Dynamic monitoring and authorization of an optimization device

• US 9,875,344 B1
• Filed: 09/05/2014
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Silver Peak Systems Incorporated (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Hughes, David Anthony, Ennis, Damon John
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bell, Kalish
• Application Number:
  US14/479,131
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 726 1- 4, 726 26- 29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1078 Logging; Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/12 Protecting executable software
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 at the network layer

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for the monitoring and authorization of an optimization device in a network. In exemplary embodiments, an optimization device transmits an authorization request message to a portal to receive authorization to operate. The portal transmits an authorization response message to the optimization device with capability parameters for operation of the device, including an expiration parameter for the authorization. The optimization device sends updated authorization request messages to the portal with its device usage information, such that the portal can dynamically monitor the optimization device and continue to authorize its operation.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for authorizing initial operation of an optimization device in a network via a portal, the method comprising:

receiving an authorization request message at a portal from the optimization device, the authorization request message comprising information identifying a customer name and a customer location where the optimization device is deployed;

processing at the portal, information in the authorization request message from the optimization device;

determining that the optimization device is authorized for initial operation;

determining capability parameters for the optimization device, the capability parameters including a plurality of expiry parameter thresholds at which the optimization device is to report device usage information to the portal while the optimization device is still authorized for use; and

sending an authorization response message to the optimization device, the authorization response message comprising;

the capability parameters for the optimization device including the plurality of expiry parameter thresholds and

configuration information to establish a secure data channel between the optimization device and a remote software service provider;

where the remote software service provider accesses the optimization device via the secure data channel.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon expiration of at least one expiry parameter threshold, receiving an updated authorization request message from the optimization device, the updated authorization request message comprising an amount of usage of the optimization device;

verifying that the amount of usage in the updated authorization request message from the optimization device is within allowed limits; and

sending an updated authorization response message to the optimization device, the updated authorization response message comprising at least one updated expiry parameter threshold for the optimization device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon expiration of at least one expiry parameter threshold, receiving at the portal an updated authorization request message from the optimization device, the updated authorization request message comprising an amount of usage of the optimization device;

verifying that the amount of usage in the updated authorization request message from the optimization device is outside of allowed limits; and

sending an updated authorization response message to the optimization device, the updated authorization response message comprising at least one original expiry parameter threshold for the optimization device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the amount of usage of the optimization device comprises at least one of an amount or rate of data transmitted on a LAN side of the optimization device, an amount or rate of data received on the LAN side of the optimization device, an amount or rate of data transmitted on a WAN side of the optimization device, an amount or rate of data received on the WAN side of the optimization device, or an amount of operating time of the optimization device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the authorization request message further comprises information regarding a service provider, customer name, and password.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of expiry parameter thresholds in the capability parameters for the optimization device further comprise a warning parameter threshold and a refresh parameter threshold, where the optimization device is still authorized to operate at the warning parameter threshold and the refresh parameter threshold.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the authorization request message further comprises a request to access the remote software service provider.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the authorization response message further comprises configuration information to configure a firewall at the optimization device to access the remote software service provider.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the secure data channel is an IPsec tunnel.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting data via the secure data channel between the optimization device and a second optimization device at the remote software service provider using at least one optimization technique.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the at least one optimization technique comprises at least one of compression, deduplication, performance enhancing proxy, error correction, and TCP acceleration.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an updated authorization request message from the optimization device, the updated authorization request message comprising an amount of usage of the optimization device;

processing information in the updated authorization request message;

determining, based at least in part on the amount of usage, that the optimization device is not authorized for further operation; and

transmitting an updated authorization response message to the optimization device comprising capability parameters for the optimization device with an expiry time for the optimization device set at a past time.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determining capability parameters for the optimization device comprises at least one of determining data processing capacity, amount of data processing operation time, a data rate limit for the optimization device, and an amount of optimization device operating time.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the at least one updated expiry parameter threshold is based on the amount of usage of the optimization device in the updated authorization request message.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising dynamically monitoring the optimization device using information regarding the amount of usage of the optimization device in the updated authorization request message.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of expiry parameter thresholds include at least a threshold for the optimization device to send an updated authorization request message and a threshold for the optimization device to cease operation.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of expiry parameters is a total data processing limit for the optimization device, exceedance of which causes the optimization device to cease to operate.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an updated authorization request message from the optimization device, the updated authorization request message comprising information regarding a type of usage of the optimization device;

verifying that the type of usage in the updated authorization request message from the optimization device is within allowed limits; and

sending an updated authorization response message to the optimization device, the updated authorization response message comprising information regarding at least one updated expiry parameter threshold for the optimization device.

19. A computer-implemented method for authorizing continued operation of an optimization device in a network via a portal, the method comprising:

receiving an updated authorization request message at a portal from the optimization device, the updated authorization request message comprising an amount of usage of the optimization device and information identifying a location where the optimization device is deployed;

processing at the portal, information in the updated authorization request message from the optimization device, the processing comprising;

verifying that the amount of usage in the updated authorization request message from the optimization device is within allowed limits;

determining that the optimization device is authorized for further operation; and

updating a database with usage information for the optimization device;

determining updated capability parameters for the optimization device, the updated capability parameters including a plurality of expiry parameter thresholds for the optimization device; and

sending an updated authorization response message to the optimization device, the updated authorization response message comprising;

the updated capability parameters for the optimization device; and

configuration information to establish a secure data channel between the optimization device and a remote software service provider;

where the remote software service provider accesses the optimization device via the secure data channel.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein the updated authorization request message is received at the portal prior to an expiration time.