following fields will be included in this record: room number; port registered from; access code used; authorization code; registration date and time; and type of fee to be charged.
  • some fields may be NULL.
  • the access code would normally be NULL when port identification is being used.
  • the daemon has the ability to handle multiple simultaneous requests from other systems, preserve parameter changes and track the state of registration driver backups.
  • the daemon also accommodates the use of the SNMP 809 and Synchronization daemon 808.
  • the Command Line Daemon 807 is the primary interface into the registration device driver 806.
  • the functionality of the registration device driver accommodates the billing system
  • the command line daemon supports the following operations:
  • the billing system communicates with the SNMP Daemon 809 via the Command Line Daemon 807.
  • the Command Line Daemon 807 channels all traffic between the other billing system components and the SNMP Daemon.
  • the Command Line Daemon also updates the Registration Device Driver 806, where applicable, with the results received from the SNMP Daemon.
  • the command line daemon The command line daemon :
  • the purpose of the SNMP Daemon 809 is to resolve MAC addresses to their physical port number, or return an error if this is not possible.
  • This Daemon uses SNMP to interrogate the network switches to find the switch port that the client is connected to and then use static data tables to map that switch port to a physical port number.For this component:
  • the Registration Device Driver supports billing and production requirements.
  • the driver maintains information on client MAC addresses, original IP addresses, and assigned IP addresses.
  • Timing parameters are included to allow fixed-length registration periods, as well as inactivity timeouts for unregistered clients.
  • Day expiry mode is included. The method of expiration will be determined at the time of client registration. Under the Time of Day expiry mode, registrations will expire at the next checkout time (or any arbitrary time each day) . Currently new registrations are expired at the end of a fixed time interval, typically 24 hours. The Time of Day expiry mode is more consistent with normal hotel billing routines. The existing expiry calculation mode will be preserved as an option.
  • the ability to override parameters for individual clients is available.
  • Existing driver parameters serve as defaults, and affect all clients.
  • An overide mechanism allows administrators to change specific parameters on a client-by-client basis. An example might be to extend the expiry time of a particular client, without affecting the expiry times of other clients.
  • the driver In addition to operating on MAC and IP address information, the driver includes and operates on room and port data.
  • the work of associating rooms and ports with clients in the driver is performed by external components (the billing system and SNMP daemon).
  • Operations supported by the driver such as registering or deleting entries, allow such operations to be performed on all clients associated with a particular room or port.
  • Production requirements include the ability to reserve specific addresses or make entries permanent. This allows support maintenance access to network devices, such as switches, which reside on the client side of the servers.
  • a mechanism to block particular clients is also implemented. This mechanism identifies clients by room, port, or MAC. Blocked clients are able to access the registration server and other services available to unregistered guests, but they are prevented from registering for full system access.
  • Synchronization Daemon 808 The purpose of the Synchronization Daemon 808 is to centralize access to the database by components of the SolutionlP Server through one interface.
  • the daemon uses information stored in the database to create flat configuration files on the SolutionlP server. This allows configuration information for the various components to be centralized in the database but does not preclude their being maintained on the server if a database is not available or required at a particular installation.
  • the registration process takes advantage of the billing system methods.
  • a client attempts to register, the system first attempts to determine if they are connecting from a room that allows billing via the port identification method. If a billable room is identified using this method then the user will be presented with the Authorization -
  • the Access Code Identification method will be used.
  • the user will be presented with an access code entry screen, when the user enters a valid access code then the billable room will have been identified and they will be presented with the Authorization - Confirmation Screen.
  • FIXED IP Scenario Client is configured with a fixed IP configuration.
  • SolutionlP server picks up the ARP request and passes it to the Packet Driver.
  • the Packet Driver asks the Registration Driver to look up the Assigned IP address for the MAC of the packet.
  • the Registration Driver not able to find an entry for that MAC assigns a new IP address from the pool of available IP addresses.
  • the Packet Driver performs NAT on the ARP packet (as necessary).
  • the Packet is passed on to the ARP handler.
  • the ARP Handler sees that the Source IP address is Equal to the Destination
  • IP address and drops the ARP request. 9. Eventually the client times out and assumes that it is the soul owner of that IP address on its network.
  • Client is configured for DHCP. 1.
  • Client computer makes a DHCP DISCOVER request.
  • This request is intercepted by the packet driver who asks the registration driver for the assigned IP address for this MAC.
  • the registration driver will attempt to lookup the assigned IP address for the MAC and if it not found create a new assignment based on its pool of free addresses.
  • the packet driver will NAT the request as required and forward it to the DHCP server.
  • the DHCP server will lookup the assigned IP address for the MAC address and return a DHCP OFFER response for that address.
  • the ARP handler looks up the MAC address for the destination address from the Registration Driver and inserts that MAC address into the packet.
  • the packet driver will intercept the response and perform NAT if required.
  • the user's DHCP client will respond with a DHCP REQUEST for the assigned IP address.
  • the packet driver will intercept the request, perform NAT if required and forward the request to the DHCP server.
  • the DHCP server will lookup the assigned IP address for the MAC address and return a DHCP ACK response for that address.
  • the ARP handler looks up the MAC address for the destination address from the Registration Driver and inserts that MAC address into the packet.
  • the packet driver will intercept the response and perform NAT if required.
  • the client obtains the IP address.
  • the Registration Driver returns the AIP to the Packet Driver.
  • the Packet Driver performs NAT, if necessary. 7.
  • the packet is passed on to the Packet Filter that redirects the request to the
  • the DNS server looks up the HTTP server and creates a response for the client.
  • the response packet goes to the ARP handler that asks the Registration Driver to look up the MAC address for the client and then the ARP handler adds it to the outgoing packet.
  • the packet is then passed to the Packet Driver that looks up the Original IP address for the Assigned IP address and performs NAT if necessary.
  • the client will generate an ARP request for their gateway server (assuming that the IP address returned for the HTTP server was not local, if it is local then the client will be requesting the MAC of the HTTP server instead).
  • the SolutionlP server will pick up the ARP request and pass it to the Packet Driver.
  • the Packet Driver will ask the Registration Driver to look up the Assigned IP address for the MAC of the packet.
  • the Registration Driver will return the AIP to the Packet Driver.
  • the Packet Driver will perform NAT as necessary.
  • the ARP request is passed on to the ARP handler
  • the ARP handler generates a response saying that the SolutionlP server's MAC is the MAC for the requested IP address.
  • the ARP response is passed back to the Packet Driver.
  • the Packet driver looks up the OIP of the packet destination using the AIP and performs NAT if necessary.
  • the ARP response is sent back to the client. 22.
  • the Client then sends a HTTP request to the IP address returned by the DNS to the MAC address returned by the ARP response. 23.
  • the HTTP request arrives at the SolutionlP server and is passed to the Packet Driver.
  • the Packet Driver gets the Registration Driver to look up the AIP for the MAC and performs NAT if necessary. 25.
  • the Packet is Passed to the Packet Filter which determines that the client is unregistered
  • the Packet is redirected to the Redirection Web Server (solhttpd).
  • the Packet is redirected to the Registration Web Server.
  • the Registration Web Server generates the response to the HTTP request. 29.
  • the Packet is passed back to the ARP Handler that looks up the MAC associated with the AIP of the client and updates the packet. 30.
  • the Packet is passed back to the Packet Driver that looks up the OIP associated with the AIP and performs NAT if necessary. 31.
  • the response is passed back to the client.
  • Scenario having been redirected to the Registration Web Page, the client then registers for the service.
  • the client is plugged into a switch port on which port-based authentication has been configured. 1.
  • the client accesses the registration web page that triggers the execution of a
  • the CGI checks the database and determines that port-based authentication has been configured.
  • the CGI requests the MAC address and physical port information for the assigned IP address from Soln Daemon. 4. Soln Daemon asks the registration driver for the MAC address associated with the assigned IP address given.
  • the registration driver returns the MAC address associated with the assigned IP address. 6.
  • Soln Daemon asks Solsnmpd for the physical port number associated with the given MAC address.
  • Solsnmpd returns the physical port information after resolving the port based upon the given MAC address.
  • Soln Daemon returns the MAC address and physical port information based upon the assigned IP address given.
  • the CGI requests room number and fee information from the database for the physical port number.
  • the database returns the room number and fee information for the physical port given.
  • the CGI dynamically generates HTML for the client that reflects the room and fee information returned from the database.
  • the client chooses to accept the fees and continue with registration.
  • the CGI requests registration for the assigned IP address from the Soln Daemon. 14. The Soln Daemon asks the driver to register the entry with the given assigned
  • the CGI inserts the client's information into the database and forces the portal page to the client.
  • Scenario the client is plugged into a switch port on which port based authentication has not been configured and access codes are enabled on this installation. 1.
  • the client accesses the registration web page that triggers the execution of a CGI script. 2.
  • the CGI checks the database and determines that port based authentication has not been configured and access codes are enabled. 3.
  • the CGI dynamically generates HTML for the client that reflects need for them to enter access code information.
  • the client enters access code information into the form.
  • the CGI requests the room number and fee information from the database for the given access code.
  • the database returns the room number and fee information for the given access code.
  • the CGI dynamically generates HTML for the client that reflects the room and fee information returned from the database. 8. The client chooses to accept the fees and continue with registration.
  • the CGI requests registration for the assigned IP address from the Soln Daemon.
  • the Soln Daemon asks the driver to register the entry with the given assigned IP address.
  • the CGI inserts the client's information into the database and forces the portal page to the client.
  • Scenario the server has been configured to automatically register new clients.
  • the main effect here is that clients are always directed to the portal page the first time they access the WEB.
  • the client is redirected to the registration web page that triggers the execution of a CGI script.
  • the CGI requests registration for the assigned IP address from the Soln Daemon.
  • the Soln Daemon asks the driver to register the entry with the given assigned IP address.
  • the client sends the e-mail using their preferred client software and configured outgoing SMTP mail server.
  • Mail client looks up the MAC address of either the SMTP server or their gateway using ARP .
  • the Packet Filter transparently redirects all SMTP traffic for registered clients to the local SMTP server.
  • the SMTP server acts as a proxy and sends the e-mail on behalf of the client.
  • Mail client looks up the MAC address of either the POP server or the gateway using ARP.
  • the Packet Filter transparently redirects all POP3 traffic for unregistered clients to the local POP3 server.
  • the POP3 server accepts any username and password combination and delivers a single new e-mail message to the client. 5. This e-mail typically informs the client that they have not registered for the service and instructs them how to do so.
  • a DHCP configured client sends and receives packets through the SolutionlP server.
  • Client generates a packet for a remote host routed through the SolutionlP
  • SolutionlP Server receives the packet and passes it to the packet driver.
  • the packet driver examines the packet and looks up the AIP in the Registration Driver using the MAC address. 4. The packet driver determines that the AIP and the original Source address are equal and that NAT is not necessary. 5. The packet is passed to the packet filters see the Registered and Unregistered sections below.
  • Packet is passed from the packet filters to the ARP handler.
  • the ARP handler will look up the MAC address of the destination host of this packet.
  • the packet will then be passed on to the packet driver that will look up the entry for the Assigned IP address and determine that no NAT is necessary.
  • Client generates a packet for a remote host routed through their gateway (however the SolutionlP server will claim to be that gateway when the client makes their ARP request)
  • the SolutionlP Server receives the packet and passes it to the packet driver 3.
  • the packet driver examines the packet and looks up the AIP in the Registration Driver using the MAC address.
  • the packet driver determines that the AIP and the original Source address are not equal and that NAT is necessary. 5. The packet is NATed and passed on to the packet filters see the Registered and
  • Packet is passed from the packet filters to the ARP handler. 2.
  • the ARP handler will look up the MAC address of the destination host of this packet.
  • the packet will then be passed on to the packet driver that will look up the entry for the Assigned IP address and determine that NAT is necessary.
  • the packet driver will perform NAT on the packet and transmit the packet to the client.
  • Packet is received by the packet filters. 2. It is determined that the packet can be forwarded.
  • Packet is forwarded out the appropriate external interface, through the appropriate router. (Usually there is only one external interface and one router)
  • Packet is passed on to the ARP handler to have the appropriate MAC added. (See the appropriate NAT or DHCP Receiving section above.)
  • the packet filters assign a port on the SolutionlP server for the source port of this client.
  • the packet is transmitted NAPTed so it looks like it came from the SolutionlP server on the assigned port.
  • Packet is passed to the packet filters and it is determined that this port is a masqueraded port and the packet must be reverse NAPTed so it has the appropriate destination port and IP address.
  • the packet filters determine that the packet may be forwarded. 4.
  • the packet is passed on to the ARP handler to have the appropriate MAC added. (See the appropriate NAT or DHCP Receiving section above.)
  • Scenario A registered client has reached their registration expiry time. 1. The client is using various Internet services.
  • the Registration Device Driver executes its purge function (NOTE: this happens on a configurable periodic schedule).
  • the purge function determines that the client's registration expiry time is less than the current time. 4. The purge function sets the entry to unregistered and calculates the entry expiry time (NOTE: the actual behavior depends on the expiry mode).
  • the Packet Filters allow any established connections to remain open.
  • Scenario An unregistered client has reached their entry expiry time, and they are inactive.
  • the client has disconnected from the network or otherwise become idle. 2.
  • the Registration Device Driver executes its purge function.
  • the purge function determines that the client's entry expiry time (calculated as - the last used time plus the inactivity grace period) is less than the current time.
  • Fig.15 shows an example of the VBN server according to the first embodiment.
  • the VBN Server 1000 comprises Packet Driver 1003,Registration Device Driver 1004, Registration WEB Server 1014 and Solsnmpd 1018.
  • the Packet Driver 1003 includes the functions of the Packet Drivers 303 and 903.
  • the Registration Device Driver 1004 includes the functions of the Registration Device Drivers 304 and 904.
  • the Registration WEB Server 1014 includes the functions of the the Registration WEB Servers 314 and 914.
  • the Solsnmpd 1018 includes the functions of the Solsnmpd of the SolutionlP Server 202 and the Solsnmpd 905.
  • IPFW Input Rules 1005, IPWF Forwarding Rules 1006, ARP 1007, Exterior Interface 1008,TCP/IP Socket Interface 1011, DNS 1012, POP3 1013, Soln Daemon 1015, DHCP 1016 and Command Line Interface 1017 are similar to Interior interface 302, IPFW Input Rules 305, IPWF Forwarding Rules 306, ARP 307,
  • Exterior Interface 308 TCP/IP Socket Interface 311,DNS 312, POP3 313, SolnDemon 315, DHCP 316 and Command Line Interface 317 respectively.
  • Client(Hotel guest) 301 is connected to the Interior interface 1002 via the core-leaf switches.
  • user-to-server security is automatically provided using VLANs whose management is automated by the server.
  • the server facilitates user initiated group collaboration by placing users requesting the service in the same VLAN. Additionally, the limit on the number of VLANs can be extended through creative use of the filtering policies on the switching infrastructure. Further, user-to-server security is provided by placing each individual user into separate VLANs whose management is automated by the server.
  • the server facilitates user initiated group collaboration by placing users requesting the service in the same VLAN. Additionally, the limit on the number of VLANs can be extended through creative use of the filtering policies on the switching infrastructure. Further, user-to-server security is provided by placing each individual user into separate
  • VLANs The server's automation and management of VLAN creation deletion facilitate this process, which allows user to control groupings of users into common VLANs (i.e. group collaboration). Further, the filtering policies implemented on the switches allow users to utilize a broad range of VLANs.
  • the main features of the on-demand routable IP address service comprise: • control of IP assignment by the VBN Server or the SolutionlP Server described above such that it can dynamically reassign IP addresses on demand.
  • ReallP A preferred embodiment of the second aspect of the invention will be referred herein as ReallP.
  • ReallP is an Internet Protocol(IP) address allocation technology that enables a Dynamic Host Configuration (DHCP) Server to allocate both routable and non- routable IP addresses, initiated by the end-user.
  • IP Internet Protocol
  • DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration
  • IP addresses are utilized by devices communicating with the TCP/IP protocol(the communication protocol of the Internet) to determine the routing of network traffic to and from clients.
  • TCP/IP protocol the communication protocol of the Internet
  • network clients are configured either with a static IP address or to request the allocation of an IP address from a DHCP server.
  • a client configured for DHCP When a client configured for DHCP is initially connected to a TCP/IP network, it issues a broadcast message requesting an IP address. Typically, the DHCP server will respond with an IP address allocated form a pool of addresses that it maintains. The DHCP server can maintain pools of both routable and non-routable addresses.
  • Routable and non-routable addresses differ fundamentally in that devices with non- routable addresses must initiate any communication. Devices with routable addresses may be contacted by other devices without first initiating the communication flow. The difference is of interest in the user of Visitor Based Networks (VBNs).
  • VBNs Visitor Based Networks
  • a VBN is one in which clients connect for temporary access to network for Internet services.
  • a common implementation of a VBN is a hotel service in which guests may connect to a hotel gateway server for Internet access. Since the number of available routable IP addresses in this situation is typically smaller that the number of connections available to guests, a pool of non-routable IP addresses is generally utilized by the VBN DHCP server. However , this practice limits the capabilities that a guest has available from such a VBN connection. For example, a common use of digital communications is NetMeeting(trade-mark), in which a number of participants may interact electronically through a NefMeeting server hosted by one of the participants. Without a routable IP address, the hotel guest is unable to host such a meeting for others who are participating via the Internet.
  • the ReallP system of the second embodiment allows a network client to request either a routable or non-routable IP address depending on the client need.
  • the ReallP service executes on a variety of operating systems.
  • the preferred embodiment is based on a Linux operating system.
  • the ReallP system comprises; 1. Common gateway Interface (CGI) component accessed via Hypertext Markup (HTI)
  • CGI Common gateway Interface
  • HTML Hyper Language
  • Fig.16 shows the breakdown of the core components and their interactions of the VBN Server (ReallP) 1100 according to the second embodiment.
  • the VBN Server 1100 comprises Registration Device Driver 1102, Registration WEB Server 1104 and DHCP Server 1106 .
  • the Registration Device Driver 1102 is incorporated into the VBN Operating System (OS) Kernel.
  • the Registration Device Driverl 102 is a pseudo driver in that it is not actually associated with any physical device.
  • the Registration Device Driver 1102 maintains the pool of IP addresses rather than the
  • the Registration Device Driver 1102 maintains both a pool of routable addresses 1108 and a pool of non-routable addresses 1110.
  • the Registration Device Driver 1102 also maintains the driver state information including a range type that is used to indicate what ranges are routable and non- routable(Premium/RealIP or Standard)
  • the reassignment of user IP addresses from routable to non-routable and visa- versa is properly handled.
  • the Registration WEB Server 1104 is a WEB Server that serves local content for the VBN Server 1100. This includes the Registration WEB pages, the administration WEB pages and Configuration WEB pages.
  • the Registration WEB pages serves as a client's gateway to the services provided by the VBN Server 1100.
  • the registration pages offers the clients the opportunity to access ReallP.
  • the DHCP Server 1106 issues the request command to the Registration Device Driver 1102 according to the user' s request.
  • the Registration Device Driver 1102 will assign the address based on the request command.
  • the DHCP server 1106 When the DHCP server 1106 is contacted upon client connection (step s61 ), the DHCP server 1106 requests a non-routable IP address to the Registration Device Driver 1102 (step s62).By receiving the request for a non-routable IP address, the Registration Device Driver 1102 assigns a non-routable IP address from the pool of non-routable addresses 1110 (step s63). The DHCP server 1106 receives the non-routable IP address from the Registration Device Driver 1102. Therefore, the non-routable address is assigned to the client.
  • the client may interactively request the use of a routable IP address through HTML pages (Registration page 1112) which reside on the VBN server 1100 (step s64).
  • HTML pages Registration page 1112
  • the CGI components 1114 that underlie the functionality of the HTML pages accepts the request for a routable IP address(step s65)
  • the CGI components 1114 communicate the request to the Registration Device Driver 1102.
  • the Registration Device Driver 1102 records registration(step s66).
  • the Registration Device Driver 1102 responds with an address allocated from the pool of routable addresses 1108 (step s69), and releases the temporary non-routable IP address previously assigned.
  • the DHCP server 1106 receives the routable IP address from the Registration Device Driver 1102. The routable address is assigned to the client.
  • both routable and non-routable addresses may be assigned on request.
  • Fig.17 shows a process for registration for routable IP service according to the second embodiment.
  • Registration Device Driver 1202 and VBN Web Server 1204 in Fig. 17 correspond to the Registration Device Driver 1102 and the Registration WEB Server 1104 in Fig.16 respectively.
  • Switch Commander 1206 corresponds to the Switch Commander 917 in Fig.3.
  • Step s71 The Client/Browser 915 sends data including room number, registration type(Routable IP Service) to the VBN Web Server 1204.
  • Step s72 The VBN Web Server 1204 passes data to the Registration Device
  • Step s73 The Registration Device Driver 1202 will send two command requests to the Switch Commander 1206. The first command will create a unique Routable-IP VLAN. The second will add the user's port to the
  • Step s74 For each command completion, the Switch Commander 1206 will report command status to the Registration Device Driver 1202. Step s75: If the commands are successful, the Registration Device Driver 1202 will register the user by assigning a routable IP address and sending the port, IP address and registration type to the IP Billing database 1208. Step s76: Registration status is returned to the VBN Web Server 1204.
  • ReallP may also execute on UNIX type operation systems.
  • ReallP 1100 can allow users to change their IP addresses from routable to non-routable.
  • the ReallP is the capability of allowing users to change their IP addresses from one pool of addresses to a different pool of addresses, specifically from non- routable(Standard Internet) to routable (Premium Internet) and visa- versa.
  • the ReallP Server further extends the ReallP concept to allow pools of routable addresses to be maintained on one or more remote servers which may or may not make those same pools available to other VBN Servers (or the SolutionlP Servers).
  • the process of accessing these remote pools of addresses and establishing an IP tunnel involves the VBN Server connecting to the ReallP Server.
  • the VBN Server When a client registers for RealP on the VBN Server connecting to the ReallP Server, the VBN Server requests a ReallP from the ReallP Server. The VBN Server asks for an IP address which it then offers to its client as if the address were available locally.
  • Traffic from the client will be routed through the tunnel to the ReallP Server that supplied the address.
  • the Traffic to the client will be routed the ReallP Server, and thence through the IP tunnel to the VBN Server and on to the client.
  • Fig. 18 shows an example of a combination with ReallP Server and VBN Server according to the second embodiment.
  • clients Cl and C4 are normal clients.
  • the Clients Cl and C4 connect through their VBN Server to the Internet 1302.
  • the client C4 wants a routable IP address.
  • VBN Server 1304A does not have a routable address pool or it has run out of routable addresses.
  • ReallP Server 1300 has an address available.
  • the VBN Server 1304A connects to the ReallP Server 1300 via the Internet 1302 and requests a address.
  • the ReallP Server 1300 returns a routable address to the VBN Server 1304A based on the request from the VBN Server 1304A. 3.
  • the VBN Server 1304A then provides the routable IP address to the client C4. As far as the client is concerned, the routable IP address is locally provided. At this point, traffic from the client can be sent directly to the Internet 1302 and traffic to the client will go to the ReallP Server 1300 through the tunnel to the VBN Server 1304 A and then to the client C4.
  • VBN Server 1304B accesses the Internet 1302 via
  • ISP Internet Service Provider
  • client's network address is processed by the Network Address Translation(NAT).
  • NAT Network Address Translation
  • the VBN Server 1304B can provide routable IP addresses to it's clients.
  • client C2 accesses the Internet 1302 via ISP 1306 and client C3 accesses the Internet 1302 directly.
  • a further extension to this invention is to provide software to the clients C2 and C3 that will allow them communicate directly with the ReallP Server 1300 and make use of ReallPs supplied by the ReallP Server 1300 directly. In this case, the client would always route outgoing traffic through the tunnel, as it could not be sure that the client is not behind NAT process of ISP 1306 .
  • FIG. 19-23 A system according to a third embodiment is described with reference to Figs.19-23.
  • "Q","U”,and “ VLID” designate 802.1Q tagged, untagged and VLAN ID, respectively.
  • the system of the third embodiment encompasses both ReallP and
  • Fig. 19 shows the core components of the system according to the third embodiment.
  • the core switch SO connects to the VBN Server 930 via internal port 933 and leaf switches S1-S4.
  • the leaf switches connect the room ports to the core switch SO.
  • the VBN Server 930 connects to the Router 934 via external port 935.
  • the VBN Server 930 comprises ;
  • Registration Driver which tracks client registration and VLANs defined on the switches
  • Packet Driver which processes packets leaving the client LAN by removing VLAN tag ( convert 802.1Q to standard format ) and processes packets entering the VLAN by tagging packets ( convert standard format to 802.1 Q);
  • DHCP Server which is customized to return IP addresses from routable and non-routable pools assigned by the Registration Device Driver;
  • IPWF wliich redirects non-registered clients to Registration Server 931 and provides IP masquerading for Standard Internet Service clients;
  • ARP Server which is customized for clients with static IP configuration. The server returns the hardware address of it's internal port regardless of the gateway IP specified by the client.
  • Solsnmpd which issues SNMP commands to the switches to return the status and configure VLANs.
  • the Registration Server 931 comprises;
  • Registration component which provides a HTML pages to register/unregister for Standard Internet and Premium Internet as well as provide Group Access services ;
  • Virtual Concierge component which provides information relevant to the hotel and local community (e.g. hotel services, restaurants, museums, theaters, etc.).
  • IP Billing database 932 records services registrations and provides/contains the applicable usages fees from the Billing Software.
  • the core switch SO forwards or filters traffic based on the VLID specified in the Q-Tag inserted in the Ethernet frame.
  • Standard Internet Service is provided when clients have non-routable IP addresses.
  • Premium Internet Service is provided when clients have routable IP addresses.
  • ReallP enables users to switch their addresses between non-routable and routable.
  • IVLAN enhances ReallP, by putting clients registered for Internet access into private VLANs ,whether their addresses are routable or non-routable so their traffic to the server is protected from other client's traffic.
  • the core switch SO with the filtering capabilities enables their traffic to be protected.
  • Figs. 20-23 show various user scenarios possible using the architecture shown in Fig.19.
  • the scenarios are illustrated using a client with a dynamic TCP/IP configuration (that is , it uses DHCP) .
  • the Standard Internet Service and the various Group scenarios can also be used by a static client.
  • the only difference in the scenario steps for DHCP and fixed clients are the following 3 steps. For the static client these steps would be as follows;
  • the client plugs in.
  • the client broadcasts an ARP request to discover the hardware(i.e. MAC) address of it's configured default gateway.
  • the VBN Server 930 detects the client traffic and assigns an IP address from a pool of standard non-routable IP address. This assignment is recorded in an operating system kernel registration structure that also tracks such information as the client's MAC, room number and original IP address. 3.
  • the server responds with it's internal port hardware address regardless of the IP specified.
  • Standard Internet Service is a basic form of Internet access which will be provided to users for basic web surfing and the collection of remote e-mail.
  • Fig.20 depicts a scenario where the user connected to switch S 1 ,Port 2, registers for Standard Internet
  • the client plugs in to leaf switch S 1 ,port 2.
  • the client software sends a DHCP request to the VBN Server 930.
  • the VBN Server 930 detects the client traffic and assigns an IP address from a pool of non-routable IP addresses. This assignment is recorded in an operating system kernel registration structure that also tracks the client's MAC, room number and original IP address.
  • the DHCP Server of the VBN Server 930 returns the assigned IP address to the client.
  • the client opens a Web browser and is redirected to the Registration page by a firewall rule installed on the VBN Server 930. The user selects "Standard Internet Service”.
  • the Registration Driver of the VBN Server 930 assigns the client to the next available Internet service VLAN ID. For this scenario, the client is assigned to "VLAN 3" with VLID3. • The registration process creates "VLAN3" on SI and adds the user' sport(2) to the definition as untagged. To communicate with the core switch SO, downlink port (26) of the leaf switch SI is added to the VLAN as 802.1Q tagged.
  • VLAN3 To communicate with the VBN Server 930, " VLAN3" is created on the core switch SO. " VLAN3" member ports include 3(uplink to the leaf switch) and 2(downlink to the VBN Server 930). Both ports are specified as 802.1 Q tagged.
  • Standard Internet users will always have their IP address masqueraded to the IP address of the SolutionlP Server's gateway( i.e. X.X.X.X). If there is another client in a VLAN with VLID 3 defined on switch S4, the clients( SI and S4) are mutually exclusive by forwarding rules specified in a packet filter installed on the core switch. This prevents their clients from seeing each other's network traffic, and is the mechanism used to overcome the VLAN limitations of the switches.
  • an Internet VLAN is a VLAN group with only one member for the purposes of providing client security.
  • a range of VLAN IDs are selected for use exclusively for Internet VLANs. This range is used in configuring the core switch so Internet VLAN IDs can be re-used on multiple leaf switches without allowing clients in the same VLAN to communicate.
  • Fig.21 shows a scenario where the user connected to switch S4,Port 1, registers for Premium Internet Service.
  • VLAN ID3(VLID 3).
  • a new client plugs in to the leaf switch S4 , port 1.
  • the client software send a DHCP request to the VBN Server 930.
  • the VBN Server 930 detects the client traffic and assigns an IP address from a pool of non-routable IP addresses. This assignment is recorded in an operating system kernel registration structure that also tracks the client' s MAC, room number and original IP address. 5.
  • the DHCP Server of the VBN Server 930 returns the assigned IP address to the client. 6.
  • the client opens a Web browser and is redirected to the Registration page by a firewall rule installed on the VBN Server 930. The user selects "Premium
  • the client is assigned a routable IP address.
  • the client' s registration record is modified by replacing the currently assigned IP with the routable IP address.
  • the Registration Driver of the VBN Server 930 assigns the client to the next available Internet service VLAN ID.
  • the client is assigned to "VLAN 4" with VLID4.
  • VLAN4 On the leaf switch S4 and adds the user's port(l) to the definition as untagged.
  • downlink port (26) of the leaf switch S4 is added to the VLAN as 802.1Q tagged.
  • VLAN4 is created on the core switch SO.
  • VLAN4 member ports include 8(uplink to the leaf switch) and 2(downlinkto the VBN Server 930). Both ports are specified as 802.1 Q tagged.
  • the Registration Driver of the VBN Server 930 records the necessary VLAN information including the configuration of the switches.
  • the user can access the Internet 936 and external users can route directly to the client PC.
  • VLID 3 Two clients are registered with VLID 3. One is defined on switch SI and the other on switch S4. The traffic for these 2 clients , SI and S4, maintains mutual exclusivity by forwarding rules specified in a packet filter installed on the core switch SO. This prevents these clients from seeing each other's network traffic.
  • Fig.22 shows a scenario where the user connected to leaf switch SI, port 2,creates a VLAN group. Throughout this scenario this user is referred to as the group administrator.
  • the client plugs into leaf switch S 1 ,port 2.
  • the client software sends a DHCP request to the VBN Server 930.
  • the VBN Server 930 detects the client traffic and assigns an IP address from a pool of standard non-routable IP addresses. This assignment is recorded in an operating system kernel registration structure that also tracks the client's MAC, room number and original IP address.
  • the DHCP Server of the VBN Server 930 returns the assigned IP address to the client. 4.
  • the client opens a Web browser and is redirected to the Registration page by a firewall rule installed on the VBN Server 930.
  • the user selects "Group Service Administration”.
  • To create the group the client selects "Create Group” function and provides the following information: group name, administration password, and group access password.
  • group name the name of the group administrator.
  • the administrator is assigned a non-routable IP address.
  • the Registration Driver of the VBN Server 930 binds the specified VLAN name to the next available Group Service VLAN ID.
  • the group "VLAN 500" is assigned VLID 500.
  • VLAN 500 On SI and adds the administrator' s port(2) to the definition as untagged.
  • downlink port (26) of the leaf switch S2 is added to the VLAN as 802.1Q tagged.
  • VLAN 500 is created on the core switch SO.
  • Port 6 ( uplink to leaf switch SI) and the port that the VBN Server is connected to are defined as the only member ports.
  • SCENARIO OF VLAN GROUP SERVICE REGISTRATION Fig.23 shows a scenario where the user connected to leaf switch S2, port 5, registers for VLAN Group Service. It is assumed that the group "VLAN 500" has been created and a user connected to leaf switch SI, port 9, has already joined as a "VLAN 500" member.
  • the client plugs in to leaf switch S2 ,port5.
  • the client software sends a DHCP request to the VBN Server 930.
  • the VBN Server 930 detects the client traffic and assigns an IP address from a pool of standard non-routable IP addresses. This assignment is recorded in an operating system kernel registration structure that also tracks the client's MAC, room number and original IP address.
  • the DHCP Server of the VBN Server 930 returns the assigned IP address to the client.
  • the client opens a Web browser and is redirected to the Registration page by a firewall rule installed on the VBN Server 930.
  • the user selects "Group Access Service” and specifies the group name and required access password.
  • Registration for Group Access Service results in the following: • The client is assigned a non-routable IP address.
  • the Registration Driver of the VBN Server 930 assigns the client to the appropriate Group Service based on the group name specified. For this scenario, the client is assigned to VLID500 which corresponds with the group "VLAN500”. • The registration process creates "VLAN 500" on the leaf switch S2 and adds the user's port(5) to the definition as untagged. To communicate with the core switch SO, downlink port(26) of the leaf switch S2 is added to the VLAN as
  • the uplink port(6) com ecting leaf switch S2 is added to the "VLAN500" definition on the core switch SO.
  • the Registration Driver of the VBN Server 930 records the necessary VLAN information. 6.
  • Group VLAN removes the VLAN definition from all user leaf switches; e) remove the uplink and downlink ports on the core builder from the Group VLAN; f) remove the Group VLAN definition from the core switch; and g) return the Group VLAN ID associated with the group back to the pool of available Group VLAN IDs.
  • IVLAN may execute on a variety of operating systems( UNIX, Linux ,etc).

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Computing Systems (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un serveur et un procédé destinés à fournir un service spécifique à des utilisateurs de réseau. Ce serveur et ce procédé fournissent automatiquement une sécurité d'utilisateur à serveur à l'aide de réseaux locaux virtuels (RLV). Ce serveur permet de gérer un réseau local virtuel sur la base d'une requête formulée par un utilisateur voulant créer/supprimer/rejoindre/quitter des réseaux locaux virtuels. Ce serveur permet à l'utilisateur de commander des ensembles et de franchir les limites du RLV à l'aide des politiques de filtrage sur l'infrastructure de commutation. Dans le deuxième aspect de l'invention, ce serveur et ce procédé fournissent une adresse spécifique sur la base des requêtes des utilisateurs. Ce serveur prend en charge dynamiquement la gestion et la facilitation des requêtes. Ce serveur offre aux utilisateurs une réaffectation des adresses IP à partir d'un premier ensemble de caractéristiques à un second ensemble de caractéristiques avec intervention minimale de l'utilisateur. Cela permet aux utilisateurs d'utiliser un plus grand nombre de protocoles. Dans le troisième aspect de l'invention, ce serveur et ce procédé sont conçus pour fournir une adresse IP routable à un ordinateur à distance. Ce serveur permet de maintenir des groupes d'adresses routables sur un ou plusieurs serveurs à distance. Ce serveur permet de remédier à une pénurie des adresses IP routables.
PCT/CA2001/000675 2000-05-12 2001-05-14 Serveur et procede destines a fournir des services de reseau specifiques WO2001086906A2 (fr)

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AU2001258123A AU2001258123A1 (en) 2000-05-12 2001-05-14 Server and method for providing specific network services
CA2408631A CA2408631C (fr) 2000-05-12 2001-05-14 Serveur et procede destines a fournir des services de reseau specifiques

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CA2,308,261 2000-05-12
CA002308261A CA2308261A1 (fr) 2000-05-12 2000-05-12 Systeme de mise en application de reseau local virtuel et service d'adresses ip routables sur demande

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WO2004002079A1 (fr) * 2002-06-19 2003-12-31 Nortel Networks Limited Héritage de vlan
GB2412554B (en) * 2004-03-23 2007-04-11 Hewlett Packard Development Co Pre-configured topology with connection management
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WO2006133383A3 (fr) * 2005-06-07 2007-11-01 Extreme Networks Inc Procedes, systemes et progiciels pour port de dispositifs d'acces dynamique au reseau, et configuration de terminal utilisateur pour la mise en oeuvre de politiques a base de dispositifs et d'utilisateurs
US8751649B2 (en) 2005-06-07 2014-06-10 Extreme Networks Port management system
WO2006133383A2 (fr) * 2005-06-07 2006-12-14 Extreme Networks, Inc. Procedes, systemes et progiciels pour port de dispositifs d'acces dynamique au reseau, et configuration de terminal utilisateur pour la mise en oeuvre de politiques a base de dispositifs et d'utilisateurs
US8279874B1 (en) 2007-03-30 2012-10-02 Extreme Networks, Inc. Self-configuring network
US10320626B1 (en) 2016-04-07 2019-06-11 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Application discovery and dependency mapping
US10812346B1 (en) 2016-04-07 2020-10-20 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Application discovery and dependency mapping
EP3402171A1 (fr) * 2017-05-10 2018-11-14 Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. Système informatique de ligne de fabrication et son procédé de configuration de réseau
US11063901B2 (en) 2017-05-10 2021-07-13 Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. Manufacturing line computer system and network setup method of the same
US11310196B2 (en) 2017-05-10 2022-04-19 Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. Manufacturing line computer system and network setup method of the same
CN113824809A (zh) * 2021-07-14 2021-12-21 中国人民解放军63626部队 一种应用于航天发射场的ip资源信息管理系统及方法

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