System and Method For Remote Monitoring And Control Of Network Devices

• US 20080285575A1
• Filed: 02/28/2008
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meraki Networks, Inc (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Biswas, Sanjit, Bicket, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,477,771 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0246 Exchanging or transporting network management information using the Internet; Embedding network management web servers in network elements; Web-services-based protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/04 Network management architectures or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5092 by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A managed network provides unique network addresses that are assigned to nodes such that no two nodes will have the same address in the managed network and such that each node will always have the same network address regardless of changing its location or changing the network to which it is joined. The nodes, communicating together, comprise a mesh network. Remote management and control of the nodes is possible from the host server, which is located outside of the mesh network, even if a node is located behind a firewall or network address translator (NAT), because server management messages are encapsulated within headers so that a persistent connection between the node and the external host server is maintained once the node sends a message to the host.

Claims

1. A method of operating a host device for communication using a network communication protocol, the method comprising:

receiving a message from a network gateway at a host according to the network communication protocol;

detecting message information in the received message that verifies it is a message of a managed network;

determining if the received message is a data message, in accordance with the extracted information;

extracting a data packet of the received message in response to determining that the received message is a data message, the data packet comprising data payload of a packet protocol that is encapsulated within a message of the network communication protocol;

locating identification information in the received message that identifies a network node of the managed network and inserting the identification information into a node mapping table, in response to a received message that is not a data message, wherein the identification information includes an internal address of the network node for an address space within the managed network and wherein the internal address is not valid outside of the address space;

wherein a persistent network connection is maintained with the network node in accordance with the network communication protocol such that a response message directed to the network gateway can be received at the network node.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further including preparing the response message, wherein the response message includes the internal address of the network node, encapsulated within a message according to the network communication protocol.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the network communication protocol comprises a UDP datagram.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the packet protocol comprises an Internet protocol.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the data packet comprises data related to output of a network node process.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, further including:

preparing return data in response to the data packet of the received message;

preparing the response message by encapsulating the return data in accordance with identification information of the network node from the node mapping table;

directing the response message to the network gateway.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein preparing the response message comprises providing the return data to a host message handling program and processing the response message at a tun device of the host for network transport.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein receiving the message comprises processing the received message at a tun device of the host and providing the received message to a host message handling program.

9. A method of operating a node device for communication using a network communication protocol, the method comprising:

receiving a host message according to the network communication protocol in accordance with establishment of a persistent mtunnel connection with the host;

processing the received host message for handling by a process of the node device and determining an action specified by the received host message;

performing the specified action at the node device.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the specified action is a return message to the host.

11. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the message includes a program fragment and the specified action comprises execution of the program.

12. A method of operating a device for communication over a network, the method comprising:

receiving a message from a network gateway at a host according to a network communication protocol comprising a UDP datagram, wherein the host processes the received message at a tun device of the host and provides the received message to a host message handling program;

detecting message information in the received message that verifies it is a message of a managed network;

determining if the received message is a data message, in accordance with the extracted information;

extracting a data packet of the received message in response to determining that the received message is a data message, the data packet comprising data payload that is encapsulated within a message of an Internet protocol;

locating identification information in the received message that identifies a network node of the managed network and inserting the identification information into a node mapping table, in response to a received message that is not a data message, wherein the identification information includes an internal address of the network node for an address space within the managed network and the internal address is not valid outside of the address space;

preparing a response message that includes the internal address of the network node, encapsulated within a UDP datagram message, wherein the response message is prepared by a host message handling program;

providing the response message to a tun device of the host for network transport;

wherein a persistent network connection is maintained with the network node in accordance with UDP datagram processing such that a response message directed to the network gateway can be received at the network node.

13. A host system for communication using a network communication protocol, the system comprising:

a server_tun processor that receives a message from a network gateway according to the network communication protocol;

an mtunnel-server processor that detects message information in the received message that verifies the received message is a message of a managed network and that determines if the received message is a data message, in accordance with the extracted information;

wherein the mtunnel-server processor extracts a data packet of the received message in response to determining that the received message is a data message, the data packet comprising data payload of a packet protocol that is encapsulated within a message of the network communication protocol, and locates identification information in the received message that identifies a network node of the managed network and inserting the identification information into a node mapping table, in response to a received message that is not a data message, wherein the identification information includes an internal address of the network node for an address space within the managed network and the internal address is not valid outside of the address space, such that a persistent network connection is maintained with the network node in accordance with the network communication protocol such that a response message directed to the network gateway can be received at the network node.

14. The host system as defined in claim 13, wherein the mtunnel-server processor prepares the response message, wherein the response message includes the internal address of the network node, encapsulated within a message according to the network communication protocol.

15. The host system as defined in claim 13, wherein the network communication protocol comprises a UDP datagram.

16. The host system as defined in claim 13, wherein the packet protocol comprises an Internet protocol.

17. The host system as defined in claim 13, wherein the data packet comprises data related to output of a network node process.

18. The host system as defined in claim 13, wherein the mtunnel-server processor prepares return data in response to the data packet of the received message, prepares the response message by encapsulating the return data in accordance with identification information of the network node from the node mapping table, and directs the response message to the network gateway.

19. The host system as defined in claim 18, wherein the mtunnel-server processor prepares the response message by providing the return data to a host message handling program and processing the response message at a tun device of the host for network transport.

20. The host system as defined in claim 13, wherein the server_tun processor receives the message by processing the received message and providing the received message to the mtunnel-server processor.