LOCATION DISCOVERY IN A DATA NETWORK

• US 20080155094A1
• Filed: 11/12/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Enterasys Networks Incorporated (Extreme Networks, Inc.)
• Inventors: ROESE, JOHN J., Graham, Richard W., Frattura, David, Fee, Brendan J., Allen, Anja A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,706,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 : Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 : Privileged access

Abstract

A method for location discovery in a data network includes receiving, at a first device, connection information from a neighboring network device and determining a physical location of the first device based on the connection information. The method can include receiving, at the first device, the physical location transmitted from the neighboring network device. The method can further include associating a level of trust with the physical location based on the neighboring network device. The first device be one of a variety of devices, such as a router, a switch, a network entry device, a firewall device, or a gateway.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a first device, connection information from a neighboring network device, and

determining a physical location of the first device based on the connection information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving, at the first device, the physical location transmitted from the neighboring network device.

3-5. -5. (canceled)

6. A system comprising:

a location module configured to determine a physical location of a connection point and to transmit the physical location to a client device in communication with the connection point.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

the client device configured to receive the physical location from the physical location module; and

a neighboring network device in communication with the client device, the neighboring network device including the physical location module.

8-10. -10. (canceled)

11. An article comprising a machine-readable medium that stores executable instruction signals that cause a machine to:

receive, at a first device, connection information from a neighboring network device; and

determine a physical location of the first device based on the connection information.