NETWORK TRAFFIC CONTROL VIA SMS TEXT MESSAGING

• US 20150085636A1
• Filed: 11/12/2014
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Barracuda Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Barracuda Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: GHERI, Klaus M.
• Application Number:
  US14/539,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20150085636A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A wireless mobile device coupled to a communications network is configured to transmit a Short Message Service (SMS) message to a network control device when the network control device is not accessible via a TCP/IP network. Said network control device is configured to parse and extract an instruction label from the SMS message received, retrieve a sequence of commands predefined and stored on the network control device based on the extracted instruction label, execute the sequence of commands on the network control device, and provide a status report back to the wireless mobile device following execution of the sequence of commands on the network control device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a wireless mobile device coupled to a communications network, wherein the wireless mobile device is configured to transmit a Short Message Service (SMS) message to a network control device when the network control device is not accessible via a TCP/IP network;

said network control device coupled to the communications network and configured to;

receive the SMS message sent by the wireless mobile device when the network control device is not accessible via a TCP/IP network;

parse and extract an instruction label from the SMS message received;

retrieve a sequence of commands predefined and stored on the network control device based on the extracted instruction label;

execute the sequence of commands on the network control device;

provide a status report back to the wireless mobile device following execution of the sequence of commands on the network control device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said network control device is configured to;

maintain a counter of consecutive SMS messages received from the wireless mobile device;

increment the counter when the SMS message is received from the wireless mobile device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

said network control device is configured to execute the sequence of commands retrieved based on the instruction label in the SMS message if the counter does not exceed a preconfigured limit.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein:

said network control device is configured to drop the SMS message if the counter exceeds a preconfigured limit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said network control device is configured to execute the sequence of commands to restart, restore, and/or reconfigure the network control device when the network control device is not accessible via a TCP/IP network.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein:

said network control device is configured to execute the sequence of commands to open a SSL tunnel to a service center server and exchange authentication certificates with the server.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein:

said network control device is configured to execute the sequence of commands to restore the network control device from a recovery storage device.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein:

said network control device is configured to execute the sequence of commands to modify a routing table of the network control device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the SMS message does not include an instruction to be executed by the network control device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the SMS message include a phone number of the wireless mobile device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the said network control device is configured to compare the phone number of the wireless mobile device with an access control list to authenticate the wireless mobile device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the said network control device is configured to poll periodically for incoming text messages.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless mobile device is configured to encrypt the SMS message for transmission.

14. A method comprising:

transmitting by a wireless mobile device coupled to a communications network a Short Message Service (SMS) message to a network control device when the network control device is not accessible via a TCP/IP network;

receiving the SMS message by the network control device when the network control device is not accessible via a TCP/IP network;

parsing and extracting an instruction label from the SMS message received;

retrieving a sequence of commands predefined and stored on the network control device based on the extracted instruction label;

executing the sequence of commands on the network control device;

providing a status report back to the wireless mobile device following execution of the sequence of commands on the network control device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

maintaining a counter of consecutive SMS messages received from the wireless mobile device;

incrementing the counter when the SMS message is received from the wireless mobile device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

executing the sequence of commands retrieved based on the instruction label in the SMS message if the counter does not exceed a preconfigured limit.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

dropping the SMS message if the counter exceeds a preconfigured limit.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

executing the sequence of commands to restart, restore, and/or reconfigure the network control device when the network control device is not accessible via a TCP/IP network.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

executing the sequence of commands to open a SSL tunnel to a service center server and exchange authentication certificates with the server.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

executing the sequence of commands to restore the network control device from a recovery storage device.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

executing the sequence of commands to modify a routing table of the network control device.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the SMS message does not include an instruction to be executed by the network control device.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

comparing a phone number of the wireless mobile device included in the SMS message with an access control list to authenticate the wireless mobile device.

24. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

polling periodically for incoming text messages.

25. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

encrypting the SMS message for transmission.