Network system for retrieval of configuration related data

• US 20150229517A1
• Filed: 02/12/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: regify SA
• Original Assignee: regify SA
• Inventors: Schmid, Volker, KAMMERER, Kurt
• Granted Patent: US 10,397,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• 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 41/5051 Service on demand, e.g. definition and deployment of services in real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions

Abstract

There is provided a network system comprising, in accordance with an embodiment, a lookup unit, a clearing unit having a storage device and a client unit. The client unit is adapted for providing user-related data to the lookup unit, wherein the user-related data is based on user-specific data, the user-specific data is associated with a user, and the user-related data allows for unambiguous identification of the user-specific data. Further, the lookup unit is adapted for retrieving identification data from the clearing unit by using the user-related data, wherein the identification data is associated with the user-specific data, and the clearing unit is adapted for retrieving from the storage device the identification data associated with the user-specific data. The clearing unit is adapted for providing the identification data to the lookup unit. The lookup unit is adapted for retrieving configuration related data for a service provided to the user, wherein the configuration related data are retrieved by using the identification data.

Claims

1. Network system comprising:

a lookup unit;

a clearing unit having a storage device; and

a client unit being adapted for providing user-related data to the lookup unit, the user-related data being based on user-specific data, the user-specific data being associated with a user, and the user-related data allowing for unambiguous identification of the user-specific data;

the lookup unit being adapted for retrieving identification data from the clearing unit by using the user-related data, the identification data being associated with the user-specific data;

the clearing unit being adapted for retrieving from the storage device the identification data associated with the user-specific data;

the clearing unit being adapted for providing the identification data to the lookup unit; and

the lookup unit being adapted for retrieving configuration related data for a service provided to the user;

the lookup unit being adapted for retrieving the configuration related data by using the identification data.

2. Network system according to claim 1,

the user-related data being a first fingerprint of the user-specific data;

the lookup unit being further adapted for providing a second fingerprint of the user-specific data to the clearing unit, the second fingerprint being based on the first fingerprint of the user-specific data, the second fingerprint allowing for unambiguous identification of the user-specific data;

the clearing unit being adapted for selecting from the storage device the identification data associated with the user-specific data by using the second fingerprint of the user-specific data.

3. Network system according to claim 2, further comprising

a provider unit, the provider unit being accessible by the client unit;

the lookup unit being further adapted for providing a third fingerprint of the user-specific data to the provider unit for verifying validity of the user-specific data by using the third fingerprint and/or for retrieving the configuration related data; and

the provider unit being optionally adapted for providing a status information regarding the validity of the user-specific data to the lookup unit;

the lookup unit further being optionally adapted for providing the configuration related data to the client unit;

wherein optionally the third fingerprint is identical to the first fingerprint.

4. Network system according to claim 1, further comprising

a provider unit, the provider unit being accessible by the client unit;

the client unit being further adapted for providing further user-related data to the lookup unit, the further user-related data being based on further user-specific data, the further user-specific data being associated with the user, and the further user-related data allowing for unambiguous identification of the further user-specific data;

the lookup unit being further adapted for providing data, which is based on the further user-related data, to the provider unit and receiving in response hereto a status information regarding the validity of the further user-specific data.

5. Network system according to claim 1, further comprising

a provider unit;

the provider unit being adapted for providing a registration request to the lookup unit, the registration request including at least part of the identification data and a verification-related data, the verification-related data being based on verification data and wherein the verification-related data allows for unambiguous identification of the verification data;

the lookup unit being further adapted for receiving the registration request;

the lookup unit being further adapted for providing to the clearing unit the at least part of the provider identification data and data which is based on the verification-related data and allows for unambiguous identification of the verification data.

6. Client unit of a network system,

the client unit being adapted for initiating a configuration of a service provided to a user by providing user-related data to a lookup unit, wherein user-related data is associated with the user, the user-related data is based on user-specific data, and the user-related data allows for unambiguous identification of the user-specific data.

7. Lookup unit of a network system,

the lookup unit being adapted for receiving user-related data from a client unit, wherein the user-related data is based on user-specific data, the user-specific data is associated with a user, and the user-related data allows for unambiguous identification of the user-specific data;

the lookup unit being adapted for retrieving identification data from a clearing unit by using the user-related data, the identification data being associated with the user-specific data;

the lookup unit being adapted for retrieving configuration related data for a service provided to the user;

the lookup unit being adapted for retrieving the configuration related data by using the identification data.

8. Clearing unit of a network system, the clearing unit comprising:

a storage device;

the clearing unit being adapted for receiving user-related data from a lookup unit of the network system, wherein the user-related data is based on user-specific data, the user-specific data is associated with a user, and the user-related data allows for unambiguous identification of the user-specific data;

the clearing unit being adapted for retrieving from the storage device the identification data associated with the user-specific data;

the clearing unit being further adapted for providing the identification data to the lookup unit.

9. Provider unit of a network system,

the provider unit being adapted for receiving user-related data from a lookup unit of the network system, wherein the user-related data is based on user-specific data, the user-specific data is associated with a user, and the user-related data allows for unambiguous identification of the user-specific data;

the provider unit being adapted for

verifying validity of the user-specific data by using the received user-related data and/or

retrieving configuration related data associated with the user-specific data.

10. Method of operating a client unit of a network system, the method comprising:

initiating a configuration of a service provided to a user by providing user-related data to a lookup unit, wherein user-related data is associated with the user, the user-related data is based on user-specific data, and the user-related data allows for unambiguous identification of the user-specific data.

11. Method of operating a lookup unit of a network system, the method comprising:

receiving user-related data from a client unit, wherein the user-related data is based on user-specific data, the user-specific data is associated with a user, and the user-related data allows for unambiguous identification of the user-specific data;

retrieving identification data from a clearing unit by using the user-related data, the identification data being associated with the user-specific data;

retrieving configuration related data for a service provided to the user;

the retrieving of the configuration related data being performed by using the identification data.

12. Method of operating a clearing unit of a network system, the method comprising:

receiving user-related data from a lookup unit of the network system, wherein the user-related data is based on user-specific data, the user-specific data is associated with a user, and the user-related data allows for unambiguous identification of the user-specific data;

retrieving identification data associated with the user-specific data;

providing the identification data to the lookup unit.

13. Method of operating a provider unit of a network system, the method comprising:

receiving user-related data from a lookup unit of the network system, wherein the user-related data is based on user-specific data, the user-specific data is associated with a user, and the user-related data allows for unambiguous identification of the user-specific data;

verifying validity of the user-specific data by using the received user-related data and/or retrieving configuration related data associated with the user-specific data; and

optionally providing a status information and/or the configuration related data to the lookup unit, the status information being indicative of a validity of the user-specific data corresponding to the user-related data.

14. Method of operating a network system comprising a lookup unit, a clearing unit and a client unit, the method comprising:

providing user-related data from the client unit to the lookup unit, the user-related data being based on user-specific data, the user-specific data being associated with a user, and the user-related data allowing for unambiguous identification of the user-specific data;

operating the lookup unit so as to retrieve identification data from the clearing unit by using the user-related data, the identification data being associated with the user-specific data;

operating the clearing unit so as to retrieve identification data associated with the user-specific data;

providing the identification data from the clearing unit to the lookup unit;

operating the lookup unit so as to retrieve configuration related data for a service provided to the user;

operating the lookup unit so as to retrieve the configuration related data by using the identification data.

15. Computer program which is adapted for, when executed by a processor device, controlling a method of operating a client unit of a network system, the method comprising:

initiating a configuration of a service provided to a user by providing user-related data to a lookup unit, wherein user-related data is associated with the user, the user-related data is based on user-specific data, and the user-related data allows for unambiguous identification of the user-specific data.

16. Computer program which is adapted for, when executed by a processor device, controlling a method of operating a lookup unit of a network system, the method comprising:

receiving user-related data from a client unit, wherein the user-related data is based on user-specific data, the user-specific data is associated with a user, and the user-related data allows for unambiguous identification of the user-specific data;

retrieving identification data from a clearing unit by using the user-related data, the identification data being associated with the user-specific data;

retrieving configuration related data for a service provided to the user;

the retrieving of the configuration related data being performed by using the identification data.

17. Computer program which is adapted for, when executed by a processor device, controlling a method of operating a clearing unit of a network system, the method comprising:

receiving user-related data from a lookup unit of the network system, wherein the user-related data is based on user-specific data, the user-specific data is associated with a user, and the user-related data allows for unambiguous identification of the user-specific data;

retrieving identification data associated with the user-specific data;

providing the identification data to the lookup unit.

18. Computer program which is adapted for, when executed by a processor device, controlling a method of operating a provider unit of a network system, the method comprising:

receiving user-related data from a lookup unit of the network system, wherein the user-related data is based on user-specific data, the user-specific data is associated with a user, and the user-related data allows for unambiguous identification of the user-specific data;

verifying validity of the user-specific data by using the received user-related data and/or retrieving configuration related data associated with the user-specific data; and

optionally providing a status information and/or the configuration related data to the lookup unit, the status information being indicative of a validity of the user-specific data corresponding to the user-related data.

19. Computer program which is adapted for, when executed by a processor device, controlling a method of operating a network system comprising a lookup unit, a clearing unit and a client unit, the method comprising:

providing user-related data from the client unit to the lookup unit, the user-related data being based on user-specific data, the user-specific data being associated with a user, and the user-related data allowing for unambiguous identification of the user-specific data;

operating the lookup unit so as to retrieve identification data from the clearing unit by using the user-related data, the identification data being associated with the user-specific data;

operating the clearing unit so as to retrieve identification data associated with the user-specific data;

providing the identification data from the clearing unit to the lookup unit;

operating the lookup unit so as to retrieve configuration related data for a service provided to the user;

operating the lookup unit so as to retrieve the configuration related data by using the identification data.