System and method for extending cloud services into the customer premise

• US 10,623,245 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2017
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snowflake, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Narasimhan, Vineeth, Lambert, Joshua, Herchek, Thomas, Hope, Ryan Elliot, Jha, Nitish, Jain, Rahul, Singh, Sumeet
• Primary Examiner(s): Naji, Younes
• Application Number:
  US15/785,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20180054356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/06 using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5088 involving task migration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/825 Involving tunnels, e.g. MPLS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A cloud extension agent can be provided on a customer premise for interfacing, via an outbound secure connection, cloud based services. The cloud extension agent can reach the cloud based services through existing firewall infrastructure, thereby providing simple, secure deployment. Furthermore, the secure connection can enable substantially real-time communication with a cloud service to provide web-based, substantially real time control or management of resources on the customer premises via the cloud extension agent.

Claims

1. A method for providing network management services comprising:

providing a software-based extension agent that facilitates internet-based management of local computing resources by one or more computers that are part of a local network, the local network being separated from the Internet by at least one firewall, the at least one firewall operating independently of the software-based extension agent,

wherein the software-based extension agent is configured to;

initiate a secure network connection to a remote data center, outbound through the firewall over the Internet using a standard Internet protocol,

gather predetermined status information, from one or more local servers on the local network regarding a plurality of devices that access the one or more local servers,

report the predetermined status information to the remote data center via the secure network connection,

receive, from the remote data center via the secure network connection, a set of instructions created by the remote data center pertaining to management of the one or more local servers, and

make changes to configuration of the one or more local servers in response to the set of instructions, the changes updating rules managing the plurality of devices that access the one or more local servers;

providing to an administrator, by the remote data center, a web-based portal that allows the administrator to request configuration changes to the one or more local servers and to select type of status information that defines the predetermined status information; and

creating, by the remote data center, in response to configuration changes initiated via the web-based portal, the set of instructions to be sent to the software-based agent via the secure network connection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, at the remote data center, a device management database that comprises a repository of the predetermined status information received from the software-based extension agent.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the set of instructions to the software-based extension agent in real time in response to the configuration changes initiated via the web-based portal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of sending the set of instructions further comprises sending the set of instructions using an XMPP protocol over the secure network connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the web-based portal comprises a dashboard that allows the administrator to view status information pertaining to the software-based extension agent and the one or more local servers in real-time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the web-based portal allows the administrator to define alerts pertaining to status information relating to the software-based extension agent and the one or more local servers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the web-based portal allows an administrator to remotely diagnose problems with one of the software-based extension agent and the one or more local servers, via the Internet.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the web-based portal allows an administrator to remotely upgrade the software-based extension agent via the Internet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the software-based extension agent checks in with a heartbeat server periodically to determine if any updates from the remote data center are waiting.

10. A method for extending services into a customer premise comprising:

providing a software-based extension agent that executes on a computer that is part of a local network, the local network being separated from the Internet by at least one firewall that operates independently of the software-based extension agent,

wherein the software-based extension agent is configured to;

initiate a secure connection to a remote data-center over the Internet, outbound through the at least one firewall, using a standard internet protocol,

gather predetermined status information from one or more local servers on the local network regarding a plurality of devices that access the one or more local servers, report, via the secure connection, the predetermined status information,

receive, via the secure connection, a set of instructions created at the remote data center for configuration of the one or more local servers on the local network, and

change the configuration of the one or more local servers in response to the first set of instructions via, an application program interface (API) exposed by the one or more local servers, the changes updating rules managing the plurality of devices that access the one or more local servers;

providing to an administrator, as part of the remote data-center, a web-based portal that allows the administrator to request configuration changes to the one or more local computing resources and to select type of status information that defines the predetermined status information; and

creating, by the remote data center, in response to the requested configuration changes initiated via the web-based portal, the set of instructions to be sent to the software-based extension agent via the secure connection.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing, as part of the remote data-center, a device management database that comprises a repository of the predetermined status information received from the software-based extension agent.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising sending the set of instructions to the software-based extension agent in-real time in response to the configuration changes initiated via the web-based portal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of sending the set of instructions comprises sending the instructions using an XMPP protocol over the secure connection.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the web-based portal comprises a dashboard that allows the administrator to view status pertaining to the software-based extension agent and the one or more local computing resources in real-time.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing, via the remote data center, a web-based portal that allows the administrator to define alerts pertaining to status information relating to the software-based extension agent and the one or more local computing resources.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing, via the remote data center, a web-based portal that allows the administrator to remotely diagnose problems with the software-based extension agent and the one or more local resources, via the Internet.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the software-based extension agent checks in with a heartbeat server periodically to determine if any updates from the remote data center are waiting.

18. A method for providing management of corporate computing resources comprising:

providing to an administrator, at one or more remote data centers, a web-based interface for management of policies for a plurality of client devices that access at least one server on a local network, the local network being isolated from the Internet via a firewall;

maintaining, in a database associated with the one or more remote data centers that contains real time status information pertaining to the plurality of client devices;

receiving, over the Internet at the remote data center, the real time status information pertaining to configuration and compliance status of each of the plurality of client devices via a first secure connection initiated by a first software-based extension agent operating on the at least one server, outbound through the firewall using a standard internet protocol; and

in response to policy changes initiated through the web-based interface, creating and sending control instructions over the first secure connection from the one or more remote data centers to the first software-based extension agent;

wherein the first software-based extension agent is configured to execute the control instructions to configure the at least one server on the local network to manage compliance rules for the plurality of client devices accessing the at least one server.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising selectively presenting the status information to the administrator using the web-based interface based on administrator preferences.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving, over the Internet, a second secure connection initiated by a second extension agent using the standard internet protocol, wherein the second extension agent executes on a server within the local network and is available in the event of failure of the first software-based extension agent.