Method, system and program for detecting communication code information

• US 6,871,285 B1
• Filed: 07/07/1999
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Carney, Dennis Michael, Johnson, Charles David, Nguyen, Ryan Hoa
• Primary Examiner(s): HUA, LY
• Application Number:
  US09/348,251
• Time in Patent Office: 2,085 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200, 713/201, 713/202, 700/237, 235/375, 235/382, 340/5.54
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/365 Application layer names, e.g. buddy names, unstructured names chosen by a user or home appliance name
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• 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 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and apparatus for detecting and protecting communication code information, such as for example Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) community names, while still allowing the information to be changed. A search for the proper code for a device is made. However if the code cannot be determined automatically, a user is prompted to insert a code. Also, the user is allowed to change the code as needed.

Claims

1. A computerized method of determining a code to use to communicate with a device, comprising:

providing at least two codes;

determining whether a first code permits a first or second type of communication with the device;

determining whether a second code permits the first or second type of communication with the device in response to determining that the first code does not permit the first type of communication with the device;

using the first code to perform the first type of communication with the device in response to determining that the first code permits the first type of communication with the device;

using the second code to perform the first type of communication with the device in response to determining that the second code permits the first type of communication with the device; and

using one of the first code and second code that permit the second type of communication to perform the second type of communication with the device in response to determining that neither the first code nor second code permit the first type of communication.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving user input of a user code after determining that the first and second codes do not permit the first type of communication;

determining whether the user code permits the first type of communication with the device; and

using the user code to communicate with the device after determining that the user code permits the first type of communication with the device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising:

using the first code to communicate with the device in response to determining that the first code permits the second type communication with the device and in response to determining that the user code does not permit the first type of communication with the device; and

using the second code to communicate with the device after determining that the second code permits the second type of communication with the device and in response to determining that the first code does not permit the second type of communication with the device and the user code does not permit the first type of communication with the device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising displaying a password protected field for codes.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the provided codes for communicating with the device comprise SNMP community names.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting user input of a user code in response to determining that the first and second codes do not permit the first type of communication and permit the second type of communication; and

using one of the first and second codes that permit the second type of communication to communicate with the device in response to receiving user input indicating that no user code will be provided.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting user input of a user code in response to determining that the first and second codes do not permit the first type of communication and at least one of the first and second codes permit the second type of communication;

receiving the user code in the user input;

using the user code to perform the first type of communication with the device in response to determining that the user code permits the first type of communication.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

requesting user input of an additional user code in response to determining that a previously received user code does not permit the first type of communication.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

indicating to the user that located codes only permit the second type of communication when requesting the user input of the user code.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting user input of a user code in response to determining that both the first and second codes do not permit the first type of communication and at least one of the first and second codes permit the second type of communication;

receiving user input indicating no user code; and

using one of the first and second codes that permits the second type of communication to perform the second type of communication with the device in response to receiving the user input indicating no user code.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first type of communication comprises read and write access to the device and wherein the second type of communication comprises read-only access to the device.

12. A system for determining a code to use to communicate with a device, comprising:

means for providing at least two codes;

means for determining whether a first code permits a first or second type of communication with the device;

means for determining whether a second code permits the first or second type of communication with the device in response to determining that the first code does not permit the first type of communication with the device;

means for using the first code to communicate with the device in response to determining that the first code permits the first type of communication with the device;

means for using the second code to communicate with the device in response to determining that the second code permits the first type of communication with the device; and

means for using one of the first code and second code that permit the second type of communication to perform the second type of communication with the device in response to determining that neither the first code nor second code permit the first type of communication.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the program logic further comprises:

means for receiving user input of a user code after determining that the first and second codes do not permit the first type of communication;

means for determining whether the user code permits the first type of communication with the device; and

means for using the user code to communicate with the device after determining that the user code permits the first type of communication with the device.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the program logic further comprises:

means for using the first code to communicate with the device in response to determining that the first code permits the second type of communication with the device and in response to determining that the user code does not permit the first type of communication with the device; and

means for using the second code to communicate with the device in response to determining that the second code permits the second type of communication with the device and determining that the first code does not permit the second type of communication with the device and the user code does not permit the first type of communication with the device.

15. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the program logic further comprises means for displaying a password protected field for codes.

16. The system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the provided codes for communicating with the device comprise SNMP community names.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

means for requesting user input of a user code in response to determining that the first and second codes do not permit the first type of communication and permit the second type of communication; and

means for using one of the first and second codes that permit the second type of communication to communicate with the device in response to receiving user input indicating that no user code will be provided.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

means for requesting user input of a user code in response to determining that the first and second codes do not permit the first type of communication and at least one of the first and second codes permit the second type of communication;

means for receiving the user code in the user input; and

means using the user code to perform the first type of communication with the device in response to determining that the user code permits the first type of communication.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for requesting user input of an additional user code in response to determining that a previously received user code does not permit the first type of communication.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for indicating to the user that located codes only permit the second type of communication when requesting the user input of the user code.

21. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

means for requesting user input of a user code in response to determining that both the first and second codes do not permit the first type of communication and at least one of the first and second codes permit the second type of communication;

means for receiving user input indicating no user code; and

means for using one of the first and second codes that permits the second type of communication to perform the second type of communication with the device in response to receiving the user input indicating no user code.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the first type of communication comprises read and write access to the device and wherein the second type of communication comprises read-only access to the device.

23. An article of manufacture for use in determining a code to use to communicate with a device, the article of manufacture comprising computer usable media including at least one computer program embedded therein that causes the computer to perform:

providing at least two codes;

determining whether a first code permits a first or second type of communication with the device;

determining whether a second code permits a first or second type of communication with the device in response to determining that the first code does not permit the first type of communication with the device;

using the first code to perform the first type of communication with the device in response to determining that the first code permits the first type of communication with the device;

using the second code to perform the first type of communication with the device in response to determining that the second code permits communication with the device; and

using one of the first code and second code that permit the second type of communication to perform the second type of communication with the device in response to determining that neither the first code nor second code permit the first type of communication.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23 further comprising:

receiving user input of a user code after determining that the first and second codes do not permit the first type of communication;

determining whether the user code permits the first type of communication with the device; and

using the user code to communicate with the device after determining that the user code permits the first type of communication with the device.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 24 further comprising:

using the first code to communicate with the device in response to determining that the first code permits the second type of communication with the device and that the user code does not permit the first type of communication with the device; and

using the second code to communicate with the device after determining that the second code permits the second type of communication with the device and in response to determining that the first code does not permit the second type of communication with the device and the user code does not permit the first type of communication with the device.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 24 further comprising displaying a password protected field for codes.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 23 wherein the provided codes for communicating with the device comprise SNMP community names.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 23, further comprising:

requesting user input of a user code in response to determining that the first and second codes do not permit the first type of communication and permit the second type of communication; and

using one of the first and second codes that permit the second type of communication to communicate with the device in response to receiving user input indicating that no user code will be provided.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 23, further comprising:

requesting user input of a user code in response to determining that the first and second codes do not permit the first type of communication and at least one of the first and second codes permit the second type of communication;

receiving the user code in the user input; and

using the user code to perform the first type of communication with the device in response to determining that the user code permits the first type of communication.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 29, further comprising:

requesting user input of an additional user code in response to determining that a previously received user code does not permit the first type of communication.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 29, further comprising:

indicating to the user that located codes only permit the second type of communication when requesting the user input of the user code.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 23, further comprising:

requesting user input of a user code in response to determining that both the first and second codes do not permit the first type of communication and at least one of the first and second codes permit the second type of communication;

receiving user input indicating no user code; and

using one of the first and second codes that permits the second type of communication to perform the second type of communication with the device in response to receiving the user input indicating no user code.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the first type of communication comprises read and write access to the device and wherein the second type of communication comprises read-only access to the device.