Network Resource Access Using Social Networks

• US 20130185426A1
• Filed: 01/12/2012
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: CHEVILLAT, Jrme
• Granted Patent: US 8,943,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A network controller is enabled to control a network that is administered by a network administrator. The network controller provides the network administrator with an option to register an association with a social network from a plurality of available social networks. The network controller identifies a social network selected by the network administrator. The network controller receives, from the social network, a user identification associated with an account the network administrator in the first social network. The network controller receives from the network administrator configuration parameters for resources in the network. Based on the configuration parameters received from the network administrator, the network controller configures access to resources in the network.

Claims

1. A method for administering access to a network, the method comprising:

enabling a network controller to control a first network that is configured by a network administrator;

receiving information on a first social network associated with the network administrator;

establishing a communications session between the network controller and the first social network;

receiving, from the first social network, a user identification associated with the network administrator in the first social network;

receiving, from the network administrator, configuration parameters for resources in the first network; and

configuring, based on the configuration parameters received from the network administrator, access to resources in the first network.

2. The method of claim 1, the method comprising:

determining whether an association with a social network exists in the network controller;

responsive to determining that an association with a social network does not exist in the network controller, providing the network administrator with an option to register an association with a social network from a plurality of available social networks; and

identifying a first social network selected by the network administrator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from the network administrator, configuration parameters for resources in the first network include:

receiving information from the network administrator on a group associated with the network administrator in the first social network; and

receiving information from the network administrator on configuring access to at least one resource in the first network, wherein the information on configuring access includes instructions to allow access to the at least one resource to users included in the group associated with the network administrator in the first social network.

4. The method of claim 3, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user, a request to access a resource in the first network, wherein the request is generated by the user using a user device;

receiving, from the first social network, information associated with a relationship between the user and the network administrator in the first social network;

determining, based on the information associated with the relationship and the configuration parameters for resources that are received from the network administrator, access rights of the user to the resource in the first network, wherein the access rights of the user are associated with the user device; and

responsive to determining access rights of the user to the resources in the first network, allowing the user device to use the resource in the first network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining access rights of the user to the resource in the first network include:

determining whether the user is included in the group associated with the network administrator in the first social network; and

allowing the user to access the resource in the first network based on determining that the user is included in the group.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

responsive to receiving information associated with the relationship between the user and the network administrator in the first social network, storing information associated with user, wherein the information is stored in a database that is associated with the network controller.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein configuring, based on the configuration parameters received from the network administrator, access to resources in the first network comprises storing information associated with access rights to resources in the first network in the database.

8. The method of claim 6, comprising:

storing at least one of information associated with the first social network, identification of the user, information associated with the relationship between the user and the network administrator in the first social network, identifying information associated with the user device, information associated with resources that the user is allowed to access and a validity period associated with the access granted to the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifying information associated with the user device includes a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of the user device.

10. The method of claim 8, the method comprising:

storing information associated with a plurality of users in the first network;

querying the first social network, for each user in the plurality of users, for updates to information associated with the relationship between the respective user and the network administrator in the first social network;

receiving from the social network, for each user in the plurality of users, updates to information associated with the relationship between the respective user and the network administrator in the first social network;

determining, for each user in the plurality of users, whether the access rights associated with respective user is valid; and

for each user in the plurality of users, responsive to determining that the access rights associated with respective user is no longer valid, deleting information associated with the respective user from the database.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications session with the first social network is established using an application programming interface (API) provided by the first social network.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein information from the first social network is received using Open Authorization protocol version 2.0 (OAuth 2.0).

13. The method of claim 1, the method comprising:

enabling the network controller to control a second network that is administered by a second network administrator;

receiving information on a second social network associated with the second network administrator;

establishing a connection between the network controller and the second social network;

receiving, from the second social network, a user identification associated with the second network administrator in the second social network;

receiving, from the second network administrator, configuration parameters for resources in the second network; and

configuring, based on the configuration parameters received from the network administrator, access to resources in the second network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first network and the second network are a same network.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first social network and the second social network are a same social network.

16. A system for administering access to a network, the system comprising:

a network controller comprising instructions encoded in a non-transitory machine-readable medium for execution by the network controller, and when executed cause the network controller to perform operations including;

controlling a network administered by a network administrator;

receiving information on a social network associated with the network administrator;

establishing a communications session with the social network;

receiving, from the social network, a user identification associated with the network administrator in the social network;

receiving, from the network administrator, configuration parameters for resources in the network; and

configuring, based on the configuration parameters received from the network administrator, access to resources in the network; and

a user device comprising instructions encoded in a non-transitory machine-readable medium for execution by the user device, and when executed cause the user device to perform operations including;

sending a request to the network controller to access a resource in the network;

responsive to a query from the network controller, providing the network controller with information associated with a user of the user device in the social network, wherein the information is provided by the user;

receiving permission from the network controller to access the resource; and

responsive to receiving permission from the network controller, using the resource in the network.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the network controller comprises instructions that when executed cause the network controller to perform operations including:

receiving, from the user device, a request to access the resource in the network;

receiving, from the social network, information associated with a relationship between the user and the network administrator in the social network;

determining, based on the information associated with the relationship and configuration parameters for resources that are received from the network administrator, access rights of the user to the resource in the network, wherein the access rights of the user are associated with the user device; and

responsive to determining access rights of the user to the resources in the network, allowing the user device to use the resource in the network.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the network controller comprises instructions that when executed cause the network controller to perform operations including:

establishing the communications session with the social network is using an application programming interface (API) provided by the social network.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the network controller comprises instructions that when executed cause the network controller to perform operations including:

receiving information from the social network using Open Authorization protocol version 2.0 (OAuth 2.0).

20. A computer program product, implemented in a non-transitory machine-readable medium, the computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device cause the processing device to perform operations including:

enabling a network controller to control a network that is administered by a network administrator;

receiving information on a social network associated with the network administrator;

establishing a communications session between the network controller and the social network;

receiving, from the social network, a user identification associated with the network administrator in the social network;

receiving, from the network administrator, configuration parameters for resources in the network; and

configuring, based on the configuration parameters received from the network administrator, access to resources in the network.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, comprising further instructions that cause the processing device to perform operations including:

receiving, from a user, a request to access a resource in the network, wherein the request is generated by the user using a user device;

receiving, from the social network, information associated with a relationship between the user and the network administrator in the social network;

determining, based on the information associated with the relationship and the configuration parameters for resources that are received from the network administrator, access rights of the user to the resource in the network, wherein the access rights of the user are associated with the user device; and

responsive to determining access rights of the user to the resources in the network, allowing the user device to use the resource in the network.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, comprising further instructions that cause the processing device to perform operations including:

establishing the communications session with the social network is using an application programming interface (API) provided by the social network.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, comprising further instructions that cause the processing device to perform operations including:

receiving information from the social network using Open Authorization protocol version 2.0 (OAuth 2.0).