Apparatus, system, and method for validating interface addresses

• US 20050149753A1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Cromer, Daryl Carvis, Locker, Howard Jeffrey, Pamley, Marc Richard, Springfield, Randall Scott
• Application Number:
  US10/748,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20050149753A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5046 Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5061 Pools of addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method of verifying an interface address are provided. A communication device is connected to a network. The apparatus, system and method query the communication device for an interface address identifying the communication device to the network. The apparatus, system, and method further receive the interface address from the communication device and identify an invalid interface address. In one embodiment, the interface address is invalid if it is outside of a specified interface address range. The apparatus, system, and method mitigate the invalid interface address. In one embodiment, the apparatus, system, and method mitigate the invalid interface address by deactivating the network.

Claims

1. An apparatus for verifying an interface address, the apparatus comprising:

a communication module in electrical communication with a network, the communication module configured with an interface address, the communication module further configured to communicate the interface address in response to a query; and

a logic module in electrical communication with the communication module, the logic module configured to query the communication module, and to receive the interface address from the communication module, the logic module further configured to determine whether the interface address is invalid, and to mitigate an invalid interface address.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interface address is a media access controller address.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interface address is determined to be invalid if the interface address is outside of a specified interface address range.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interface address is determined to be invalid if the interface address is a specified error value.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interface address is determined to be invalid if the interface address is received after a specified time interval.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic module is configured to mitigate the invalid interface address by isolating the communication module from the network.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic module is configured to mitigate the invalid interface address by deactivating the network.

8. An interface device, the device comprising:

an interface communication module in electrical communication with a network, the communication module configured with an interface address, the communication module also configured to receive a query and to communicate the interface address responsive to the query, the communication module further configured to receive a termination command; and

an interface logic module configured to terminate communications between the communication module and the network responsive to the termination command.

9. The interface device of claim 8, wherein the interface address is a media access controller address and the interface device is an Ethernet device.

10. A system for verifying an interface address, the system comprising:

a network;

an interface device in electrical communication with the network, the interface device configured with an interface address and configured to receive a query and to communicate the interface address responsive to the query; and

a verification device in electrical communication with the network, the verification device configured to communicate the query to the interface device and to receive the interface address from the interface device, the verification device further configured to determine whether the interface address is invalid and to mitigate the invalid interface address.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein in the interface address is a media access controller address and the interface device is an Ethernet device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the interface address is determined to be invalid if the interface address is outside of a specified interface address range.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the interface address is determined to be invalid if the interface address is a specified error value.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the interface address is determined to be invalid if the interface address is equivalent to a second interface address.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the verification device is configured to mitigate the invalid interface address by isolating the interface device from the network.

16. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable code for verifying an interface address, the computer readable code configured to:

query an interface address;

receive the interface address;

determine whether an interface address is invalid; and

mitigate the invalid interface address.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the interface address is a media access control address.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the computer readable code is configured to mitigate the invalid interface address by isolating a communication module from a network.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the computer readable code is configured to deactivate a network to mitigate the invalid interface address.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the computer readable code is configured to determine that the interface address as invalid if the interface address is outside of a specified range.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the computer readable code is configured to determine that the interface address is invalid if the interface address is equivalent to a second interface address.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the computer readable code is configured to determine that the interface address as invalid if the interface address is a specified error value.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the computer readable code is configured to determine that the interface address is invalid if the interface address is received subsequent to a specified time interval.

24. A method for verifying an interface address, the method comprising:

querying an interface address;

receiving the interface address;

determining that an interface address is invalid; and

mitigating the invalid interface address.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the interface address is a media access control address.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising mitigating the invalid interface address by isolating a communication module from a network.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the interface address is determined to be invalid if the interface address is outside of a specified interface address range.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the interface address is determined to be invalid if the interface address is a specified error value.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the interface address is determined to be invalid if the interface address is equivalent to a second interface address.

30. An apparatus for verifying an interface address, the apparatus comprising:

means for querying an interface address;

means for receiving the interface address;

means for determining that an interface address is invalid; and

means for mitigating the invalid interface address.