Hybrid communications system and method of operation

• US 9,774,495 B1
• Filed: 08/28/2013
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ShoreTel Incorporated (Mitel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ShoreTel Incorporated (Mitel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Okita, Glen K., Pendleton, Amy S., Dinard, Laurent, Schwartz, Yaniv Schahar
• Primary Examiner(s): Survillo, Oleg
• Application Number:
  US14/011,787
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: 709217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5051 Service on demand, e.g. definition and deployment of services in real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A method includes providing account enable data from a multi-tenant hosted communication system to a premises based communications system. The method also includes receiving user configuration data at a remote portal of the hosted communications system, the configuration data including the account enable data and user data describing properties of each of a plurality of users in the premises based communications system including at least one user group to which a subset of the users belongs. The method also includes providing enablement data to the premises based communications system via the portal to identify which resources in the multi-tenant hosted system are enabled for the plurality of users in the premises based communications system based on the user configuration data. Changes in the enablement data further can be synchronized based on changes in the user configuration data received from the premises based communications system via the portal.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving account enable data at a given private network system of a plurality of private network systems, each being operated by a respective entity, in response to registering the private network system with a multi-tenant hosted system, the multi-tenant hosted system being operated by another entity and including a shared resource and a private resource having features compatible with the plurality of private network systems, each of the shared resource and the private resource being hosted within the multi-tenant hosted system, wherein the shared resource is configured for use among the plurality of private network systems and the private resource is configured for use only by one of the plurality of private network systems;

sending predetermined user data, via a portal, describing properties of each of a plurality of users in the given private network system to the multi-tenant hosted system based on the account enable data, the predetermined user data including data identifying at least one group to which proper subset of the plurality of users belongs;

receiving enablement settings data at the given private network system identifying at least one of the shared resource and the private resource in the multi-tenant hosted system that is configured are for the plurality of users in the given private network system based on the predetermined user data;

sending user configuration data, via the portal, for the plurality of users to the multi-tenant hosted system for provisioning the at least one of the shared resource and the private resource in the multi-tenant hosted system for each of the plurality of users in response to receiving the enablement settings data at the given private network system;

configuring a client access router at the given private network system to provide a secure connection with a client access router termination at the multi-tenant hosted system; and

creating a virtual private cloud for the given private network system in the multi-tenant hosted system, the virtual private cloud being connected with the given private network system through the secure connection, the private resource being implemented in the virtual private cloud.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing the enablement settings data between the hosted system and the given private network system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the synchronizing comprises periodically querying from the given private network system, via the portal, for the enablement settings data.

4. The method of claim 2,

wherein the private network system is a premises based communication system;

wherein the enablement settings data between the multi-tenant hosted system and the premises based communication system is synchronized based on changes in the user configuration data received from the premises based communication system via the portal; and

wherein the portal is configured to provide a mechanism for the premises based communication system to access the at least one shared resource and the private resource in the multi-tenant hosted system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined user data comprises an entire list of premises system users authorized for operating in the given private network system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the shared resource in the multi-tenant hosted system comprises at least one of a mobility router service, a fax service, a voicemail transcription service or other communications service hosted as part of the multi-tenant hosted system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the private resource in the multi-tenant hosted system comprises a real time communications resource

implemented in the virtual private cloud.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the real time communications resource comprises a mobility router, the mobility router being configured based on the predetermined user data for at least one given user of the plurality of users to extend real time communications for the given user to a mobile device associated with the given user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a configuration request to the portal from the client access router; and

receiving router configuration data at the client access router from the portal, the client access router being programmed to communicate with the client access router termination via the secure connection established based on the received router configuration data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing a portal application interface (API) to communicate an API object describing user properties or enablement of the shared resource and the private resource according to a predefined schema, the API object specifying user configuration information of at least one of the plurality of users.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined user data is configurable at the given private network system in response to a user input separately from the enablement data for controlling use of the shared resource and the private resource by the plurality of users in the multi-tenant hosted system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein access to one of the shared resource and the private resource in the multi-tenant hosted system is provisioned separately for at least one of each user individually or each defined group of users based on the user configuration data.

13. The medium of claim 1, wherein access to one of the shared resource and the private resource in the multi-tenant hosted communications system is provisioned separately for at least one of each user individually or each defined group of users based on the configuration data.

14. The method of claim 1,

wherein the multi-tenant hosted system comprises a hosting portal;

wherein the private network system comprises a configuration manager for establishing and controlling user properties for the private network system and a portal interface corresponding to the portal, the portal interface being configured to access the hosting portal of the multi-tenant hosted system via the secure connection; and

wherein the method further comprises;

receiving the predetermined user data via the portal interface; and

controlling and managing the configuring of and access to the shared resource and the private resource for each of the plurality of users in the private network system based on the predetermined user data; and

generating the enablement settings data to identify the shared resource and the private resource in the multi-tenant hosted system configured for the plurality of users based on the predetermined user data.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the account enable data comprises a unique identifier to identify the private network system, and the method further comprises authenticating the private network system with the multi-tenant hosted system based on the unique identifier and sending the predetermined user data, via the portal, to the multi-tenant hosted system in response to the authenticating.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

providing account enable data from a multi-tenant hosted communication system to a premises based communications system of a plurality of different premises based communication systems being operated by a given entity, the multi-tenant hosted communication system being operated by another entity and including a shared resource and a private resource having features compatible with the plurality of different premises based communication systems, each of the shared resource and the private resource being hosted within the multi-tenant hosted system, wherein the shared resource is configured for use among the plurality of different premises based communication systems and the private resource is configured for only use by a given one of the plurality of different premises based communication systems;

receiving user configuration data at a remote portal of the multi-tenant hosted communication system, the configuration data including the account enable data and user data describing properties of each of a plurality of users in the premises based communications system, including at least one user group to which a subset of the users belongs;

providing enablement data to the premises based communications system via the portal to identify at least one of the shared resource and the private resource in the multi-tenant hosted communication system configured for the plurality of users based on the user configuration data;

synchronizing changes in the enablement data based on changes in the user configuration data received from the premises based communications system via the portal, the portal further providing a mechanism for the premises based communications system to access the at least one of the shared resource and the private resource in the multi-tenant hosted communications system;

configuring a client access router at the premises based communications system to provide a secure connection with a client access router termination at the multi-tenant hosted communication system; and

creating a virtual private cloud in the multi-tenant hosted communication system that is connected with the premises based communications system through the secure connection between the client access router and the client access router termination.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the user configuration data comprises a list of premises system users authorized for operating in the premises based communications system.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein the shared resource in the multi-tenant hosted communications system comprises at least one of a mobility router service, a fax service, a voicemail transcription service hosted as part of the multi-tenant hosted communication system.

19. The medium of claim 16, wherein the private resource in the multi-tenant hosted communications system comprises a real time communications resource that is implemented in the virtual private cloud.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the real time communications resource comprises a mobility router, the mobility router being configured based on the predetermined user data for at least one given user of the plurality of users to extend real time communications for the given user to a mobile device associated with the given user.

21. The medium of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a configuration request at the portal from the client access router; and

providing router configuration data from the portal to the client access router, the client access router being programmed to communicate with the client access router termination via the secure connection established based on the router configuration data.

22. The medium of claim 16, further comprising receiving an API object describing at least one of user properties or enablement of one of the shared resource and the private resource according to a predefined schema, the API object specifying user configuration information for at least one of the plurality of users.

23. A hybrid unified communications system, comprising:

a plurality of premises based unified communication systems operated by a given entity, wherein each of the plurality of premises based unified communication systems comprises;

a memory for storing computer executable instructions; and

a processing unit for accessing the memory and executing the computer executable instructions, the computer executable instructions comprising;

a configuration manager that establishes and controls user properties for a respective premises based unified communication systems; and

a portal interface that accesses a portal of a hosted unified communications system via a secure connection between a client access router at the premises based communications system and a client access router termination at the hosted unified communication system; and

the hosted unified communications system comprising;

the portal configured to control and manage enablement and access to at least one of a shared hosted resource and a private hosted resource of the hosted unified communications system for users of the plurality of premises based unified communication systems, wherein the shared hosted resource provides a non-real time communication service and the private hosted resource provides a real time communication service, wherein the shared hosted resource is configured for use among the plurality of premises based unified communication systems and the private hosted resource is configured for use only by a given one of the plurality of premises based unified communication systems, wherein the hosted unified communications system is operated by another entity, and wherein the private hosted resource resides in a virtual private cloud in the hosted unified communication system that is connected with the premises based communications system through the secure connection;

wherein the user properties for each premises based unified communication systems determine enablement and provisioning for the at least one of the shared hosted resource and the private hosted resource for each user or group of users based on user configuration data communicated to the portal via the portal interface.