System and method for authenticating an element in a network environment

• US 7,940,656 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2007
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gossman, William C., Das, Amitava, Salowey, Joseph A., Wright, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): HYUN, SOON D
• Application Number:
  US11/949,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20080081592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A method for authenticating an element in a network environment is provided that includes receiving a request for one or more triplets. One or more of the triplets may be associated with an authentication communications protocol that may be executed in order to facilitate a communication session. The method further includes returning one or more of the triplets in response to the request and initiating the communication session in response to the triplets after proper authentication of an entity associated with the request.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a mobile application part (MAP) gateway configured to;

cache a plurality of triplets used with an authentication communications protocol to authenticate a communication session;

receive a request for one or more requested triplets, the request sent from a wireless local area network (WLAN) element and forwarded by an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server;

if the plurality of triplets comprises the one or more requested triplets, return the one or more requested triplets to the WLAN element such that a home location register (HLR) does not provide the one or more requested triplets; and

otherwise, forward the request to the HLR to allow the HLR to provide the one or more requested triplets.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the MAP gateway and the AAA server are connected through an IP network; and

the communication session occurs in a Global System for Mobile (GSM) environment.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the MAP gateway comprising a caching algorithm comprising:

a first parameter indicating a number of times a parameter can be reused; and

a second parameter indicating a number of times a parameter has been reused.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the MAP gateway configured to recognize and account for a staleness parameter, which addresses security, in the request.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the AAA server configured to communicate one or more next triplets the WLAN element in response to a next request for the one or more next triplets.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, the AAA server comprising a cache table configured to store one or more next triplets.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, the MAP gateway configured to cache one or more access requests received by the MAP gateway, the access requests included in one or more RADIUS flows propagating to the MAP gateway.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, the MAP gateway configured to forward the request to the HLR to allow the HLR to verify an identification element included in the request in order to authorize communication of requested triplets.

9. A method comprising:

caching, by a mobile application part (MAP) gateway, a plurality of triplets used with an authentication communications protocol to authenticate a communication session;

receiving a request for one or more requested triplets, the request sent from a wireless local area network (WLAN) element and forwarded by an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server;

if the plurality of triplets comprises the one or more requested triplets, returning the one or more requested triplets to the WLAN element such that a home location register (HLR) does not provide the one or more requested triplets; and

otherwise, forwarding the request to the HLR to allow the HLR to provide the one or more requested triplets.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the MAP gateway and the AAA server are connected through an IP network; and

the communication session occurs in a Global System for Mobile (GSM) environment.

11. The method of claim 9, the MAP gateway comprising a caching algorithm comprising:

a first parameter indicating a number of times a parameter can be reused; and

a second parameter indicating a number of times a parameter has been reused.

12. The method of claim 9, the MAP gateway configured to recognize and account for a staleness parameter, which addresses security, in the request.

13. The method of claim 9, the AAA server configured to communicate one or more next triplets the WLAN element in response to a next request for the one or more next triplets.

14. The method of claim 9, the AAA server comprising a cache table configured to store one or more next triplets.

15. The method of claim 9, the MAP gateway configured to cache one or more access requests received by the MAP gateway, the access requests included in one or more RADIUS flows propagating to the MAP gateway.

16. The method of claim 9, the MAP gateway configured to forward the request to the HLR to allow the HLR to verify an identification element that is included in the request in order to authorize communication of requested triplets.