Remote device status audit and recovery

• US 10,680,887 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2017
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pallas, Derrick, Hendrick, Mark, Hirve, Nilesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacobs, Lashonda T
• Application Number:
  US15/656,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20190028346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0661 by reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for remotely managing and correcting implementation of configuration settings at network devices operating in the network. In one aspect of the present disclosure, a method includes transmitting, by a controller, a request to a network device of the network for a status of operation of the network device with respect at least one configuration setting available at the network device; determining, by the controller, whether the status matches an operation status provided by the at least one configuration setting; and performing, by the controller, a recovery process to adjust the implementation of the at least one configuration setting when the determining determines that the status does not match the operation status.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a controller, a request to a network device of the network for a status of operation of the network device with respect at least one configuration setting available at the network device;

determining, by the controller, whether the status of operation provided by the network device matches an operation status provided by the at least one configuration setting available at the network device; and

when the status of operation does not match the operation status available at the network device, performing, by the controller, a recovery process to adjust implementation of the at least one configuration setting available at the network device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a triggering event,

wherein

the determining is performed when the triggering event is detected.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein,

the triggering event includes at least one of:

receiving an update request from the network device for an update to a configuration setting implemented at the network device;

activation of the network device within the network;

or

expiration of a period of time between two consecutive transmittings.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein,

the recovery process is a gradual recovery process, and

a next stage of the gradual recovery process is performed only when a preceding stage of the gradual recovery process fails to correctly implement the at least one configuration setting.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a feedback from the network device corresponding to the request; and

performing the determining based on the feedback.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein,

the request is a full sweep request for the status of operation of the network device with respect to each of a plurality of configuration settings available at the network device;

and

the determining determines a corresponding status of operation of the network device with respect to each of the plurality of configuration settings based on a corresponding feedback received from the network device.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein,

the at least one configuration setting includes at least one of:

a service set identifier setting of at least one wireless network hosted by the network device;

a virtual local area network tagging setting of the at least one wireless network;

an uplink setting at the network device;

a port configuration of the network device;

a radio setting of the network device;

firewall rules of the network device; and

at least one wireless broadcasting configuration by the at least one wireless network.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein,

the recovery process includes at least one of:

updating a configuration file on the network device corresponding to the at least one configuration setting at the network device;

performing a reconfiguration of the at least one configuration setting;

performing a reboot of the network device; and

performing a wipe and reboot of the network device.

9. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

at least one computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

transmit a request to a network device of the network for a status of operation of the network device with respect at least one configuration setting available at the network device;

determine whether the status of operation provided by the network device matches an operation status provided by the at least one configuration setting available at the network device; and

when the status of operation provided by the network device does not match the operation status, performing a recovery process to adjust implementation of the at least one configuration setting available at the network device.

10. The system of claim 9,

wherein,

the at least one computer-readable storage medium has additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to determine whether to detecting a triggering event, and

transmitting the request is performed when triggering event is detected.

11. The system of claim 10,

wherein,

the triggering event includes at least one of

receiving an update request from the network device for an update to a configuration setting implemented at the network device;

activation of the network device within the network;

or

expiration of a period of time between two consecutive transmittings.

12. The system of claim 9,

wherein,

the recovery process is a gradual recovery process, and

the instructions further cause the system to perform a next stage of the gradual recovery process only when a preceding stage of the gradual recovery process fails to correctly implement the at least one configuration setting.

13. The system of claim 9,

wherein,

the instructions further cause the system to receive a feedback from the network device corresponding to the request, and

determining whether the status of operation provided by the network device matches the operation status provided by the at least one configuration setting available at the network device is performed based on the feedback.

14. The system of claim 9,

wherein,

the at least one configuration setting available at the network device is a plurality of configuration settings available at the network device,

the request is a full sweep request for the status of operation of the network device with respect to each of the plurality of configuration settings available at the network device;

and

the instructions further cause the system to determine a corresponding status of operation of the network device with respect to each of the plurality of configuration settings based on a corresponding feedback received from the network device.

15. The system of claim 9,

wherein,

the at least one configuration setting includes at least one of:

a service set identifier setting of at least one wireless network hosted by the network device,

a virtual local area network tagging setting of the at least one wireless network,

an uplink setting at the network device,

a port configuration of the network device,

a radio setting of the network device,

firewall rules of the network device, and

at least one wireless broadcasting configuration by the at least one wireless network; and

the recovery process includes at least one of;

updating a configuration file on the network device corresponding to the at least one configuration setting at the network device,

performing a reconfiguration of the at least one configuration setting,

performing a reboot of the network device, and

performing a wipe and reboot of the network device.

16. The system of claim 9,

wherein,

the system is a cloud based controller that is configured to remotely access and manage the network device;

the network device is at least one of an access point, a switch, a router or a network security appliance; and

the cloud based controller is configured to remotely access and manage the network device via a secure encrypted backend tunnel.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by one or more processors associated with a network controller, cause the network controller to:

transmit a request to a network device of the network for a status of operation of the network device with respect at least one configuration setting available at the network device;

determine whether the status of operation provided by the network device matches an operation status provided by the at least one configuration setting available at the network device; and

when the status of operation provided by the network device does not match the operation status, perform a recovery process to adjust implementation of the at least one configuration setting available at the network device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the controller to transmit the request based on a detection of a triggering event.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17,

wherein,

the recovery process is a gradual recovery process, and

the instructions further cause the network controller to perform a next stage of the gradual recovery process only when a preceding stage of the gradual recovery process fails to correctly implement the at least one configuration setting.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17,

wherein,

the network device is remotely accessed and managed by a cloud based controller;

the network device is at least one of an access point, a switch, a router or a network security appliance;

the cloud based controller is configured to remotely access and manage the network device via a secure encrypted backend tunnel; and

the recovery process results in a correct implementation of the at least one configuration setting by the network device.