System and Method For Hosted Network Management
First Claim
1. A method of network management for communications over a managed network in accordance with a network communication protocol, the method comprising:
- establishing communications between a network host and a node device, wherein the node device performs a self-configuring operation in which the network host identifies a network owner associated with the hosted network;
maintaining a persistent network connection path between the network host and the node device for the exchange of network messages;
wherein the network host retrieves message data from the network messages it receives from the node device and performs network management operations to provide a user management interface to the identified network owner.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hosted network management solution for communications over a computer network supports data communication across a network in accordance with a network message protocol such that communications are established between a network host and a node device. The and the node device performs a self-configuring operation in which the network host identifies a network owner associated with the hosted network, and maintains a persistent network connection path between the network host and the node device for the exchange of network packet messages. The network host retrieves message data from the network packet messages it receives from the node device and performs network management operations to provide a user management interface to the identified network owner. The hosted network management enables more convenient setup and configuration for the network owner and provides more complete and effective network management tools.
144 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method of network management for communications over a managed network in accordance with a network communication protocol, the method comprising:
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establishing communications between a network host and a node device, wherein the node device performs a self-configuring operation in which the network host identifies a network owner associated with the hosted network; maintaining a persistent network connection path between the network host and the node device for the exchange of network messages; wherein the network host retrieves message data from the network messages it receives from the node device and performs network management operations to provide a user management interface to the identified network owner. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of network management for communications over a computer network in accordance with a message protocol of the computer network, the method comprising:
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receiving a connection message from a node device at a network host wherein the connection message comprises a request from the node device for a network address in a managed network; determining if the requesting node device is associated with device registration data in the managed network that identifies a network owner and, if the requesting node device is a registered device, then returning a network address allocation message from the network host to the requesting node device, thereby self-configuring the node device for communications with the network host and establishing a hosted network associated with the identified network owner; periodically receiving authentication messages from the node device at the network host such that the network host can determine a mapping of the network address to the registered device, and responding to the authentication message with an acknowledgement message that maintains a persistent network connection path from the network host to the node device; and sending and receiving encapsulated packet messages between the network host and the node device, the encapsulated packet messages comprising packet messages of the message protocol appended with header information of the hosted network; wherein the network host retrieves message data from encapsulated packet messages it receives from the node device and performs network management operations to provide a user management interface to the identified network owner.
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6. A network host device for communications over a managed network in accordance with a network communication protocol, the device comprising:
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a network interface for communications using the network communication protocol; a processor that establishes communications with a node device, wherein the node device performs a self-configuring operation in which the network host device identifies a network owner associated with the hosted network, maintains a persistent network connection path between the network host device and the node device for the exchange of network messages, and retrieves message data from network messages it receives from the node device and performs network management operations to provide a user management interface to the identified network owner. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A network device for communications over a managed network in accordance with a network communication protocol, the network device comprising:
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a network interface for communications using the network communication protocol; a processor that establishes communications between a network host and a node device, wherein the node device performs a self-configuring operation in which the network host identifies a network owner associated with the hosted network, maintains a persistent network connection path between the network host and the node device for the exchange of network messages; wherein the network host retrieves message data from the network messages it receives from the node device and performs network management operations to provide a user management interface to the identified network owner. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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Specification