Network resource access using social networks

• US 8,943,202 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2012
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chevillat, Jrme
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAIR, DOUGLAS B
• Application Number:
  US13/349,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20130185426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A network controller is enabled to control a network that is administered by a network administrator. The network controller provides the network administrator with an option to register an association with a social network from a plurality of available social networks. The network controller identifies a social network selected by the network administrator. The network controller receives, from the social network, a user identification associated with an account the network administrator in the first social network. The network controller receives from the network administrator configuration parameters for resources in the network. Based on the configuration parameters received from the network administrator, the network controller configures access to resources in the network.

Claims

1. A method for administering access to a network, the method comprising:

receiving, at a network controller, an input from a network administrator associated with controlling a first network;

in response to receiving the input, displaying, by the network controller, information corresponding to social networks supported by the network controller;

receiving, from the network administrator, selection of a first social network from the displayed information, wherein the selection of the first social network includes information about an association between the network administrator and the first social network;

establishing a communications session between the network controller and the first social network;

receiving, from the first social network, user identification information associated with the network administrator in the first social network;

receiving, from the network administrator, configuration parameters for resources in the first network; and

configuring, based on the configuration parameters received from the network administrator and the user identification information associated with the network administrator received from the first social network, access to resources in the first network,

wherein displaying a set of social networks supported by the network controller comprises;

determining whether an association with a social network corresponding to the network administrator exists in the network controller;

responsive to determining that an association with a social network corresponding to the network administrator does not exist in the network controller, providing the network administrator with an option to register an association with a social network from amongst the social networks supported by the network controller; and

identifying the first social network based on a selection made by the network administrator in response to providing the option.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from the network administrator, configuration parameters for resources in the first network include:

determining information about a first group associated with the network administrator in the first social network based on receiving the user identification information associated with the network administrator in the first social network; and

receiving information from the network administrator on configuring access to a first resource in the first network, wherein the information on configuring access includes instructions to allow access to the first resource to users included in the first group associated with the network administrator in the first social network.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, from a user, a request to access the first resource in the first network, wherein the request is generated by a user device;

receiving, from the first social network, information corresponding to a relationship between the user and the network administrator in the first social network;

determining, based on the information corresponding to the relationship received from the first social network and the configuration parameters for resources that are received from the network administrator, access rights of the user to the first resource in the first network, wherein the access rights of the user are associated with the user device; and

responsive to determining access rights of the user to the first resource in the first network, allowing the user device to use the first resource in the first network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining access rights of the user to the first resource comprises:

determining whether the user is included in the first group associated with the network administrator in the first social network; and

allowing the user to access the first resource in the first network based on determining that the user is included in the first group.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

responsive to receiving information associated with the relationship between the user and the network administrator in the first social network, storing information associated with user, wherein the information is stored in a database that is associated with the network controller.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein configuring, based on the configuration parameters received from the network administrator, access to resources in the first network comprises storing information associated with access rights to the resources in the first network in the database.

7. The method of claim 5, comprising:

storing at least one of;

information associated with the first social network, identification of the user, information associated with the relationship between the user and the network administrator in the first social network, identifying information associated with the user device, information associated with resources in the first network that the user is allowed to access, or a validity period associated with the access granted to the user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the identifying information associated with the user device includes a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of the user device.

9. The method of claim 7, the method comprising:

storing information associated with a plurality of users in the first network;

for each user in the plurality of users, querying the first social network for updates to information corresponding to the relationship between the respective user and the network administrator in the first social network;

receiving from the social network, for each user in the plurality of users, updates to information corresponding to the relationship between the respective user and the network administrator in the first social network;

determining, for each user in the plurality of users, whether access rights associated with respective user is valid based on updated information corresponding to the relationship between the respective user and the network in the first social network; and

for each user in the plurality of users, responsive to determining that the access rights associated with respective user is no longer valid, deleting information associated with the respective user from the database.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications session with the first social network is established using an application programming interface (API) provided by the first social network, and

wherein information from the first social network is received using Open Authorization protocol version 2.0 (OAuth 2.0).

11. The method of claim 1, the method comprising:

receiving, at the network controller, an input from a second network administrator for administering a second network controlled by the network controller, wherein the input from the second network administrator includes information about an association between the second network administrator and a second social network supported by the network controller;

establishing a connection between the network controller and the second social network;

receiving, from the second social network, user identification information associated with the second network administrator in the second social network;

receiving, from the second network administrator, configuration parameters for resources in the second network; and

configuring, based on the configuration parameters received from the network administrator and the user identification information associated with the second network administrator received from the second social network, access to resources in the second network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first network and the second network are a same network.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first social network and the second social network are a same social network.

14. A system for administering access to a network, the system comprising:

a network controller comprising first instructions encoded in a non-transitory machine-readable medium that, when executed by a first processor, are configured to cause the first processor to perform operations including;

receiving, at the network controller, an input from a network administrator associated with controlling a first network;

in response to receiving the input, displaying, by the network controller, information corresponding to social networks supported by the network controller;

receiving, at the network controller and from the network administrator, selection of a first social network from the displayed information, wherein the selection of the first social network includes information about an association between the network administrator and the first social network;

establishing a communications session between the network controller and the first social network;

receiving, from the first social network, user identification information associated with the network administrator in the first social network;

receiving, from the network administrator, configuration parameters for resources in the first network; and

configuring, based on the configuration parameters received from the network administrator and the user identification information associated with the network administrator received from the first social network, access to resources in the network,

wherein displaying a set of social networks supported by the network controller comprises;

determining whether an association with a social network corresponding to the network administrator exists in the network controller;

responsive to determining that an association with a social network corresponding to the network administrator does not exist in the network controller, providing the network administrator with an option to register an association with a social network from amongst the social networks supported by the network controller; and

identifying the first social network based on a selection made by the network administrator in response to providing the option.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first instructions are configured to cause the first processor to perform operations including:

establishing the communications session with the first social network using an application programming interface (API) provided by the social network.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the first instructions are configured to cause the first processor to perform operations including:

receiving information from the first social network using Open Authorization protocol version 2.0 (OAuth 2.0).

17. The system of claim 14, comprising:

a user device including second instructions encoded in a non-transitory machine-readable medium that, when executed by a second processor, are configured to cause the second processor to perform operations comprising;

sending a request to the network controller to access a first resource in the first network;

responsive to a query from the network controller, providing the network controller with information associated with a user of the user device in the first social network, wherein the information is provided by the user;

receiving permission from the network controller to access the first resource; and

responsive to receiving permission from the network controller, using the first resource in the first network.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first instructions are configured to cause the first processor to perform operations including:

receiving, from the user device, a request to access the first resource in the first network;

receiving, from the first social network, information corresponding to a relationship between the user and the network administrator in the first social network;

determining, based on the information corresponding to the relationship received from the first social network and configuration parameters for resources that are received from the network administrator, access rights of the user to the first resource in the first network, wherein the access rights of the user are associated with the user device; and

responsive to determining access rights of the user to the first resource in the first network, allowing the user device to use the first resource in the first network.

19. A computer program product, implemented in a non-transitory machine-readable medium, the computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations including:

receiving, at a network controller, an input from a network administrator associated with controlling a first network;

in response to receiving the input, displaying, by the network controller, information corresponding to social networks supported by the network controller;

receiving, from the network administrator, selection of a first social network from the displayed information, wherein the selection of the first social network includes information about an association between the network administrator and the first social network;

establishing a communications session between the network controller and the first social network;

receiving, from the first social network, user identification information associated with the network administrator in the first social network;

receiving, from the network administrator, configuration parameters for resources in the first network; and

configuring, based on the configuration parameters received from the network administrator and the user identification information associated with the network administrator received from the first social network, access to resources in the first network,

wherein displaying a set of social networks supported by the network controller comprises;

determining whether an association with a social network corresponding to the network administrator exists in the network controller;

responsive to determining that an association with a social network corresponding to the network administrator does not exist in the network controller, providing the network administrator with an option to register an association with a social network from amongst the social networks supported by the network controller; and

identifying the first social network based on a selection made by the network administrator in response to providing the option.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the instructions cause the processing device to perform operations including:

receiving, from a user, a request to access a first resource in the first network, wherein the request is generated by the user using a user device;

receiving, from the first social network, information corresponding to a relationship between the user and the network administrator in the first social network;

determining, based on the information corresponding to the relationship received from the first social network and the configuration parameters for resources that are received from the network administrator, access rights of the user to the first resource in the first network, wherein the access rights of the user are associated with the user device; and

responsive to determining access rights of the user to the first resource in the first network, allowing the user device to use the first resource in the first network.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the instructions cause the processing device to perform operations including:

establishing the communications session with the first social network using an application programming interface (API) provided by the social network.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the instructions cause the processing device to perform operations including:

receiving information from the first social network using Open Authorization protocol version 2.0 (OAuth 2.0).