WO2016055682A1

WO2016055682A1 - Device and system for the recovery of communication equipment

Info

Publication number: WO2016055682A1
Application number: PCT/ES2015/070729
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tomás de Jesús MATEO SANGUINO; Juan Diego MORILLO REINA
Original assignee: Universidad De Huelva
Priority date: 2014-10-10
Filing date: 2015-10-08
Publication date: 2016-04-14
Also published as: ES2569414A1; ES2569414B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for the recovery of equipment connected to communication equipment, and to a system comprising said device (1). The invention comprises at least the following hardware elements: a portable control unit (11); a network adapter (13) configured so as to communicate with a router (2) or a switch (3) connected to the equipment of the communication system, and to communicate with a local area network (LAN) (4); and a power source (14) for the device (1). The device according to the invention also has various software elements for the configuration of the hardware elements. The invention provides an accessible means that is easy to handle and can rapidly automate the starting processes, improving the response times of the known manual modes.

Description

DEVICE AND SYSTEM FOR RECOVERY

OF COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is framed in the technical sectors of telecommunications, computer science and electronics. More specifically, the invention relates to portable devices and systems for the automatic recovery of communication equipment, being useful for its application to communications networks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The communication equipment used to provide connectivity to computer communications networks, such as routers or switches, have own blocks of machine instructions, or firmware, which are used to manage the operating functions in the physical layer, in the layer of link and / or in the network layer of the communications model according to the OSI standard (in English, "open system interconnection '). Depending on the equipment where they are integrated, these functions include, among others, the activation of communication ports, tables routing, virtual area network configuration, access control lists, network address translation services or dynamic client configuration services Information related to these functions is usually stored in the form of files located in non-volatile memories which, together with the firmware located in the internal physical storage unit of the equipment, form the s Operating system and the profile that are loaded during the boot operation of said equipment.

Occasionally, the boot system or configuration files are compromised by a malfunction of the equipment. In these cases, most manufacturers provide different manual recovery procedures in these situations, which require professional knowledge about the necessary line commands and connections to be used. These procedures have also been resolved, in the state of the art, by means of various systems-based solutions with functions dedicated to the management of communication equipment. These systems are divided into: 1) software applications and 2) hardware equipment. On the one hand, software applications typically contain a graphical user interface (GUI) to remotely manage communication equipment. The GUI facilitates the management of tasks to the user. While these applications are widely used, they have the disadvantage that They are usually perceived by the user as limiting the control they have over the equipment, due to the lower configuration possibilities with respect to an interface based only on the command line. On the other hand, hardware equipment (also known as console servers) is able to communicate with routers, switches and other devices through the console port. However, such equipment has a great complexity of components, with the disadvantage of its high price.

Within the software applications we can find, among others, the following solutions: a) "Cisco Web Browser User Interface", a web interface supplied by the CISCO manufacturer to manage routers and switches. Available in:

http: //www.cisco.eom/c/en/us/td/docs/ios/12_2/configfun/configuration/guide/ffun_c/fcf005.ht mi. b) "Cisco Connect Express", the first mobile application for remote management of wireless routers. It is compatible with Linksys E-Series and X-Series devices. Available at: http://www.linksys.com/es-eu/mobile/apps. c) "Cisco Connect Cloud", software interface for routers of the Smart WiFi range that allows configuration. Available at: http://www.linksys.com/es-eu/mobile/apps. d) "TeldaGES", a router network management platform that combines auditing, network vision, access to equipment, etc. Like the previous solutions, it only works with equipment from its manufacturer. Available in:

http://www.teldat.com/es/page. php? cnt_id = routers-teldages-management-platform. e) "DeviceExpert", a web interface that centralizes monitoring, administration, configuration, task automation on routers, switches, firewalls, etc. of a network. Unlike the previous solutions, it is not limited to a single manufacturer. It is the most complete system mentioned, but also the least economical. Available at: http://www.manageengine.com/products/device-expert/. Within the hardware equipment we can find, among others, the following solutions: a) "Cisco 2901 Terminal Server", one of the Cisco Terminal Server available from the same manufacturer. b) "IOLAN SCS48 DAC", a device of the Perle manufacturer that allows you to manage different computers through a Telnet or SSH connection. Available at: http://www.perle.com/products/IOLAN-SCS-Terminal-Server.shtml. c) "Raritan Dominion SX", a device that provides access, monitoring and control through the serial port. It is very similar to the previous device and is capable of interacting with different manufacturers such as HP, Dell, Cisco, IBM, etc. Available at: http://www.raritan.com/products/serial-consoles/dominion-sx. d) "Open Gear IM7200", another similar device, although it offers additional functions, such as firewalls, DHCP service, VPN, etc. Available in:

http://opengear.com/products/im7200-infrastructure-manager. e) "Raspisco", a domestic version of the previous devices, which uses a control system, 3G modem, SerialToUSB adapter and console cable for remote administration. On the Internet there are also extensions that use a USB hub and several adapters, which allows you to manage more items with the same computer. Available in:

http: //sysmagazine.eom/posts/192188/http: //networklessons.com/network- management / raspberry-pi-as-cisco-console-server /.

In all the aforementioned cases, and as a consequence of its approach oriented mainly to its handling by expert users, the recovery of the equipment by means of known procedures is difficult for less experienced users. It is, therefore, necessary to develop systems that facilitate the recovery of the equipment through accessible and easy-to-use means, which are also able to automate the start-up process in a quick way, improving the response times of the known manual modes. The present invention is aimed at solving the aforementioned technical problems, by means of a novel portable device for the automatic recovery of communication systems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention thus relates to a means of automatic recovery of communication systems, which allows to overcome the limitations and disadvantages of the means known in the state of the art.

Said object is preferably achieved by means of a portable device based on hardware and software, which can be used to automatically recover communication systems based on routers and switches. Said device has as its main advantage the simplification in tasks of manual recovery of embedded operating systems (firmware) in communications equipment, facilitating the automatic management of the recovery procedure. The need for recovery occurs when a device has a boot error due to, for example, a failure in the operating system (loss of the boot image, corrupted or corrupted Flash memory, change of access password, etc.).

Preferably, the device for recovering equipment of the invention comprises at least the following hardware elements:

- portable control unit;

- network adapter configured to communicate with a router or switch connected to said communication system equipment, and to communicate with a local area network (LAN);

- device power supply;

The device additionally comprises the following software elements for the configuration of the hardware elements:

- operating system of the portable control unit;

- network adapter configuration software, comprising means of communication with a router or switch, and with the local area network (LAN); - Startup script configuration software for one or more of the equipment connected to a communication system.

In order to improve its portability and reduce its dimensions, the portable control unit of the device of the invention preferably comprises a reduced plate computer, for example a fiaspberry Pi type board.

Preferably, the device of the invention also comprises one or more of the following characteristics:

The network adapter comprises a Wi-Fi adapter, a USB2322 adapter and / or a console cable to convert a Serial interface to RJ-45.

The device comprises a storage memory.

The power supply comprises a battery or a connection to the mains. Also, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device comprises connectivity services software based on network communication protocols, database management, or web services. More preferably, the service software comprises TFTP services (in English "trivial file transfer protocol") and FTP ("file transfer protocol"), SGBD (database management systems) and / or Web services, or services for encapsulate a serial connection in a Telnet type connection. Alternatively or in addition, the device comprises a console emulator for accessing connected communication equipment through a secure connection protocol. Preferably, the service software and / or the console emulator comprise a function of making copies and / or recovering copies. The console emulator preferably comprises one or more of the following functions: recover firmware, recover router password, recover switch password. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the device software comprises a web application configured to interact with one or more of the hardware elements of said device. More preferably, the web application follows a pattern of "Model-View-Controlled f, to interact with the hardware elements. Another object of the invention relates to a system for the recovery of communication equipment, comprising:

- a device according to any of the embodiments described herein;

- a local area network (LAN) connected to the device;

- one or more routers and / or switches connected to one or more equipment of the communication system;

- at least one remote terminal (for example, a computer or a mobile device) connected to the local area network (LAN), operable by a user of the system.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, routers and / or switches are connected to the device through a console cable or, alternatively, are connected to the local area network (LAN), through a wired connection.

Unlike the software applications and hardware equipment mentioned, the invention described herein is not intended to offer a graphical user interface (GUI) or perform the functions of a console server. The present device thus focuses on the automatic recovery of router and switch operating systems, which constitutes one of the fundamental differences since there are no devices created So far for that purpose. Another feature that distinguishes the present invention is that it is not only a software or hardware element, but a complete hardware / software device (that is, it combines both capabilities). Another of the most significant singularities is its portability, since the invention is based on a device of reduced dimensions (not recessed) and composed of autonomous battery, which allows to perform any function with total freedom of movement. In addition to comfort, this provides a great improvement in working time, since when working with devices distanced from each other, an additional time is dedicated to turning off, back on and enabling the necessary services to start the procedure of Recovery. As an additional property, the invention seeks universality and independence of the type of device or manufacturer. In addition to this purpose, another differentiated function is the ability to store the firmware of the communication equipment to be recovered (that is, the image of the operating system) through a large capacity internal physical storage unit.

As an additional advantage of the invention, the device allows to act with the equipment in real time, in situ, without having to remember which one corresponds to each access credential or having to make use of several software applications to perform the same functions. If we think about a possible application to teaching, as an example the teacher could prepare an operating system configuration or image for the equipment with which he is going to work, and copy it through the device with minimal steps, thus assuming a considerable saving of weather. In other scenarios, erroneous configuration problems (for example, password not set) could be quickly solved by connecting the device via console cable and starting the recovery procedure. In the professional environment, the device of the invention is an economical solution compared to the devices mentioned in the prior art. With respect to software applications, the device has the advantage of managing equipment from different manufacturers, working with several devices in parallel and using connection via console port. With regard to hardware devices, the device has the advantage of managing equipment from different manufacturers, working with several equipment in parallel, portability and is the only one prepared for an incident recovery that goes beyond the simple restoration of the configuration.

With respect to the invention, the reduced plate-based control unit is not a limiting feature and other different control units with greater processing and memory capacity could be used. That is, what is presented here is an incident recovery system, based on the combination of hardware / software (the form of automate a procedure, which until now was done manually), regardless of the components chosen to implement the prototype.

The main advantages of the present invention over devices of the prior art are cited as a summary:

The device automates the incident recovery processes (usually performed manually) through functions of firmware recovery, password recovery, making and recovering copies of configuration files.

- The device is portable, since it preferably comprises components of reduced dimensions, not recessed, composed of autonomous battery and wireless connection.

The device combines joint hardware / software capabilities, including a processing unit, a large-capacity internal physical storage unit (to house firmware and recovery files) and an application web server to interact with the user.

The device allows the universality and independence of the type of device or manufacturer, since the recovery procedure implemented is replicable. This gives the present invention great adaptability and applicability to the equipment of virtually any manufacturer in the market.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The drawings that accompany this document and that help to better understand the invention are described below, expressly relating to a preferred embodiment thereof, which is presented as a non-limiting example thereof.

FIG. 1 shows the connection of the device of the invention to the router and switch through a console port, when there is no network configuration that allows communication via a Telnet or SSH session. FIG. 2 shows the connection of the device to the router and switch via the local area network (LAN), when there is a network configuration available that allows communication through a Telnet or SSH session. FIG. 3 shows a general scheme of the device of the invention, according to a preferred embodiment thereof, where its main hardware and software elements are indicated.

FIG. 4 represents the way in which the user interacts with the device following the "Model-View-Controller" pattern that separates the data and business logic of an application from the user interface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As described in the preceding paragraphs, the present invention relates to a portable device based on hardware and software (1), which can be used to automatically recover communication equipment (2,3) based on routers (2) and / or switches (3). Preferably, the mode of operation of the device (1) of the invention depends on the state of the communications equipment with which it is to be worked, which is divided into the following assumptions:

Device without Telnet or SSH configuration (FIG. 1). The router (2) or switch (3) cannot communicate through the local area network (or LAN) (4). Therefore, there is no other way to access it other than directly connected through a console cable (5). For specific actions, such as loading an operating system

(firmware) when the device (2,3) is already in monitor mode, the wireless or wired network connection can be used, as explained in FIG. 2.

Equipment configured with Telnet or SSH (FIG. 2). In this case, by having a wired network connection (6), it would not be necessary to carry the device (1). It can also remain connected to power, thus avoiding the continued use of the battery, extending the life of the battery. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the long dashed line may alternatively be a wired or wireless connection. These scenarios show the operating modes of the device (1) within a LAN. However, these modes are not to be understood as limiting, since as the user accesses the equipment (2,3) through a standard browser client, which connects to the device application server (1), its scope could be extended to the wide area network (WAN), for example by using a network address translator (NAT).

Preferably, the device (1) of the invention comprises the following elements (FIG. 3):

^■ Hardware items:

- Control unit (1 1), for example based on a reduced-plate computer of the fiaspberry Pi type.

- Storage memory (12), for example, a physical memory (8, 16 or 32 Gb).

- Network adapter (13) configured to communicate with a router (2) or a switch (3), and with the local area network (LAN) (4). The adapter can be, for example, a Wi-Fi adapter to interact with the devices wirelessly, or a USB-PhyS232 adapter to use the USB port as a serial interface (optionally, with a console cable to convert the serial interface to RJ-

Four. Five).

Power supply (14), for example a 5V DC and 2600 mAh battery or a network connection. ■ Software elements:

- Operating system (15), for example a Linux-based operating system.

- Configuration software (16) of the network adapter (13), configured to communicate with a router (2) or a switch (3), and with the local area network (LAN) (4), for example configuration software of a Wi-Fi adapter.

- Startup script configuration software (17) of one or more electronic devices.

- Services software (18) (for example, TFTP and FTP services (181), DBMS and / or Web services (182), or service to encapsulate a serial connection on a Telnet connection (183)).

- Console emulator (19) to access the equipment through SSH connection.

- Web application (20), for example an application according to the "Model-View-Controller" pattern, to interact with communication equipment (2,3).

The following proceeds to describe, as an example, a preferred set of actions that a user can perform on a communication device, through the device (1) of the invention: Actions available through console service:

- Recover firmware. Occasionally, due to some lack of configuration or any other cause, the Flash memory of the communication device is deleted or corrupted. When it occurs, the computer starts in monitor mode (called ROMMON) when it does not find an image of the operating system that allows the correct startup and its use is not possible. The device automatically restores the corresponding image using a trivial file transfer protocol (TFTP) using an Ethernet cable connected to the first LAN port of the communications equipment. The device (1) configures the environment variables that the recovery process needs, which include the IP address, backup file, default gateway, subnet mask and TFTP server.

Recover router password. This action is used when a router (2) is assigned a password that for some reason is not known. Communication equipment provides manual emergency recovery mechanisms so that, in case of problem, the system can be restored. Usually, this action requires you to turn off the device manually, then turn it on and immediately start the recovery process from a keyboard. This procedure may vary from one device to another, although the generic case for equipment of the manufacturer CISCO is detailed. This procedure has been automated by means of the device (1) through a script (script) that forces the equipment to enter monitor mode by sending a break command during startup. Once booted, the device (1) changes the value of the device configuration register to ignore the non-volatile RAM (NVRAM) content. Subsequently, the device (1) restarts the device with the new value, passes the startup configuration (startup-config) to the running configuration (running-config) and assigns a default password. Subsequently, the device (1) copies the running configuration to the startup configuration and restores the configuration record to the initial value. Finally, the device (1) restarts the communication device with the configured password that allows access to the system.

Recover switch password (3). The difference from the previous action is that, before starting the recovery process, the equipment must be established in the proper way. This procedure may vary from one device to another, although the generic case for equipment of the manufacturer CISCO is detailed. To do this, switch off the switch manually, turn on and press the "MODE" button during a few seconds after the "SYST" indicator goes out, after which the device is ready to start the automatic procedure.

^■ Actions available through Telnet or SSH service and a configured IP address:

- Make a copy. This backup action saves backup copies in the physical memory (12) of the device's internal storage (1). The copies consist of startup configuration files (startup-config), running configuration (running-config), virtual local area network configuration (VLAN.DAT) or full Flash memory.

- Restore copy. This fault recovery action performs the opposite function to that described above, providing the name of the saved file.

FIG. 4 shows the Model-View-Controller pattern implemented in the device to interact with the communication equipment. The model is the part that refers to the data handled by the device, its business logic and its persistence mechanisms. The view has the function of representing the model data so that it is displayed in a format suitable for interacting with it (access the model but its state never changes). The controller is the intermediary between the model and the view, manages user requests and responds with the requested information.

Based on the model described, the web client (view) performs the user interface functions and its function is to represent the data exchanged between the device and the connected communication equipment. The device contains a web server (controller) whose information is sent to the user in a specific format that is practical for use. The controller is the maximum responsible for starting, maintaining and terminating the session with the connected equipment (router or switch). The communication of the session is produced by different wired media as performed by console or Telnet / SSH, although functionally it produces the same result for the user. Its task is to receive the commands that the user sends and update the session information. The information is updated as requests are sent from the view to the connected equipment (2,3) through the controller and session commands from the connected equipment (2,3) to the view through the controller. When the user makes a request, the controller creates a Telnet / SSH Console client through a thread to initiate a described recovery procedure.

The web interface (20) that users use to perform the procedures of Recovery in communication equipment has been designed following the Model-View-Controller pattern, whose function is to represent the model data so that it is displayed in the most appropriate format to interact with it.

Claims

1.- Device (1) for the recovery of communication equipment (2,3), characterized in that it comprises at least the following hardware elements:

- portable control unit (1 1);

- network adapter (13) configured to communicate with a router (2) or a switch (3), and to communicate with a local area network (LAN) (4);

- power supply (14) of the device (1);

and being, additionally, characterized in that it comprises the following software elements for the configuration of the hardware elements:

- operating system (15) of the portable control unit (1 1);

- configuration software (16) of the network adapter (13), comprising means of communication with a router (2) or a switch (3), and with the local area network (LAN) (4);

- Startup script configuration software (17) of one or more of the communication equipment (2,3).

2. - Device (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the portable control unit (1 1) comprises a reduced plate computer.

3. - Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the network adapter (13) comprises a Wi-Fi adapter, a USBtoRS232 adapter and / or a console cable to convert a Serial interface to RJ-45.

4. Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a storage memory (12).

5. - Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the power supply (14) comprises a battery or a connection to the mains.

6. - Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a connectivity services software (18) based on network communication protocols, database management, or web services.

7. Device (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the services software (18) comprises TFTP and FTP services (181), DBMS (182) and / or Web services, or services to encapsulate a serial connection in a Telnet connection (183).

8. - Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a console emulator (19) for accessing those connected to a communication system through a secure connection protocol.

9. - Device according to any of claims 7-8, wherein the service software (18) and / or console emulator (19) comprises a function of making copies and / or recovering copies.

10. Device (1) according to any of claims 8-9, wherein the console emulator (19) comprises one or more of the following functions: recover firmware, recover router password (2), recover switch password (3 ).

11. - Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a web application (20) configured to interact with one or more of the hardware elements of the device (1).

12. - Device (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the web application (20) follows a Model-View-Controller type pattern to interact with the hardware elements of the device (1).

13. - System for the recovery of communication equipment (2,3), which includes:

- a device (1) according to any of the preceding claims;

- a local area network (LAN) (4) connected to the device (1);

- one or more routers (2) and / or switches (3);

- at least one remote terminal connected to the local area network (LAN) (4), operable by a user of the system.

14. System according to the preceding claim, wherein the routers (2) and / or switches (3) are connected to the device (1) through a console cable (5).

15. System according to claim 1, wherein the routers (2) and / or switches (3) are connected to the local area network (LAN) (4) through a wired connection (6).