System and method for automatically regulating messages between networks

• US 9,521,150 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bugenhagen, Michael K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jagannathan, Melanie
• Application Number:
  US13/457,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20120254975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A system, method, and profiler for regulating access between a remote network and a host network. The profiler includes a processor for executing a set of instructions and a memory for storing the set of instructions. The set of instructions are executed to determine one or more target devices for the host network, determine authorized content for messages from one or more remote networks to the one or more target devices, analyze the messages to determine whether the messages comply with message thresholds for the remote networks, and communicate the messages between the host network and the one or more remote networks in response to compliance with the message thresholds and the authorized content.

Claims

1. A profiler for regulating access between a remote network and a host network, the profiler comprising:

a processor for executing a set of instructions; and

a memory for storing the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions are executed to;

determine one or more target devices for the host network accessible from one or more remote networks;

determine authorized content for messages from the one or more remote networks to the one or more target devices, wherein authorized content specifies content that may be included in the messages to the one or more target device, the authorized content being established by at least one authorized command for the one or more remote networks;

analyze the messages to determine whether the messages comply with respective message thresholds, for each of the one or more remote networks, wherein the respective message thresholds specify at least one limit on how the messages determined to have authorized content are communicated; and

communicate the messages between the host network and the one or more remote networks in response to compliance with the respective message thresholds and determining that the messages contain authorized content;

wherein the one or more target devices of the host network provides at least one of statistics and administrative controls of the host network to the one or more remote networks in response to receiving the messages.

2. The profiler according to claim 1, wherein the set of instructions are further executed to:

control the messages between the one or more remote networks and host network utilizing one or more policies.

3. The profiler according to claim 2, wherein the set of instructions are further executed to:

reject all or a portion of the messages in response to the messages not complying with the one or more policies.

4. The profiler according to claim 2, wherein the set of instructions place a message into a queue until the message conforms with parameters of the one or more policies in response to the message exceeding the message threshold.

5. The profiler of claim 1, wherein the messages are a simple network management protocol (SNMP) messages.

6. The profiler of claim 1, wherein the profiler limits access to the host network and port access for an operational support system of the one or more remote networks.

7. The profiler of claim 2, wherein the set of instructions analyze the messages to compare content of the messages to allowable content specified by the one or more policies.

8. The profiler according to claim 7, wherein the messages are queued before the messages are communicated with the allowable content.

9. A method for automatically regulating messages between networks, the method comprising:

receiving a message from a remote network to be communicated to a target device of a host network, wherein the remote network has rights to at least statistics and administrative controls on the target device of the host network;

identifying content within the message;

determining whether the content is allowable based on a policy, the policy establishing at least;

an authorized content for messages from the remote network, wherein the authorized content specifies content that may be included in the message to the one or more target device, the authorized content being established by at least one authorized command for the one or more remote networks, and

a message threshold for the remote network, wherein the respective message thresholds specify at least one limit on how the message determined to have authorized content are communicated;

analyzing the message to determine whether the message complies with the message threshold for the remote network; and

communicating the message to the target device of the host network in response to determining the content is allowable and the message complies with the message threshold;

providing, via the target device, at least statistics and administrative controls on the target device to the remote network in response to receiving the message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the host network limits availability of the target device according to the policy established by a service level agreement.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the policy sets parameters, rules, permissions, and regulations for accessing the target device of the host network.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the policy is stored in a database accessible to an administrator.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the target device is accessible by the remote network for configuration.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the profiler analyzes the message to compare content of the message to allowable content specified by the one or more policies, and wherein the message is queued before the message is communicated with the allowable content.

15. A system for regulating messages, the system comprising:

a plurality of remote networks configured to send and receive messages;

a profiler configured to regulate and control the messages communicated to a host network from the plurality of remote networks, the profiler comprising;

a processor for executing a set of instructions; and

a memory for storing the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions are executed to;

determine one or more target devices in the host network accessible respectively by one or more of the plurality of remote networks;

determine authorized content for messages from the one or more remote networks to the one or more target devices respectively, wherein authorized content specifies content that may be included in the messages to the one or more target device, the authorized content being established by at least one authorized command for the one or more remote networks, and a respective message threshold for each of the plurality of remote network, respectively as part of one or more policies, wherein the respective message thresholds specify at least one limit on how the messages determined to have authorized content are communicated;

analyze the messages to determine whether the messages comply with respective message thresholds for each of the one or more remote networks; and

communicate the messages between the host network and the one or more remote networks in response to compliance with the respective message thresholds and determining that the messages contain authorized content; and

the host network including a plurality of target devices, wherein access to the plurality of target devices is controlled by the one or more policies, and wherein the plurality of target devices of the host network provides at least one of statistics and administrative controls of the host network to the plurality of remote networks in response to messages communicated to the host network.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the one or more policies are stored in a database of the profiler.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein the profiler analyzes the messages to compare content of the messages to allowable content specified by the one or more policies.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the messages are queued before the messages are communicated with the allowable content.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein a remote user utilizing one of the plurality of remote networks sets up and tears down a loop-back function through one of the plurality of target devices.

20. The system according to claim 15, wherein the messages are rejected in response to conforming with the one or more policies.