Client-independent network supervision application

• US 8,671,187 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2011
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aerohive Networks Incorporated (Extreme Networks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fu, Long, Kang, Yong, Li, Mingliang, Conway, Adam, Williams, Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Yi, David X
• Application Number:
  US13/192,325
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A network monitoring and control application suitable for use by teachers and other users is implemented using wireless access points and does not require specific software to be installed on client network devices. The application uses student and class information to organize network client information. Upon receiving a monitoring request, one or more classes assigned to the teacher are identified by accessing class data. Class data is accessed to identify students assigned to the class and the client network devices used by these students. One wireless access point providing wireless network connections to at least a portion of the students'"'"' devices is selected to collect network activity information from the students'"'"' devices and presents this information to the teacher. The teacher may also use the selected wireless access point to disable students'"'"' network access or to redirect students'"'"' devices to a network resource.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring network clients, the method comprising:

receiving a monitoring request, from a first network user, to monitor network clients for network activity;

identifying a group of additional network users associated with the first network user;

identifying a wireless access point suitable for monitoring network activity of the group of additional network users;

collecting network activity information for at least a first portion of the group of additional network users, wherein the network activity information relates to network activity of the first portion through the identified wireless access point;

providing the network activity information to the first network user using the identified wireless access point, wherein providing the network activity information to the first network user using the identified wireless access point comprises determining an aggregate evaluation of network activity information for at least a second portion of the group of additional network users, and providing the aggregate evaluation of network activity information to the first network user for display as visual indicators, and wherein the aggregate evaluation of network activity information is based on factors including wireless network connection status;

receiving a network resource address from the first network user;

intercepting a network resource request from at least one of the additional network users, wherein the network resource request is an HTTP request;

identifying the at least one of the additional network users as associated with the group;

in response to identifying the at least one of the additional network users as associated with the group, redirecting the at least one of the additional network users to the network resource address by providing an HTTP redirection response message including the network resource address to the at least one of the additional network users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the group includes a class.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the group of additional network users comprises:

accessing class data to identify the additional network users based on their association with the class.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the group of additional network users comprises:

receiving a class selection specifying the class from the first network user.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the group of additional network users comprises:

accessing the class data to identify classes associated with the first network user.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising:

accessing the class data to identify a class schedule associated with the first network user;

automatically selecting the class from the classes associated with the first network user based on the class schedule and a current time.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

configuring a second wireless access point providing wireless network connections to a third portion of the group of additional network users to collect second network activity information and forward the second network activity information to the identified wireless access point.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

preventing at least one of the additional network users from accessing at least one network address in response to receiving an input from the first network user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the network address is located on a local-area network including the at least one of the additional network users.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the network address is accessed via a wide-area network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified wireless access point intercepts the network resource request from the at least one of the additional network users.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the group of additional network users associated with the first network user comprises:

identifying a first client network device providing the monitoring request;

identifying the first network user based on an association with the first client network device;

accessing class data to identify the group of additional network users associated with the first network user;

identifying additional client network devices associated with the group of additional network users.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying the wireless access point suitable for monitoring the group of additional network users comprises:

identifying at least one wireless access point providing wireless network connections with at least a third portion of the additional client network devices.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the monitoring request from the first network user comprises:

authenticating the first network user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregate evaluation of network activity information is further based on at least one criterion.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregate evaluation of network activity information includes an indicator of a network event.

17. A system for monitoring network clients, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory including instructions to cause the processor to perform the steps of;

receiving a monitoring request, from a first network user, to monitor network clients for network activity;

identifying a group of additional network users associated with the first network user;

identifying a wireless access point suitable for monitoring network activity of the group of additional network users;

collecting network activity information for at least a first portion of the group of additional network users, wherein the network activity information relates to network activity of the first portion through the identified wireless access point;

providing the network activity information to the first network user using the identified wireless access point, wherein providing the network activity information to the first network user using the identified wireless access point comprises determining an aggregate evaluation of network activity information for at least a second portion of the group of additional network users, and providing the aggregate evaluation of network activity information to the first network user for display as visual indicators, and wherein the aggregate evaluation of network activity information is based on factors including wireless network connection status;

receiving a network resource address from the first network user;

intercepting a network resource request from at least one of the additional network users, wherein the network resource request is an HTTP request;

identifying the at least one of the additional network users as associated with the grow;

in response to identifying the at least one of the additional network users as associated with the group, redirecting the at least one of the additional network users to the network resource address by providing an HTTP redirection response message including the network resource address to the at least one of the additional network users.