Method and system using presence information to manage network access

• US 20060259958A1
• Filed: 05/16/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jennings, Cullen F., FitzGerald, Cary W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,079,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/6
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes

Abstract

In accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention, a method using presence information to manage network access includes maintaining presence information for an end user. When a remote access request is received from the end user at a remote endpoint, the presence information for the end user is updated to identify the presence of the end user at one or more network endpoints associated with a private network. An access point to the private network is then automatically configured to allow any communications addressed to an IP address associated with the one or more network endpoints to pass through the access point.

Claims

1. A method using presence information to manage network access, comprising:

maintaining presence information for an end user;

receiving a remote access request from the end user at a remote endpoint;

updating the presence information for the end user to identify the presence of the end user at one or more network endpoints associated with a private network; and

automatically configuring an access point to the private network to allow any communications addressed to an IP address associated with the one or more network endpoints to pass through the access point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein maintaining the presence information comprises determining the availability of the end user at the one or more network endpoints associated with the private network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the remote access request comprises receiving the remote access request from the remote endpoint that is external to the private network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using an authentication protocol to verify the identity of the end user upon receiving the remote access request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the remote access request comprises receiving a Virtual Network Computing (VNC) request.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically configuring the access point comprises opening one or more pinholes in a firewall.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the presence information for the end user comprises:

identifying the IP address associated with the end user; and

identifying the presence of the end user at a network endpoint associated with the IP address.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a communication identified for the end user; and

allowing the communication to pass through the access point.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the end user is no longer using the remote endpoint to access the private network; and

automatically configuring the access point to disallow any communications addressed to the IP address from passing through the access point.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a communication identified for the IP address; and

preventing the communication from passing through the access point.

11. A system using presence information to manage network access, comprising:

a presence server in communication with a plurality of endpoints included in a private network, the presence server operable to;

maintain presence information identifying the presence of an end user at one or more of the plurality of endpoints; and

update the presence information for the end user when a remote access request is received from the end user at a remote endpoint; and

a remote access server in communication with the private network, the remote access server operable to;

receive the remote access request from the end user at the remote endpoint; and

automatically configuring an access point to the private network to allow any communications addressed to an IP address associated with the one or more network endpoints to pass through the access point.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the presence server is further operable to determine the availability of the end user at the one or more network endpoints associated with the private network.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the remote access server is operable to receive the remote access request from a remote endpoint that is external to the private network.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the remote access server is further operable to use an authentication protocol to verify the identity of the end user upon receiving the remote access request.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the remote access request comprises a Virtual Network Computing (VNC) request.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the remote access server is operable to automatically configure the access point by opening one or more pinholes in a firewall.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the presence server is operable to update the presence information for the end user by:

identifying the IP address associated with the end user; and

identifying the presence of the end user at a network endpoint associated with the IP address.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the remote access server is further operable to:

receive a communication identified for the end user; and

allow the communication to pass through the access point.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the presence server is further operable to determine that the end user is no longer using the remote endpoint to access the private network; and

the remote access server is further operable to automatically configure the access point to disallow any communications addressed to the IP address from passing through the access point.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the remote access server is further operable to:

receive a communication identified for the IP address; and

prevent the communication from passing through the access point.

21. A system using presence information to manage network access, comprising:

means for maintaining presence information for an end user;

means for receiving a remote access request from the end user at a remote endpoint;

means for updating the presence information for the end user to identify the presence of the end user at one or more network endpoints associated with a private network; and

means for automatically configuring an access point to the private network to allow any communications addressed to an IP address associated with the one or more network endpoints to pass through the access point.

22. Logic embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising code operable to:

maintain presence information for an end user;

receive a remote access request from the end user at a remote endpoint;

update the presence information for the end user to identify the presence of the end user at one or more network endpoints associated with a private network; and

automatically configure an access point to the private network to allow any communications addressed to an IP address associated with the one or more network endpoints to pass through the access point