APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MONITORING NETWORK EQUIPMENT

• US 20100088762A1
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Avila, Jorge A., Riha, William J., Hlavac, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,732,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/22
• 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 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• 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

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to receive a monitoring signal from a network plug-in device where the monitoring signal includes location and identification information associated with the network plug-in device and where the server is remote from the network plug-in device, and determine whether the network plug-in device is in an unauthorized location based at least in part on the monitoring signal. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions for:

receiving an actuation signal at a network plug-in device;

obtaining location information associated with the network plug-in device based on receipt of the actuation signal;

transmitting a monitoring signal to a remote server from the network plug-in device, the monitoring signal comprising the location information and identification information associated with the network plug-in device; and

transmitting a security signal when the network plug-in device is within a pre-determined distance of a security device.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein a determination is made by the server when the network plug-in is in an unauthorized location, the determination being based at least in part on the monitoring signal.

3. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the location information is determined by the network plug-in device based at least in part on a network element in proximity to the network plug-in device having a known location.

4. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for transmitting an access signal to the server, the access signal comprising access information associated with an individual in proximity to the network plug-in device.

5. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the monitoring signal is transmitted over a hardwire link between the network plug-in device and the server.

6. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for transmitting the security signal to the server based on receipt of a security actuation signal from the security device.

7. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the monitoring signal is transmitted by a transmitter that is removably connected to the network plug-in device.

8. The storage medium of claim 4, comprising computer instructions for generating a notification based on the monitoring signal, the security signal and the access signal.

9. A server comprising a controller to:

receive a monitoring signal from a network plug-in device, the monitoring signal comprising location and identification information associated with the network plug-in device, the location information being generated by the network plug-in device;

receive access information associated with an individual in proximity to the network plug-in device; and

determine whether the network plug-in device is in an unauthorized location based at least in part on the monitoring signal and the access information.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the controller is adapted to receive a security signal when the network plug-in device is within a pre-determined distance of a security device.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein the controller is adapted to generate a notification based on the monitoring signal, the access information and the security signal.

12. The server of claim 9, wherein the controller is adapted to transmit at least one of the monitoring signal and the access information wirelessly.

13. The server of claim 9, wherein the monitoring signal is transmitted by a transmitter that is removably connected to the network plug-in device.

14. The server of claim 9, wherein the controller is adapted to:

update a desired topology of at least a portion of a network; and

determine whether the network plug-in device is in the unauthorized location based in part on the updated desired topology.

15. A server comprising a controller to:

receive a monitoring signal from a network plug-in device, the monitoring signal comprising location and identification information associated with the network plug-in device, the server being remote from the network plug-in device, wherein the network plug-in device is part of a communication link between first and second user devices; and

determine whether the network plug-in device is in an unauthorized location based at least in part on the monitoring signal.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein the controller is adapted to:

receive access information associated with an individual in proximity to the network plug-in device; and

determine whether the network plug-in device is in the unauthorized location based in part on the access information.

17. The server of claim 15, wherein the controller is adapted to:

receive a security signal when the network plug-in device is within a pre-determined distance of a security device; and

determine whether the network plug-in device is in the unauthorized location based in part on the security signal.

18. The server of claim 15, wherein the monitoring signal is transmitted over a hardwire link between the network plug-in device and the server.

19. A network plug-in device comprising a controller to:

generate location information associated with the network plug-in device based on receipt of an actuation signal;

transmit a monitoring signal to a remote server, the monitoring signal comprising the location information and identification information associated with the network plug-in device; and

transmit a security signal when the network plug-in device is within a pre-determined distance of a security device.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the controller is adapted to receive access information associated with an individual in proximity to the network plug-in device;

and transmit the access information to the server.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the controller is removably connected with the network plug-in device.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein the controller is adapted to transmit the security signal in response to an interrogation signal received from the security device.

23. A method, comprising:

obtaining location information associated with a network plug-in device;

transmitting a monitoring signal to a remote server from the network plug-in device, the monitoring signal comprising the location information and identification information associated with the network plug-in device; and

transmitting to the server at least one of a security signal and access information, the security signal being transmitted when the network plug-in device is within a pre-determined distance of a security device, the access information being associated with an individual in proximity to the network plug-in device.

24. The method of claim 23, comprising determining whether the network plug-in device is in an unauthorized location based at least in part on at least one of the monitoring signal, the access information and the security signal.

25. The method of claim 23, comprising:

updating a desired topology of at least a portion of a network; and

determining whether the network plug-in device is in an unauthorized location based in part on the updated desired topology.