Security policy management for network devices

• US 20020169975A1
• Filed: 05/10/2001
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Good, Gordon
• Granted Patent: US 8,141,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/200
• 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 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for use within a computer network that allows for automated provisioning, configuration, and maintenance of the servers and other devices connected to a computer network in accordance with established policies. This system and method make use of templates which represent security polices which are applicable to all devices within the system, a subset of the devices, or a particular type of device. In addition, the template structure includes conditional statements which allows for flexibility in defining the policies.

Claims

1. A method for automatically provisioning a plurality of computing devices in accordance with established policies, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a plurality of templates reflecting said policies;

expanding at least one template at a central location; and

providing the expanded information to said plurality of computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising interpreting the expanded information by agents which are respectively resident on each of said plurality of computing devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the structure of said plurality of templates includes conditional statements.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of templates reflects policies applicable to all of the plurality of computing devices.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of templates reflects policies applicable to a subset of the plurality of computing devices.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of templates reflects policies applicable to a particular type of the plurality of computing devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said policies are security polices regarding access to the plurality of computing devices.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein said policies are security polices regarding access to the plurality of computing devices.

8. A system for automatically provisioning a plurality of computing devices in accordance with established policies, the system comprising:

a database system which stores a plurality of templates which reflect said polices;

a plurality of agents which are respectively resident on each of said plurality of computing devices, and which communicate with said database system to obtain information with regard to provisioning and maintenance of the respective computing devices; and

a communications gateway through which communication messages are exchanged between said agents and said database system, wherein said communications gateway is configured to;

retrieve the plurality of templates;

expand the plurality templates; and

provided the expanded information to said plurality of agents.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the structure of said plurality of templates includes conditional statements.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of templates reflects policies applicable to all of the plurality of computing devices.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of templates reflects policies applicable to a subset of the plurality of computing devices.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of templates reflects policies applicable to a particular type of the plurality of computing devices.