System and method for integrating a proxy server, an e-mail server, and a DHCP server, with a graphic interface

• US 6,643,694 B1
• Filed: 02/09/2000
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Masonite Incorporated (Masonite Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Masonite Incorporated (Masonite Corporation)
• Inventors: Chernin, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuoc H.
• Application Number:
  US09/500,693
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/220, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]

Abstract

A system and method are provided for integrating a proxy server, an e-mail server, and a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server, with a graphic interface. The system and method also can be practiced so that a DNS server is supported or integrated therewith. Also provided are subsystems of the system, such as a subsystem adapted to provide e-mail searching via a graphic user interface, a subsystem adapted to provide internet access monitoring via a graphic interface, a subsystem adapted to provide internet access control via a graphic interface, and/or a subsystem adapted to configure a DHCP server via a graphic user interface. Also provided are a method of searching e-mail, a method of providing internet access monitoring and/or control, and/or a method of configuring a DHCP server via a graphic user interface. The internet monitoring can be based on IP addresses assigned by a DHCP server or can be based on a text string of interest. The subsystems and submethods can be selectively combined to meet a network managers needs.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating creation of a configuration file for a DHCP server of a computer network, comprising:

a graphic user interface adapted to present indications of information from which a configuration file of a DHCP server can be derived;

a configuration file generator adapted to generate a DHCP server configuration file in response to information entered by a user in response to said indications of information;

a proxy server searcher accessible via said graphic user interface, said proxy server searcher adapted to receive a text string to be searched and also adapted to search for the text string through information collected by a proxy server regarding internet URL addresses accessed by the IP addresses, said proxy server searcher adapted to provide a proxy search results display via said graphic user interface, indicating which, if any, URLs accessed via the proxy server includes a match for said text string and wherein the proxy search results display includes a list of all URLs that include a match for the text string along with the IP address that was used to access each such URL, said proxy search results display includes a user-selectable portion for each match, said system being adapted to automatically access a website identified by the URL in each match when the corresponding user-selectable portion is selected.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said graphic user interface includes at least one menu generator adapted to generate a menu of configuration-related options and text fields associated with each option, into which values for such options can be inserted;

and

wherein said configuration file generator is adapted to generate said DHCP server configuration file in accordance with said options.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said graphic user interface is a web-based graphic user interface that is accessible via a web browser.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said configuration file generator also is adapted to generate a configuration file database where IP addressing information is stored by the DHCP server when the DHCP server operates in accordance with the configuration file generated by the configuration file generator.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said graphic user interface is further adapted to provide a visual display of IP addresses assigned by the DHCP server and additional information associated with each IP address.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said additional information for each IP address includes at least one of:

a machine identification that identifies a network card at the IP address;

a network name that identifies a user of the IP address; and

a date when assignment of the IP address will expire if the IP address is not utilized before that date.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a proxy server tracker adapted to track information collected by a proxy server regarding internet URL addresses accessed by the proxy server for each IP address.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said additional information for each IP address includes an indication of whether any internet URL addresses were accessed by that IP address.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each indication of whether any internet URL addresses were accessed is provided with a selectable display element whenever at least one internet URL address was accessed, said system being adapted to respond to selection of said selectable display element by:

parsing through said information collected by the proxy server for portions of said information collected by the proxy server that pertain to an IP address of interest, and

then displaying said portions of said information collected by the proxy server in a user-readable format.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said user-readable format includes a list of URL addresses accessed by the IP address of interest.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising an internet access control element adapted selectively deny internet access through a proxy server.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said internet access control element is accessible via said graphic user interface.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said internet access control element is adapted to selectively deny internet access through the proxy server, for each IP address assigned by said DHCP server.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said internet access control element is adapted to selectively deny internet access through the proxy server by selectively modifying a configuration file of the proxy server.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is provided in the form of a computer program product comprising a computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied thereon.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising an e-mail text searcher accessible via said graphic user interface, said e-mail text searcher being adapted to receive at least a text string to be searched and also being adapted to search through e-mail archives maintained by an e-mail server for said text string.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said e-mail text searcher is adapted to provide an e-mail search results display via said graphic user interface, indicating which, if any, e-mail messages in said e-mail archives includes a match for said text string.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said e-mail search results display includes a user-selectable portion for each match, said graphic user interface being adapted to display an entire e-mail message in which a match occurred when the user-selectable portion for that match is selected.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said graphic user interface is adapted to present said indications of information on a per-site basis, wherein each site corresponds to a subnetwork of the computer network;

and

wherein said configuration file generator is adapted to generate said DHCP server configuration file on a per-site basis.