Client-independent network supervision application

• US 9,282,018 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• 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, Li, Mingliang, Kang, Yong, Conway, Adam, Williams, Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Liangche A
• Application Number:
  US14/177,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20140156841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/223
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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, comprising:

receiving a monitoring request, from a first network device associated with a first network user, to monitor the first network device and a group of additional network devices, the first network device and the group of additional network devices being associated with one or more network clients for network activity related to a network;

polling a plurality of wireless access points configured to provide access to the network in order to identify a first wireless access point of the plurality of wireless access points, the first wireless access point being configured to monitor activity of the group of additional network devices associated with the first network device;

configuring the first wireless access point to monitor the network activity of the group;

collecting network activity information for at least a first portion of the group of additional network devices, the network activity information relating to network activity of the first portion of the group of additional network devices through the first wireless access point;

providing instructions to the first wireless access point to provide the network activity information to the first network device;

receiving, using the first wireless access point, a first network resource address from the first network device;

intercepting, using the first wireless access point, a second network resource request from at least one network device in the group of additional network devices;

identifying a location of the at least one network device;

associating the at least one network device with the group of additional network devices in response to identifying the location of the at least one network device;

in response to identifying the at least one network device as being associated with the group of additional network devices, redirecting the at least one network device to the second network resource address by providing a location-specific redirection response message including the second network resource address to the at least one network device, the location-specific redirection response message being based, at least in part, on the location of the at least one network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of additional network devices includes a class, further comprising identifying the group of additional network devices associated with the first network device, the identifying the group of additional network devices comprising accessing class data to identify the group of additional network devices based on an association between the group of additional network devices and the class.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the group of additional network devices comprises receiving from the first network device a class selection specifying the class.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the group of additional network devices comprises accessing the class data to identify classes associated with the first network device, further comprising:

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

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

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring a second wireless access point providing wireless network connections to a second portion of the group of additional network devices to collect second network activity information and forward the second network activity information to the first wireless access point.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to receiving an input from the first network device, preventing the at least one network device from accessing at least one network address.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one network address identifies a network location on a local-area network including the at least one network device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one network address is accessed via a wide-area network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless access point intercepts the network resource request from the at least one network device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network resource request is a Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) request.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the location-specific redirection response message comprises a Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) redirect instruction.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the group of additional network devices associated with the first network device, the identifying the group of additional network devices associated with the first network device comprising:

identifying a first client network device providing the monitoring request;

identifying the first network device based on an association between the first network device and the first client network device;

accessing class data to identify the group of additional network devices associated with the first network device;

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

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the identifying the first wireless access point comprises identifying at least one wireless access point providing wireless network connections with at least a portion of the additional client network devices.

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

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the network activity information to the first network device using the first wireless access point comprises:

determining an aggregate evaluation of network activity information for each of at least a second portion of the group of additional network devices;

providing the aggregate evaluation of network activity information to the first network device for display as visual indicators.

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

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the aggregate evaluation of network activity information includes an indicator of a network event.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the aggregate evaluation of network activity information is based on factors including wireless network connection status.

19. A 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 device associated with a first network user, to monitor the first network device and a group of additional network devices, the first network device and the group of additional network devices being associated with one or more network clients for network activity related to a network;

polling a plurality of wireless access points configured to provide access to the network in order to identify a first wireless access point of the plurality of wireless access points, the first wireless access point being configured to monitor network activity of the group of additional network devices associated with the first network device;

configuring the first wireless access point to monitor the network activity of the group;

collecting network activity information for at least a first portion of the group of additional network devices, the network activity information relating to network activity of the first portion of the group of additional network devices through the first wireless access point;

providing instructions to the first wireless access point to provide the network activity information to the first network device;

receiving, using the first wireless access point, a first network resource address from the first network device;

intercepting, using the first wireless access point, a second network resource request from at least one network device in the group of additional network devices;

identifying a location of the at least one network device;

associating the at least one network device with the group of additional network devices in response to identifying the location of the at least one network device;

in response to identifying the at least one network device as being associated with the group of additional network devices, redirecting the at least one network device to the second network resource address by providing a location-specific redirection response message including the second network resource address to the at least one network device, the location-specific redirection response message being based, at least in part, on the location of the at least one network device.