Common internet file system proxy authentication of multiple servers

• US 9,866,556 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2016
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Simpkins, Richard Adam, Seitz, Matthew Eric, Liu, Zuwei
• Primary Examiner(s): Parsons, Theodore C
• Application Number:
  US15/092,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20170026372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0884 by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70

Abstract

Techniques are described for a proxy system to provide a client device with transparent access to multiple network file servers. The proxy system may appear to the client device as a single network file server. The proxy may be configured to forward requests received from the client device to multiple servers as well as provide responses from the server back to the client. Further, the proxy system may authenticate itself, as the client, to each of the multiple network servers using authentication credentials supplied by the client. After prompting a user to submit credentials to establish a session with a first network server, the proxy system may send a session timeout error code, prompting the client to submit a fresh authentication request used by the proxy system to establish a session with a second network server.

Claims

1. A proxy system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing a program, which, when executed on the processor is configured to perform an operation for authenticating a client device to a plurality of network servers, the operation comprising;

establishing a first session between the proxy system and a first network server, of the plurality of network servers, using an initial request supplied by the client device, wherein the request includes authenticating information used by the proxy system to authenticate the proxy system, as the client device, to the first network server;

determining the client device has requested access to resources on a second network server of the plurality of network servers;

sending a session timeout message to the client device which causes the client device to respond with a fresh authentication request, without prompting, at the client device, to provide the authenticating information; and

establishing a second session between the proxy system and the second network server using the fresh authentication request.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein establishing the first session between the proxy system and the first network server comprises:

modifying the initial request to appear to the first network server as having originated from the proxy system;

forwarding the modified request to the first network server to establish a session between the proxy system and the first network server;

receiving a response from the first network server;

modifying the response to appear to the client device as having originated from the proxy system; and

forwarding the modified response to the client device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein establishing the second session between the proxy system and the second network server comprises:

modifying the fresh authentication request to appear to the second network server as having originated from the proxy system;

forwarding the modified request to the second network server to establish a session between the proxy system and the second network server; and

receiving a response from the second network server establishing the second session between the proxy system and the second network server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the proxy system is configured as a common internet file system (CIFS) proxy, and wherein each of the plurality of network file servers is configured as a CIFS server system.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the session timeout message is a CIFS STATUS_NETWORK_SESSION_EXPIRED error code.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the proxy system is configured to negotiate with the client device to disable server message block (SMB) signing.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second sessions between the proxy system and the first and second network servers provide access to one or more storage devices presented to the client device as a network drive on the proxy system.

8. A method for authenticating a client device to a plurality of network servers, comprising:

establishing a first session between the proxy system and a first network server, of the plurality of network servers, using an initial request supplied by the client device, wherein the request includes authenticating information used by the proxy system to authenticate the proxy system, as the client device, to the first network server;

determining the client device has requested access to resources on a second network server of the plurality of network servers;

sending a session timeout message to the client device which causes the client device to respond with a fresh authentication request, without prompting, at the client device, to provide the authenticating information; and

establishing a second session between the proxy system and the second network server using the fresh authentication request.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein establishing the first session between the proxy system and the first network server comprises:

modifying the initial request to appear to the first network server as having originated from the proxy system;

forwarding the modified request to the first network server to establish a session between the proxy system and the first network server;

receiving a response from the first network server;

modifying the response to appear to the client device as having originated from the proxy system; and

forwarding the modified response to the client device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein establishing the second session between the proxy system and the second network server using the fresh authentication request, comprises:

modifying the fresh authentication request to appear to the second network server as having originated from the proxy system;

forwarding the modified request to the second network server to establish a session between the proxy system and the second network server; and

receiving a response from the second network server establishing the second session between the proxy system and the second network server.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the proxy system is configured as a common internet file system (CIFS) proxy, and wherein each of the plurality of network file servers is configured as a CIFS server system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the session timeout message is a CIFS STATUS_NETWORK_SESSION_EXPIRED error code.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the proxy system is configured to negotiate with the client device to disable server message block (SMB) signing.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second sessions between the proxy system and the first and second network servers provide access to one or more storage devices presented to the client device as a network drive on the proxy system.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage-medium containing a routing program which, when executed on a processor, performs an operation for authenticating a client device to a plurality of network servers, the operation comprising:

establishing a first session between the proxy system and a first network server, of the plurality of network servers, using an initial request supplied by the client device, wherein the request includes authenticating information used by the proxy system to authenticate the proxy system, as the client, to the first network server;

determining the client device has requested access to resources on a second network server of the plurality of network servers;

sending a session timeout message to the client device which causes the client device to respond with a fresh authentication request, without prompting, at the client device, to provide the authenticating information; and

establishing a second session between the proxy system and the second network server using the fresh authentication request.

16. The computer-readable storage-medium of claim 15, wherein establishing the first session between the proxy system and the first network server comprises:

modifying the initial request to appear to the first network server as having originated from the proxy system;

forwarding the modified request to the first network server to establish a session between the proxy system and the first network server;

receiving a response from the first network server;

modifying the response to appear to the client device as having originated from the proxy system; and

forwarding the modified response to the client device.

17. The computer-readable storage-medium of claim 15, wherein establishing the second session between the proxy system and the second network server comprises:

modifying the fresh authentication request to appear to the second network server as having originated from the proxy system;

forwarding the modified request to the second network server to establish a session between the proxy system and the second network server; and

receiving a response from the second network server establishing the second session between the proxy system and the second network server.

18. The computer-readable storage-medium of claim 15, wherein the proxy system is configured as a common internet file system (CIFS) proxy, and wherein each of the plurality of network file servers is configured as a CIFS server system.

19. The computer-readable storage-medium of claim 18, wherein the session timeout message is a CIFS STATUS_NETWORK_SESSION_EXPIRED error code.

20. The computer-readable storage-medium of claim 18, wherein the proxy system is configured to negotiate with the client device to disable server message block (SMB) signing.

21. The computer-readable storage-medium of claim 15, wherein the first and second sessions between the proxy system and the first and second network servers provide access to one or more storage devices presented to the client device as a network drive on the proxy system.