Providing support for responding to location protocol queries within a network node

• US 20070288613A1
• Filed: 06/08/2006
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sudame, Pradeep S., Shuen, Pauline, Murthy, Shree N., Jiang, Jie Cheng
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]

Abstract

Various systems and methods are disclosed for providing support for responding to location protocol queries within a network node. One such method involves associating a location with a network identity by associating a network port with a network identity and also associating the network port with the location. The association between the network port and the network identity is created in response to a network identity, which can include an IP address, being assigned to a device coupled to the network port by an identity protocol such as DHCP. The packet is sent in response to detecting a request for the device'"'"'s location. The method can be performed by various devices, including a first hop node coupled to the device, a location server, and an identity server.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

associating a network identity with a location, wherein the associating the network identity with the location comprises;

associating a network port with the network identity, wherein

an identity protocol assigns the network identity to a device coupled to the network port; and

associating the network port with the location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a packet, wherein the packet comprises information identifying the location and the network identity.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the identity protocol is a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) and the network identity is an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

extracting the information identifying the location from a location protocol packet being sent from a location server to the device coupled to the network port.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

extracting the information identifying the location from a DHCP packet being sent to the device coupled to the network port.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

requesting the location from a location server.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein

the requesting the location from the location server comprises sending a location protocol packet;

and

the location protocol packet comprises information identifying the network port.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

selecting a location granularity;

wherein

the information identifying the location conforms to the selected location granularity, and

the granularity is selected based on an identity of a device requesting the information identifying the location.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein

the packet is sent in response to detecting a location protocol request;

and

the location protocol request comprises the network identity of the device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein

the location protocol request is being sent to the device;

and

the packet is sent by a first hop node coupled to the device.

11. A network device comprising:

a port; and

a control module coupled to the port, wherein the control module is configured to

associate a network port with the network identity, wherein an identity protocol assigns the network identity to a device coupled to the network port; and

associate the network port with the location, wherein the network identity is associated with the location as a result of both the network identity and the location being associated with the network port.

12. The network device of claim 11, wherein the identity protocol is a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) and the network identity is an Internet protocol (IP) address.

13. The network device of claim 12, wherein

the control module comprises a snooping module;

the network device is a first hop node coupled to the device; and

the network device comprises the network port.

14. The network device of claim 13, wherein

the snooping module is configured to extract the information identifying the location from a location protocol packet being sent from a location server to a device coupled to the network port.

15. The network device of claim 13, wherein

the snooping module is configured to extract the information identifying the location from a DHCP packet being sent to the device coupled to the network port.

16. The network device of claim 13, wherein

the control module is configured to request the location from a location server.

17. The network device of claim 13, wherein the control module is configured to:

send a packet in response to receiving a location protocol request from a requesting device, wherein the packet comprises information identifying the location and the network identity; and

select a location granularity;

wherein

the information identifying the location conforms to the selected location granularity, and

the granularity is selected based upon a security preference associated with the device and an identity of the requesting device.

18. The network device of claim 13, wherein the control module is configured to:

send a packet in response to receiving a location protocol request from a requesting device, wherein

the packet comprises information identifying the location and the network identity;

the packet is sent in response to detecting a location protocol request; and

the location protocol request comprises the network identity of the device.

19. The network device of claim 18, wherein

the snooping module is configured to detect the location protocol request;

and

the location protocol request is being sent to the device.

20. The network device of claim 12, wherein

the network device is one of:

an identity server and a location server;

the control module is configured to extract information identifying the network port from a packet; and

the packet was modified to include the information identifying the network port by a first hope node coupled to the device.

21. A system comprising:

means for associating a network identity with a location, wherein the means for associating the network identity with the location comprise;

means for associating a network port with the network identity, wherein

an identity protocol assigns the network identity to a device coupled to the network port; and

means for associating the network port with the location.