System and method for secure management or remote systems

• US 7,222,228 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2000
• Issued: 05/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Netwolves IP LLC (Vaso Corp.)
• Original Assignee: NetWolves Corporation (Vaso Corp.)
• Inventors: Lombard, Stephen, Stephens, Daniel Guy Jr., Powali, Edwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): KLIMACH, PAULA W
• Application Number:
  US09/702,483
• Time in Patent Office: 2,394 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 709/206, 713/201, 713/1, 713/100, 726/18
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/044 comprising hierarchical management structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information

Abstract

A secure system and method for managing and monitoring remote devices preferably includes periodic pulling of configuration information from an accessible platform rather than pushing information from a central site. In one implementation, an electronic mail system is used as a staging platform in combination with a defined polling arrangement to transfer encrypted configuration information in a robust and secure method for updating remote device configurations.

Claims

1. A system for securely configuring at least one remote gateway server, the system comprising:

an administration machine structured to create, update, and maintain a configuration data file,

the administration machine comprising a storage device structured to store the configuration data file,

the administration machine further structured to access the configuration data file from the storage device, and to compress and encrypt the configuration data file to produce an encrypted file,

the administration machine further comprising a network interface structured to interface with a network,

the administration machine further structured to transmit the encrypted file to a remote email server via standard mail transfer protocol,

a remote email server structured to receive the encrypted file from the administration machine and to temporarily store the encrypted file,

a remote gateway server comprising a remote network interface structured to interface with the network,

the remote network interface structured to retrieve the encrypted file from the remote email server via standard mail transfer protocol, without receipt of an incoming request for reconfiguration from the administration machine,

no direct communication pathway is established between the administration machine and the remote gateway server to transmit or retrieve the at least one file with the email message via standard mail transfer protocol,

the remote gateway server further comprising a storage device to store the encrypted file,

the remote gateway server structured to access the encrypted file from the storage device and to decrypt the encrypted file to produce a decrypted configuration data file,

the remote gateway server further structured to reconfigure at least one configuration parameter in accordance with the decrypted configuration data file, and

the remote gateway server structured to prevent a port from opening to monitor for an incoming request for reconfiguration from the administration machine, thereby eliminating a communication pathway for unauthorized access.

2. A system for securely configuring a remote gateway server, the system comprising:

an administration machine structured to create, update, and maintain a configuration data file,

the administration machine comprising a storage device structured to store the configuration data file,

the administration machine further structured to access the configuration data file from the storage device, and to compress and encrypt the configuration data file to produce an encrypted file,

the administration machine further comprising a network interface structured to interface with a network,

the administration machine further structured to transmit the encrypted file to a remote email server via standard mail transfer protocol,

a remote email server structured to receive the encrypted file from the administration machine and to temporarily store the encrypted file,

the remote gateway server comprising a remote network interface structured to interface with the network,

the remote network interface structured to retrieve the encrypted file from the remote email server via standard mail transfer protocol in response to a polling of the remote email server by the remote gateway server and without first requiring receipt of an incoming request for reconfiguration from the administration machine,

no direct communication pathway is established between the administration machine and the remote gateway server to transmit or retrieve the at least one file with the email message via standard mail transfer protocol,

the remote gateway server further comprising a storage device to store the encrypted file,

the remote gateway server structured to access the encrypted file from the storage device and to decrypt the encrypted file to produce a decrypted configuration data file,

the remote gateway server further structured to reconfigure at least one configuration parameter in accordance with the decrypted configuration data file,

the remote gateway server structured to prevent opening a port to monitor for an incoming reconfiguration notification message from the administration machine, thereby eliminating an open port for unauthorized access to the remote gateway server, and

the remote gateway server further structured to periodically transmit an email message via the remote email server to the administration machine to confirm the remote gateway device is operating in accordance with current configuration data.