System and method for identity based authentication in a distributed virtual switch network environment

• US 8,893,258 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rao, Sudarshana Kandachar Sridhara, Fernandes, Lilian Sylvia
• Primary Examiner(s): REVAK, CHRISTOPHER A
• Application Number:
  US13/493,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20130332982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

An example method includes forwarding user credentials from a virtual machine in a distributed virtual switch (DVS) network environment to a network element outside the DVS network environment, receiving a user policy from the AAA server, and facilitating enforcement of the user policy within the DVS network environment. The user credentials may relate to a user attempting to access the VM. In a specific embodiment, the user credentials are provided in a 802.1X packet. In a particular embodiment, a network access control (NAC) in the DVS network environment forwards the user credentials, receives the user policy, and facilitates the enforcement of the user policy. In one embodiment, the NAC is provisioned as another VM in the DVS network environment.

Claims

1. A method executed by a network access control (NAC) in a distributed virtual switch (DVS) network environment, comprising:

forwarding user credentials from a virtual machine (VM) in the DVS network environment to a network element located outside the DVS network environment, wherein the user credentials relate to a user attempting to access the VM, wherein a plurality of tenants subscribe to one or more VMs hosted in the DVS network and the tenants share underlying infrastructure of the DVS network, wherein each tenant controls a separate NAC and a separate network element that can assure security of user authentication relevant to the tenant;

receiving a user policy at the NAC from the network element, wherein the network element is configured with the user policy by a tenant controlling the NAC and the network element; and

facilitating enforcement of the user policy within the DVS network environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user credentials are provided in a 802.1X packet, and wherein the network element is an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user policy includes information related to access control lists (ACLs), virtual local area networks (VLANs), virtual eXtensible local area networks (VXLANs), and security groups that are authorized to be accessed by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user policy comprises network configuration information based on the user credentials, including user profiling, user workspace management, and user identity management.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network access control (NAC) in the DVS network environment facilitates the enforcement of the user policy through a vPath module that runs virtualized services in the DVS network, wherein the vPath intercepts new flows and forwards a packet of each new flow to a virtual security gateway (VSG) that applies appropriate policies from the user policy and sends a policy decision to the vPath, wherein the vPath caches the policy decision and enforces the policy decision for subsequent packets of the flows.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the NAC is provisioned as another VM in the DVS network environment.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the network element is located at another network controlled by the tenant.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating enforcement of the user policy comprises forwarding the user policy to a virtual Ethernet module (VEM) that can enforce the user policy.

9. Logic encoded in non-transitory media that includes instructions for execution and when executed by a processor, is operable to perform operations comprising:

forwarding, by a NAC in the DVS, user credentials from a VM in a DVS network environment to a network element outside the DVS network environment, wherein the user credentials relate to a user attempting to access the VM, wherein a plurality of tenants subscribe to one or more VMs hosted in the DVS network and the tenants share underlying infrastructure of the DVS network, wherein each tenant controls a separate NAC and a separate network element that can assure security of user authentication relevant to the tenant;

receiving a user policy at the NAC from the network element, wherein the network element is configured with the user policy by a tenant controlling the NAC and the network element; and

facilitating enforcement of the user policy within the DVS network environment.

10. The logic of claim 9, wherein the user credentials are provided in a 802.1X packet, and wherein the network element is an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) server.

11. The logic of claim 9, wherein the user policy includes information related to ACLs, VLANs, VXLANs, and security groups that are authorized to be accessed by the user.

12. The logic of claim 9, wherein the NAC facilitates the enforcement of the user policy through a vPath module that runs virtualized services in the DVS network, wherein the vPath intercepts new flows and forwards a packet of each new flow to a virtual security gateway (VSG) that applies appropriate policies from the user policy and sends a policy decision to the vPath, wherein the vPath caches the policy decision and enforces the policy decision for subsequent packets of the flows.

13. The logic of claim 12, wherein the NAC is provisioned as another VM in the DVS network environment.

14. The logic of claim 12, wherein the network element is located at another network controlled by the tenant.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory element for storing data; and

a processor that executes instructions associated with the data, wherein the processor and the memory element cooperate, such that the apparatus is configured to;

forward user credentials, by a NAC in a DVS network environment to a network element outside the DVS network environment, wherein the user credentials relate to a user attempting to access a virtual machine (VM), wherein a plurality of tenants subscribe to one or more VMs hosted in the DVS network and the tenants share underlying infrastructure of the DVS network, wherein each tenant controls a separate NAC and a separate network element that can assure security of user authentication relevant to the tenant;

receive a user policy at the NAC from the network element, wherein the network element is configured with the user policy by a tenant controlling the NAC and the network element; and

facilitate enforcement of the user policy within the DVS network environment.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the user credentials are provided in a 802.1X packet, and wherein the network element is an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) server.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the user policy includes information related to ACLs, VLANs, VXLANs, and security groups that are authorized to be accessed by the user.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the NAC facilitates the enforcement of the user policy through a vPath module that runs virtualized services in the DVS network, wherein the vPath intercepts new flows and forwards a packet of each new flow to a virtual security gateway (VSG) that applies appropriate policies from the user policy and sends a policy decision to the vPath, wherein the vPath caches the policy decision and enforces the policy decision for subsequent packets of the flows.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the NAC is provisioned as another VM in the DVS network environment.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the network element is located at another network controlled by the tenant.