Network address allocation using a user identity

• US 8,296,403 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2009
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus Software, Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Jose, Prasanth, Subramanivan, Kalyanasundaram, Ramamoorthy, Karthik
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US12/604,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20110099252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-228, 709/232, 370/328, 370/331, 370/349, 370/389, 370/401
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]

Abstract

Apparatus, systems, and methods assign a permanent network address to a user identity, detect access to a network by a node associated with the user identity, generate an identifier associated with the user identity, and send the identifier to the node to enable the node to obtain replacement of a temporary network address allocated to the node, with the permanent network address. Activities may include receiving a release request from a node to release a temporary network address allocated to the node (associated with the user identity), receiving an allocation request (including the identifier) from the node to allocate a permanent network address previously assigned to the user identity, and allocating the permanent network address to the node as a replacement for the temporary network address. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first node to access a storage unit to store a plurality of mapping lists, at least one of the plurality of mapping lists including one or more permanent network addresses assigned to a user identity;

a generator module to generate, using at least one processor, an identifier associated with the user identity when access to a network by a second node associated with the user identity is detected; and

a transmission module to send the identifier to the second node to enable the second node to obtain replacement of a temporary network address allocated to the second node with at least one permanent network address of the one or more permanent network addresses, the transmission module to receive a release request from the second node to release the temporary network address allocated to the second node, to receive an allocation request from the second node to allocate the at least one permanent network address, the allocation request including the identifier, to allocate the at least one permanent network address to the second node as the replacement for the temporary network address, and to assign the at least one permanent network address to a third node based on a determination that a user associated with the user identity moves from the second node and logs on to the third node.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first node comprises a directory service server.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the storage unit housed in the first node or in another node.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the other node comprises a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more permanent network addresses are assigned to the user identity when a corresponding user account is created by the first node.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more permanent network addresses comprise a plurality of network addresses associated with a same subnet of the network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more permanent network addresses comprise a first network address and a second network address, the first network address being associated with a first subnet of the network and the second network address being associated with a second subnet of the network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifier is generated as a result of authenticating the user identity.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises a random identifier and a user name, the random identifier being different for each request for a permanent network address.

10. A processor-implemented method to execute on one or more processors that perform the method, comprising:

accessing a storage unit, by a first node, to store a plurality of mapping lists including one or more permanent network addresses;

assigning at least one permanent network address of the one or more permanent network addresses to a user identity;

detecting a second node accessing a network, the second node associated with the user identity;

generating an identifier associated with the user identity;

sending, via a transmission module, the identifier to the second node to enable the second node to obtain replacement of a temporary network address allocated to the second node with the at least one permanent network address;

receiving, via the transmission module, a release request from the second node to release the temporary network address allocated to the second node;

receiving an allocation request from the second node to allocate the at least one permanent network address, the allocation request including the identifier; and

allocating the at least one permanent network address to the second node as the replacement for the temporary network address, the at least one permanent network address to be assigned to a third node based on a determination that a user associated with the user identity moves from the second node and logs on to the third node.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the detecting comprises:

authenticating the user identity.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the authenticating comprises:

determining that log-in credentials received from the second node are associated with the user identity.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the generating comprises:

generating the identifier as a random identifier.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving an address mapping request from an address management server, the request including the identifier.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

sending an address mapping list including the at least one permanent network address to an address management server in response to receiving a request from the address management server, the request including the identifier.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the sending comprises:

sending the address mapping list from a directory service.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the node comprises one of a physical machine or a virtual machine.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifier comprises a randomly-generated identifier generated by a directory service.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting an address mapping request to a directory service, the request including the identifier.

20. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving an address mapping list including the at least one permanent network address from a directory service.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the address mapping list comprises:

multiple permanently-assigned network addresses associated with the user identity, including the at least one permanent network address.