Distributed architecture allowing local user authentication and authorization

• US 6,263,369 B1
• Filed: 10/30/1998
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thomas, Leslie Alan, Sitaraman, Aravind, Chu, Jie, Zhang, Shujin, Hosseini, Houshang Nayeb
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Application Number:
  US09/183,785
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/217, 709/219, 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data

Abstract

A network access point for locally processing an access request is configured to include an information bus, an access event publisher, and at least one local cache having at least one user record. The access event publisher publishes at least one network access event on the information bus during the processing of the access request. The first local cache is coupled to and is responsive to the network access event by updating the user record according to information contained by the network access event if the information includes a home access point ID that corresponds to the first local cache. The network access point may be part of a communications system having a mother cache. The mother cache is coupled to the first local cache and includes user records of subscribers supported by the communications system. The first local cache obtains a user record associated with one of the subscribers from the mother cache, if the user record is not stored in the first local cache, in response to a log-on attempt to the network access point by the subscriber.

Claims

1. An apparatus for locally processing an access request, said apparatus associated with a protocol interface and at least one client, comprising:

an access event publisher; and

a first local cache having a user record including a home access point ID corresponding to a home access point ID of said first local cache,

wherein said access event publisher publishes at least one network access event when the protocol interface receives an access request from a client; and

wherein said first local cache is responsive to said network access event by selectively receiving said at least one network access event based on a home access point ID contained therein and updating said user record according to information contained within said at least one network access event if said information includes a home access point ID that corresponds to a home access point ID of said first local cache.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further including an information bus to which said first local cache and said access event publisher are coupled.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one network access event includes an IP allocated event.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said IP allocated event includes a network address, a home access point ID, and a user name.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said network address is an IP address, said home access point ID is a home PoP ID, and said user name is a fully qualified domain name address.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one network access event includes an accounting start event.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said accounting start event includes a user name.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one network access event includes an accounting stop event.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said accounting stop event includes a user name.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first local cache includes a mother cache communication interface.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a second local cache responsive to said at least one network access event by updating said user record according to said information, if said information includes a home access point ID that corresponds to a home access point ID of said second local cache.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said second local cache includes a mother cache communication interface.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said client includes a network access server.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said client includes an ADSL client.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said access event publisher is locally associated with said first local cache.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said local cache filters said at least one network access event by only accepting said at least one network access event having information containing a home access point ID that corresponds to the home access point ID of the first local cache.

17. A communications system for locally processing an access request comprising:

a first access point associated with the communications system, said first access point having a first event publisher and a first local cache, said first local cache configured for storing a user record having information corresponding to a first user; and

an information bus configured for transmitting events published by at least one publisher, including said first event publisher,

wherein said first event publisher publishes at least one network access event during the processing of an access request from a client.

18. The communications system of claim 17, wherein said at least one network access event includes an IP allocated event, an accounting start event, and an accounting stop event.

19. The communications system of claim 17, wherein said first local cache is responsive to said network access event by updating said user record according to information contained in said network access event.

20. The communications system of claim 19, wherein said network access event includes a network address, a home access point ID, and a user name.

21. The communications system of claim 20, wherein said network address is an IP address, said home access point ID is a home PoP ID, and said user name is a fully qualified domain name address which corresponds to a first user.

22. The communications system of claim 17, further including a mother cache coupled to said information bus, said mother cache configured for publishing at least one cache transfer event on said information bus, each of said at least one cache transfer events having at least a user record.

23. The communications system of claim 17, further including a second access point having a second event publisher and a second local cache, said second local cache configured for storing a user record having information corresponding to a second user.

24. The communications system of claim 23, wherein said second local cache is configured as a subscriber to said at least one network access event having a home access point ID that corresponds to said second access point.

25. The communications system of claim 17, further including a wide area network.

26. The communications system of claim 17, further including the Internet.

27. The communications system of claim 17, wherein said information bus is separated from a communication medium for communication using a User Datagram Protocol.

28. The communications system of claim 17,

wherein said at least one network access event contains information including a home access point ID, and

wherein said first local cache subscribes to said at least one network access event, and filters the network access event according to the home access point ID contained therein, only accepting the network access event having information containing a home access point ID that corresponds to the home access point ID of the first local cache.

29. The communications system of claim 23, wherein said second event publisher publishes at least one network access event on said information bus.

30. The communications system of claim 23, wherein said mother cache is configured for storing a set of user records having information corresponding to the first user and second user.

31. The communications system of claim 30, wherein said mother cache is configured as a subscriber to network access events published on said information bus.

32. A method for processing an access request submitted by a subscriber in a communications system having a mother cache and a first access point, said first access point associated with a first home access point ID and a first local cache, said method comprising:

associating the subscriber to the first access point through the first home access point ID;

loading said mother cache with at least one user record, including a user record corresponding to said subscriber; and

determining, in response to a log-on attempt by said subscriber, whether the first local cache contains said user record, and obtaining said user record from the mother cache if the first local cache does not contain said user record.

33. The method of claim 32, further including:

providing a second access point associated with a second home access point ID and a second local cache; and

loading said second local cache with user records containing said second home access point ID.

34. The method of claim 33, further including loading said mother cache with said user records containing said second home access point ID.

35. The method of claim 32, further including storing in said first local cache said user record obtained from said mother cache.

36. A method for locally updating a local cache associated with a network access point during the processing of an access request, said network access point corresponding to a home access point ID and said local cache containing at least one user record, said method comprising:

subscribing the local cache to at least one network access event published on a buss, said at least one network access event having a home access point ID; and

updating the user record in response to a subscribed network access event if a home access point ID contained therein corresponds to the home access point ID associated with the local cache.

37. The method of claim 36, further including publishing a network access event in response to an address procured during the processing of the access request.

38. A method of processing an access request sent to an access point associated with a communications system, said access point associated with a local cache and having an access point ID, said method comprising:

listening for a network access event;

storing information corresponding to said network access event if said network access event corresponds to the local cache;

authenticating the access request;

authorizing the access request if the access request is authentic; and

procuring an address and publishing an IP allocated event, if the access request is authorized.

39. The method of claim 38, further including:

accounting for the utilization of said address; and

publishing an accounting start event if an accounting start signal is received.

40. The method of claim 38, further including:

accounting for the utilization of said address; and

publishing an accounting stop event if an accounting stop signal is received.