Control of simple network management protocol activity

• US 9,038,136 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2013
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Deisinger, Mark V., Smith, Allyn D.
• Primary Examiner(s): CERVETTI, DAVID GARCIA
• Application Number:
  US13/899,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20140351885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 726/3
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002

Abstract

A server system may be configured to receive configuration information. The server system may also be configured to determine if the configuration information includes SNMP configuration information. The server system may be further configured to disable SNMP activity and close an SNMP port if it determines that the configuration information does not include SNMP configuration information. Therefore, in the absence of any configuration information which specifies that SNMP should be available, SNMP activity is disabled and the SNMP port is closed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a server, configuration information while a simple network management protocol (SNMP) port of the server is closed, wherein the SNMP port was previously closed by default upon starting the server;

determining, by the server, if the configuration information includes SNMP configuration information; and

disabling, by the server, SNMP activity and closing an SNMP port if the server determines that the configuration information does not include SNMP configuration information,

wherein disabling SNMP activity and closing an SNMP port comprises maintaining an SNMP port in a closed state when the SNMP port is already closed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disabling, by the server, SNMP activity and closing the SNMP port if the server determines that the configuration information includes SNMP configuration information, in which the SNMP configuration information specifies that SNMP activity is disabled; and

enabling, by the server, SNMP activity and opening the SNMP port if the server determines that the configuration information includes SNMP configuration information, in which the SNMP configuration information specifies that SNMP activity is enabled.

3. The method of claim 2, in which the SNMP configuration information comprises at least one of the following:

a configuration statement specifying whether SNMP activity is enabled or disabled; and

a configuration statement specifying SNMP settings.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising disabling SNMP activity and closing the SNMP port if the SNMP configuration information includes a configuration statement specifying that SNMP activity is enabled but does not include the configuration statement specifying SNMP settings.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the SNMP configuration information specifies a protocol supported by the server; and

discarding the SNMP configuration information if the server determines that the protocol specified by the SNMP configuration information is not supported by the server.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the configuration information is dynamically modified.

7. The method of claim 1, in which the configuration information comprises input provided to the server by a user.

8. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code to perform the steps of;

receiving configuration information while a simple network management protocol (SNMP) port is closed, wherein the SNMP port was previously closed by default;

determining if the configuration information includes SNMP configuration information; and

disabling SNMP activity and closing an SNMP port if the configuration information does not include SNMP configuration information,

wherein disabling SNMP activity and closing an SNMP port comprises maintaining an SNMP port in a closed state when the SNMP port is already closed.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, in which the medium further comprises code to perform the steps of:

disabling SNMP activity and closing the SNMP port if the configuration information includes SNMP configuration information, in which the SNMP configuration information specifies that SNMP activity is disabled; and

enabling SNMP activity and opening the SNMP port if the configuration information includes SNMP configuration information, in which the SNMP configuration information specifies that SNMP activity is enabled.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, in which the SNMP configuration information comprises at least one of the following:

a configuration statement specifying whether SNMP activity is enabled or disabled; and

a configuration statement specifying SNMP settings.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, in which the medium further comprises code to perform the step of disabling SNMP activity and closing the SNMP port if the SNMP configuration information includes the configuration statement specifying that SNMP activity is enabled but does not include the configuration statement specifying SNMP settings.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, in which the medium further comprises code to perform the steps of:

determining if the SNMP configuration information specifies a supported protocol; and

discarding the SNMP configuration information if the protocol specified by the SNMP configuration information is not supported.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, in which the configuration information is dynamically modified.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, in which the configuration information comprises input provided by a user.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute the steps of;

receiving configuration information while a simple network management protocol (SNMP) port of the apparatus is closed, wherein the SNMP port was previously closed by default upon starting the apparatus;

determining if the configuration information includes SNMP configuration information; and

disabling SNMP activity and closing an SNMP port if the configuration information does not include SNMP configuration information,

wherein disabling SNMP activity and closing an SNMP port comprises maintaining an SNMP port in a closed state when the SNMP port is already closed.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, in which the processor is further configured to perform the steps of:

disabling SNMP activity and closing the SNMP port if the configuration information includes SNMP configuration information, in which the SNMP configuration information specifies that SNMP activity is disabled; and

enabling SNMP activity and opening the SNMP port if the configuration information includes SNMP configuration information, in which the SNMP configuration information specifies that SNMP activity is enabled.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, in which the SNMP configuration information comprises at least one of the following:

a configuration statement specifying whether SNMP activity is enabled or disabled; and

a configuration statement specifying SNMP settings.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, in which the processor is further configured to perform the step of disabling SNMP activity and closing the SNMP port if the SNMP configuration information includes the configuration statement specifying that SNMP activity is enabled but does not include the configuration statement specifying SNMP settings.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, in which the processor is further configured to perform the steps of:

determining if the SNMP configuration information specifies a supported protocol; and

discarding the SNMP configuration information if the protocol specified by the SNMP configuration information is not supported.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, in which the configuration information is dynamically modified.