Traversing firewalls

• US 9,106,526 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2003
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Perkins, Gregory Eugene, Reese, Curtis
• Primary Examiner(s): ABYANEH, ALI S
• Application Number:
  US10/394,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20040187028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,526 Days
• Field of Search: 726/11, 726/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70

Abstract

Traversing a firewall. A method embodiment includes receiving, from behind the firewall, an electronic mail message with instructions to establish a connection with a device located outside the firewall. A connection is then established through the firewall with the device outside the firewall according to the instructions in the electronic mail message.

Claims

1. A method for traversing a firewall, the firewall preventing remote devices from accessing, but allowing remote devices to send electronic mail messages to, a plurality of local network devices, the method comprising:

receiving, by a network printer of the plurality of local network devices, an electronic mail message from a remote administrator device outside the firewall, the electronic mail message including an access request and credentials of the remote administrator device;

in response to receiving the electronic mail message, validating the credentials of the remote administrator device;

in response to validating the credentials, initiating, by the network printer, a connection with the remote administrator device through the firewall;

transmitting state data of the network printer to the remote administrator device over the initiated connection, the state data providing current status information of the network printer;

receiving adjusted state data from the remote administrator device, the adjusted state data providing at least one adjustment to be made to settings of the network printer; and

based on the adjusted state data, implementing the at least one adjustment to the settings.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic mail message further includes a network address for the remote administrator device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic mail message further includes timing instructions, and wherein initiating the connection includes using the network address for the remote administrator device and is performed according to the timing instructions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network printer transmits the state data in response to a request from the remote administrator device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the current status information comprises toner levels and a number of pages printed by the network printer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the settings include duplexing, print resolution, paper source, and collating settings of the network printer.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for traversing a firewall, the firewall preventing remote devices from accessing, but allowing remote devices to send electronic mail messages to, a plurality of local network devices, wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processor of a network printer of the plurality of local network devices, cause the network printer to:

receive an electronic mail message from a remote administrator device outside the firewall, the electronic mail message including an access request and credentials of the remote administrator device;

in response to receiving the electronic mail message, validate the credentials of the remote administrator device;

in response to validating the credentials, initiate a connection with the remote administrator device through the firewall;

transmit state data of the network printer to the remote administrator device over the initiated connection, the state data providing current status information of the network printer;

receive adjusted state data from the remote administrator device, the adjusted state data providing at least one adjustment to be made to settings of the network printer; and

based on the adjusted state data, implement the at least one adjustment to the settings.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the electronic mail message further includes a network address for the remote administrator device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the electronic mail message further includes timing instructions, and wherein initiating the connection includes using the network address for the remote administrator device and is performed according to the timing instructions.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the network printer transmits the state data in response to a request from the remote administrator device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the current status information comprises toner levels and a number of pages printed by the network printer.

12. The transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the settings include duplexing, print resolution, paper source, and collating settings of the network printer.

13. A network printer comprised in a local network protected by a firewall, comprising:

a processor; and

at least one memory resource storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the network printer to;

receive an electronic mail message from a remote administrator device outside the firewall, the electronic mail message including an access request and credentials of the remote administrator device;

in response to receiving the electronic mail message, validate the credentials of the remote administrator device;

in response to validating the credentials, initiate a connection with the remote administrator device through the firewall;

transmit state data of the network printer to the remote administrator device over the initiated connection, the state data providing current status information of the network printer;

receive adjusted state data from the remote administrator device, the adjusted state data providing at least one adjustment to be made to settings of the network printer; and

based on the adjusted state data, implement the at least one adjustment to the settings.

14. The local network device of claim 13, wherein the electronic mail message further includes a network address for the remote administrator device.

15. The local network device of claim 14, wherein the electronic mail message further includes timing instructions, and wherein initiating the connection includes and is performed using the network address for the remote administrator device and is performed according to the timing instructions.

16. The local network device of claim 13, wherein the network printer transmits the state data in response to a request from the remote administrator device.

17. The local network device of claim 16, wherein the current status information comprises toner levels and a number of pages printed by the network printer.

18. The local network device of claim 17, wherein the settings include duplexing, print resolution, paper source, and collating settings of the network printer.