Methods and systems for time-based application domain classification and mapping

• US 10,097,404 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2015
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cloudgenix, Inc. (Palo Alto Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yadav, Navneet, Ramasamy, Arivu, Valentini, Giorgio
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Kyung H
• Application Number:
  US14/856,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20160080225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 709224, 709235, 709221, 709225, 718104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/18 for evaluating statistical data , e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/14 Network analysis or design
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/125 : based on throughput or bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 : Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 : using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 : Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 : Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 : Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 : by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/22 : Traffic shaping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 : Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 : by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/781 : Centralised allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/825 : Involving tunnels, e.g. MPLS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 : Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 : using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 : using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 : for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 : Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 : for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 : Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks

Abstract

A method includes detecting at a device on a network an application having an anchor domain, marking the application with a traffic source having an entry point domain that accessed the application and a time of detection and designating network flows from the traffic source within a predetermined time from the time of detection as belonging to the application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a configurable device on a network, an application on the network having an anchor domain;

marking, by the configurable device, any traffic source that accesses the application via the anchor domain, and identifying a corresponding time of application access by each marked traffic source;

monitoring, by the configurable device, for each marked traffic source, network flows from that traffic source; and

designating, by the configurable device, for each marked traffic source, those network flows from that traffic source that occur within a predetermined time period from the identified corresponding time of application access by that traffic source as belonging to the application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising modeling, by a multi-tenant controller, application sessions of the application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising predicting, by a multi-tenant controller, bandwidth requirements of the application.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing, by a multi-tenant controller, anomalous session identification, quarantine, and restriction.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing, by a multi-tenant controller, traffic flow information with respect to the application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the analyzing of traffic flow information with respect to the application is performed on a per session basis.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network flows are encrypted.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises connectivity selected from a group including hybrid, physical, and logical.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a policy string defines a business policy that applies to the network flows.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the policy string comprises a policy string format.

11. A networked branch device configured to:

detect an application having an anchor domain on a network;

mark, via a processor having a memory storing instructions for performing actions, any traffic source that accesses the application via the anchor domain of the application, and identify a corresponding time of application access by that marked traffic source;

monitor network flows from each marked traffic source;

designate those network flows from the any marked traffic source that occur within a predetermined time period from the identified corresponding time of application access by the marked traffic source as belonging to the application.

12. The networked branch device of claim 11, further configured to model application sessions.

13. The networked branch device of claim 11, further configured to predict bandwidth requirements.

14. The networked branch device of claim 11, further configured to perform anomalous session identification, quarantine, and restriction.

15. The networked branch device of claim 11, further configured to perform application analysis.

16. The networked branch device of claim 15, wherein the application analysis is performed on a per session basis.

17. The networked branch device of claim 11, wherein the network flows are encrypted.

18. The networked branch device of claim 11, wherein the network comprises connectivity selected from a group including hybrid, physical, and logical.

19. The networked branch device of claim 11, wherein a policy string defines a business policy for application to the network flows.

20. The networked branch device of claim 19, wherein the policy string comprises a policy string format.