Fabric manager multiple device login

• US 20040088572A1
• Filed: 10/30/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mehendale, Nitin, Kohl, Shannon
• Granted Patent: US 8,032,931 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

A user (e.g., a network administrator) can enter user verification information once for each switch on which the user desires to perform an administrative activity (e.g., ROM flash, reboot, etc.). Rather than having to enter the user verification information each time a switch is accessed for an administrative activity, the verification information is entered once and stored in non-volatile memory for subsequent use when accessing the switch.

Claims

1. A method of accessing switches in a network comprising a plurality of switches, the method including:

(a) selecting a plurality of switches;

(b) entering user verification information for the selected switches;

(c) storing said user verification information in a volatile memory buffer;

(d) retrieving said user verification information from said volatile memory buffer;

(e) using said user verification information to access said switches; and

(f) repeating (d) and (e) at least once to access said switches without a user re-entering the user verification information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said user verification information includes a User Id and a Password.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein (c) includes selecting a button on a graphical user interface to cause said user verification information to be stored in the memory buffer.

4. The method of claim 1 further including displaying an icon on a display beside an identifier of associated with the selected switches, said icon indicating that the user verification information has been stored in the memory buffer for the selected switch.

5. The method of claim 1 further including testing the accuracy of the user verification information entered in (b).

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said accuracy testing includes accessing said selected switches using said user verification information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the switches are part of a fabric and the method includes displaying an icon on a display adjacent an identifier associated with the fabric if all switches that are part of the fabric have had user verification information stored in the memory for the switches.

8. A method of accessing switches in a network comprising a plurality of switches, the method including:

(a) selecting switches on which to perform an administrative activity;

(b) determining whether user verification information has previously been entered for the selected switches and stored in a volatile memory buffer;

(c) entering and storing into the memory buffer user verification information for the selected switches if the user verification information was not previously entered for the selected switches;

or

(d) retrieving said user verification information from said volatile memory buffer if said user verification information was previously entered for the selected switches;

(e) using said user verification information entered and stored in (c) or retrieved in (d) to access said switches; and

(f) repeating (d) and (e) at least once without re-entering the user verification information.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein (c) includes automatically displaying a message on a display informing a user that the user verification information was not previously entered and providing a selectable software button permitting the user to determine whether the user should be prompted to enter the user verification information.

10. The method of claim 8 further including providing a selectable software button on a display that, when selected by the user, prompts the user to enter the user verification information.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said user verification information includes a User Id and a Password.

12. A network console configured to be coupled to a switch included in a network comprising a plurality of switches, said console comprising:

a CPU;

a volatile memory coupled to said CPU;

a display coupled to said CPU;

an input device coupled to said CPU; and

a non-volatile memory storage device on which an application is stored that is executable by said CPU to select a plurality of switches, enter user verification information for the selected switches, store said user verification information in the volatile memory and retrieve said user verification information from said volatile memory and use said user verification information to access said switches more than once without re-entering the user verification information.

13. The network console of claim 12 wherein said user verification information includes a User Id and a Password.

14. The network console of claim 12 wherein said application is also executed by said CPU to permit a user to select a button on a graphical user interface on said display to cause said user verification information to be stored in the non-volatile memory.

15. The network console of claim 12 wherein said application is also executed by said CPU to display an icon on said display beside an identifier associated with the selected switches, said icon indicating that the user verification information has been stored in the volatile memory for the selected switches.

16. The network console of claim 12 wherein said application is also executed by said CPU to test the accuracy of the entered user verification information.

17. The network console of claim 16 wherein said accuracy testing performed by said CPU executing said application includes accessing said selected switches using said user verification information.

18. A computer system configured to couple to a plurality of network switches, comprising:

a CPU;

a volatile memory coupled to said CPU;

a display coupled to said CPU; and

an input device coupled to said CPU;

wherein a user uses said input device to select a plurality of switches on which to perform an administrative activity and said CPU determines whether user verification information has previously been entered for the selected switches and stored in a volatile memory, enters and stores into the memory user verification information for the selected switches if the user verification information was not previously entered for the selected switches or retrieves said user verification information from said volatile memory if said user verification information was previously entered for the selected switches, and uses said user verification information entered to access said switches.

19. The computer system of claim 18 wherein said CPU displays a message on said display informing a user that the user verification information was not previously entered and provides a selectable software button permitting the user to determine whether the user should be prompted to enter the user verification information.

20. The computer system of claim 18 wherein said CPU provides a selectable software button on said display that, when selected by the user, prompts the user to enter the user verification information via said input device.

21. The computer system of claim 18 wherein said user verification information includes a User Id and a Password.

22. A network, comprising:

a plurality of switches coupled together; and

a console coupled to at least one of said switches;

wherein said console is usable to select switches on which to perform an administrative activity and to enter user verification information for the selected switches, and, when prompted by a user, said user verification information is stored in volatile memory contained in the console; and

wherein said stored user verification information is subsequently retrieved and used to access said selected switches every time an administrative activity is performed on said selected switches.

23. The network of claim 22 wherein said console prompts a user to enter said user verification information for the switches only the first time the switches are accessed to perform an administrative activity, and all subsequent times the switches are accessed to perform an administrative activity, the console retrieves the user verification information from the volatile memory and uses the retrieved user verification information to access the switches.

24. A computer readable storage medium for storing an executable set of software instructions that are executable by a CPU, said software instructions being operable to access a switch in a network containing a plurality of switches, comprising:

(a) a means for selecting switches;

(b) a means for entering user verification information for the selected switches;

(c) a means for storing said user verification information in a volatile memory buffer;

(d) a means for retrieving said user verification information from said volatile memory buffer more than once;

(e) a means for using said user verification information to access said switches more than once without having to re-enter said user verification information.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24 wherein said user verification information includes a User Id and a Password.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24 wherein (c) includes a means for selecting a button on a graphical user interface to cause said user verification information to be stored in the memory buffer.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24 further including a means for displaying an icon on a display beside an identifier of associated with the selected switches, said icon indicating that the user verification information has been stored in the memory buffer for the selected switches.

28. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24 further a means for including testing the accuracy of the user verification information entered in (b).

29. The computer readable storage medium of claim 28 wherein said accuracy testing includes accessing said selected switches using said user verification information.

30. A computer readable storage medium for storing an executable set of software instructions that are executable by a CPU, said software instructions being operable to access switches in a network, comprising:

(a) a means for selecting switches on which to perform an administrative activity;

(b) a means for determining whether user verification information has previously been entered for the selected switches and stored in a volatile memory buffer;

(c) a means for entering and a means for storing into the memory buffer user verification information for the selected switches if the user verification information was not previously entered for the selected switches;

or

(d) a means for retrieving said user verification information from said volatile memory buffer if said user verification information was previously entered for the selected switches; and

(e) a means for using said user verification information entered and stored in (c) or retrieved in (d) to access said switches.

31. The computer readable storage medium of claim 30 wherein (c) includes a means for automatically displaying a message on a display informing a user that the user verification information was not previously entered and a means for providing a selectable software button permitting the user to determine whether the user should be prompted to enter the user verification information.

32. The computer readable storage medium of claim 30 further including a means for providing a selectable software button on a display that, when selected by the user, prompts the user to enter the user verification information.

33. The computer readable storage medium of claim 30 wherein said user verification information includes a User Id and a Password.