NETWORKING AS A SERVICE

• US 20140229587A1
• Filed: 04/21/2014
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aerohive Networks Incorporated (Extreme Networks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mower, Carl S., Palmer, Matthew Alan, Mayhew, Steven Couch
• Application Number:
  US14/257,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20140229587A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Networking as a Service (NaaS) delivers network services using remote appliances controlled by a hosted, multi-tenant management system. The system may include a heartbeating process for communication between a web-based server and appliances, in which the appliances periodically contact the management system on the server. The heartbeating process allows the appliances to maintain a completely up-to-date configuration. Furthermore, heartbeating allows for comprehensive monitoring of appliances and for software distribution. The system may also include means for authenticating appliances, without the need for pre-installed PSKs or certificates.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring for one or more heartbeat packets from a network device of a network;

receiving from the network device a first heartbeat packet from the network device, the heartbeat packet including one or more logs of the network device, the logs comprising new log information since a last acknowledged heartbeat packet but not comprising old log information before the last acknowledged heartbeat packet.

response to the first heartbeat packet, sending a first response network packet to the network device, the first response network packet including a configuration identifier of a latest configuration for the network device, and the first response network packet further including a building identifier of a latest software image for the network device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the latest configuration to the network device if the network device is not running the latest configuration.

3. The method of claim 1, where the providing the latest configuration to the network device comprises providing one or more new configuration files associated with the latest configuration.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the latest software image to the network device if the network device is not running the latest software image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the latest configuration is one that the network device should be running.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the latest software image is one that the network device should be running.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first response network packet is an implicit acknowledgement to the network device that the logs included in the first response network packet have been accepted

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network device is configured to purge log information upon receiving the first response network packet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network device is customer premises equipment (CPE).

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an instruction to publish a modified configuration;

in response to the instruction, generating the latest configuration for the network device;

updating a monitoring database with the configuration identifier of the latest configuration, the monitoring database providing the configuration identifier of the latest configuration for use in the first response network packet.

11. A system comprising:

means for monitoring for one or more heartbeat packets from a network device of a network;

means for receiving from the network device a first heartbeat packet from the network device, the heartbeat packet including one or more logs of the network device, the logs comprising new log information since a last acknowledged heartbeat packet but not comprising old log information before the last acknowledged heartbeat packet.

means for sending a first response network packet to the network device in response to the first heartbeat packet, the first response network packet including a configuration identifier of a latest configuration for the network device, and the first response network packet further including a building identifier of a latest software image for the network device.

12. A system comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable medium including instructions configured to cause the processor to perform the operations of;

monitoring for one or more heartbeat packets from a network device of a network;

receiving from the network device a first heartbeat packet from the network device, the heartbeat packet including one or more logs of the network device, the logs comprising new log information since a last acknowledged heartbeat packet but not comprising old log information before the last acknowledged heartbeat packet;

in response to the first heartbeat packet, sending a first response network packet to the network device, the first response network packet including a configuration identifier of a latest configuration for the network device, and the first response network packet further including a building identifier of a latest software image for the network device.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising providing the latest configuration to the network device if the network device is not running the latest configuration.

14. The system of claim 12, where the providing the latest configuration to the network device comprises providing one or more new configuration files associated with the latest configuration.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising providing the latest software image to the network device if the network device is not running the latest software image.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the latest configuration is one that the network device should be running.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the latest software image is one that the network device should be running.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the first response network packet is an implicit acknowledgement to the network device that the logs included in the first response network packet have been accepted

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the network device is configured to purge log information upon receiving the first response network packet.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the network device is customer premises equipment (CPE).

21. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving an instruction to publish a modified configuration;

in response to the instruction, generating the latest configuration for the network device;

updating a monitoring database with the configuration identifier of the latest configuration, the monitoring database providing the configuration identifier of the latest configuration for use in the first response network packet.