Implementing policies for an enterprise network using policy instructions that are executed through a local policy framework

• US 9,356,933 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2013
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: King, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Colin, Carl
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jamshidi, Ghodrat
• Application Number:
  US13/849,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20130254834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains

Abstract

A policy framework is maintained on the computing device, and the computing device communicates with a policy server of an enterprise network over a network to receive a set of policy instructions. The policy instructions are executed through the policy framework in order to implement one or more policies that control the mobile computing device'"'"'s access to resources of the enterprise network.

Claims

1. A method for implementing enterprise policies on a computing device, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising:

maintaining a policy framework on the computing device;

communicating with a policy server of an enterprise network to receive policy instructions; and

storing, on the computing device, resources downloaded from the enterprise network,

wherein, in response to detecting that the computing device is not connected to the enterprise network, the computing device executes the policy instructions through the policy framework in order to implement one or more policies that control the computing device'"'"'s access to the resources downloaded from the enterprise network based on a current geographic location of the computing device determined by geo-aware resources of the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy instructions are specific to the computing device, so that the computing device implements a policy that is specific to that device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy instructions are specific to a user of the computing device, so that the computing device implements a policy that is specific to a user of that computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the policy instructions includes executing the policy instructions to implement a policy that is specific to a particular geographic region.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the policy instructions includes executing Javascript code on the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the policy framework from a resource that is controlled by the policy framework.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the policy instructions includes:

(i) determining one or more policy parameters from one or more local resources of the computing device;

(ii) accessing the enterprise network to request a resource; and

(iii) executing a policy instruction that controls access to the requested resource based at least in part on the one or more policy parameters.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the one or more policy parameters includes determining a timing parameter, and wherein executing the policy instruction is based at least in part on the timing parameter.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the one or more policy parameters includes determining a dynamic parameter at a time when the resource is requested from the enterprise network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the policy instructions is performed in response to the computing device requesting access to a resource of the enterprise network.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium to store instructions for implementing enterprise policies on a computing device, the instructions being executable by one or more processors of the computing device to perform operations comprising:

maintaining a policy framework on the computing device;

communicating with a policy server of an enterprise network to receive policy instructions; and

storing, on the computing device, resources downloaded from the enterprise network,

wherein, in response to detecting that the computing device is not connected to the enterprise network, the computing device executes the policy instructions through the policy framework in order to implement one or more policies that control the computing device'"'"'s access to the resources downloaded from the enterprise network, based on a current geographic location of the computing device determined by geo-aware resources of the computing device.