System and method for network device communication

• US 8,015,255 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Primm, Michael, Stich, Martin John, Faulkner, Gary, Joy, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US12/627,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 709206-209, 709/219, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to a method for communicating with a monitoring device. The method includes sending an unsolicited-type message from a client program resident on the monitoring device coupled to a first secure network. The unsolicited-type message is sent to a computing system coupled to a second network separated from the first secure network by a firewall. The method also includes receiving a response message to the unsolicited-type message from the computing system. The response message includes an embedded unsolicited-type message. The client program is resident on the monitoring device receiving the response message. The method further includes providing the embedded unsolicited-type message to a server program resident on the monitoring device.

Claims

1. A method of communication between a monitoring device coupled to a first secure network and a computing system coupled to a second network separated from the first secure network by a firewall, the method comprising:

sending, by a client program resident on the monitoring device, an unsolicited-type message to the computing system;

receiving, by the client program, a response message to the unsolicited-type message, the response message including an embedded unsolicited-type message;

parsing, by the client program, the embedded unsolicited-type message from the response message; and

providing, by the client program, the embedded unsolicited-type message to a server program resident on the monitoring device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising preparing a second response message using the server program, the second response message responsive to the embedded unsolicited-type message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second response message includes data requested in the embedded unsolicited-type message.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing the second response message to the client program.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising sending a second unsolicited-type message from the client program resident on the monitoring device to the computing system, the second unsolicited-type message including the second response message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second response message includes a unique identifier associated with the embedded unsolicited-type message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the embedded unsolicited-type message includes a request for data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the embedded unsolicited-type message includes configuration data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the embedded unsolicited-type message includes program update data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the unsolicited-type message includes an HTTP POST message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the embedded unsolicited-type message includes an HTTP GET message.

12. A method of communication between a monitoring device coupled to a first secure network and a host computer coupled to a second network separated from the first secure network by a firewall, the method comprising:

receiving, by the host computer, a first unsolicited-type message from the monitoring device;

embedding a second unsolicited-type message within a response message, the second unsolicited-type message addressed to a server program resident on the monitoring device, and

sending, by the host computer, the response message to a client program resident on the monitoring device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first unsolicited-type message includes an HTTP POST message.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a third unsolicited-type message including an embedded response message associated with the second unsolicited-type message.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the second unsolicited-type message includes an HTTP GET message.

16. A host system comprising:

a processor;

a network interface coupled to the processor; and

memory coupled to the processor and including;

a server program having instructions that configure the processor to;

receive an embedded request; and

execute the embedded request; and

a client program having instructions that configure the processor to;

send an unsolicited-type message via the network interface;

receive a response message associated with the unsolicited-type message,

the response message including the embedded request;

parse the embedded request from the response message; and

provide the embedded request to the server program.

17. The host system of claim 16, further comprising a monitoring system, wherein the server program has instructions that configure the processor to access the monitoring system.

18. The host system of claim 17, wherein the monitoring system is coupled to a sensor.

19. The host system of claim 16, wherein the server program has instructions that configure the processor to prepare response data based on the embedded request and communicate the response data to the client program.

20. The host system of claim 19, wherein the client program has instructions that configure the processor to embed the response data in a second unsolicited-type message and communicate the second unsolicited-type message to a remote system via the network interface.