Credential management and network querying

• US 20030131096A1
• Filed: 04/22/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Minhazuddin, Muneyb, Rankine, Alastair J., Schreuder, James D., Goringe, Christopher M., Krumm-Heller, Alex M., Smith, Melanie L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,571,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for determining one or more credentials of a network device. The system and method select a first network device from among a plurality of network devices, access a credential repository 108, contact the first network device, and test the validity of the first set of credentials. The credential repository 108 comprises a first set of credentials corresponding to the first network device. If a user provides invalid or no credentials, a candidate credential queue 112 can be used to guess a valid second set of credentials when the first set of credentials is not valid.

Claims

1. A method for determining one or more credentials of a network device, comprising:

selecting a first network device from among a plurality of network devices;

accessing a credential repository, the credential repository comprising a first set of credentials corresponding to the first network device;

contacting the first network device; and

testing the validity of the first set of credentials.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the credential repository further comprises, for the first network device, a plurality of a corresponding credential state, a corresponding protocol identifier, a corresponding address, a total number of instances of use of at least one credential in the first set of credentials, a corresponding candidate credential frequency counter associated with at least one credential in the first set of credentials, a recency of use of at least one credential in the first set of credentials, and the administrative locality of at least one credential in the first set of credentials.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a credential state to at least one credential in the first set of credentials.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when at least one credential in the first set of credentials is valid:

adding the at least one credential to a candidate credential queue.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when at least one credential in the first set of credentials is not valid:

pinging the first network device to determine whether the first network device is contactable.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when at least one credential in the first set of credentials is not valid:

selecting a second set of credentials from a candidate credential queue; and

testing the validity of the second set of credentials.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, when at least one credential in the second set of credentials is not valid:

prompting a user for a third set of credentials; and

when the third set of credentials is received from the user, testing the validity of the third set of credentials.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of network devices comprises a second network device, each of the first and second network devices has an associated protocol identifier indicative of a protocol used by the network device, and the first and second protocol identifiers are different.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

comparing a protocol associated with the first network device with a protocol identifier associated with the second set of credentials.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, when the protocol associated with the first network device is different from the protocol associated with the protocol identifier, the testing step is not performed.

11. A credential repository for a network, comprising:

a plurality of network device identifiers, at least first and second network devices in the plurality of network devices using different protocols;

for each of the plurality of network devices, the credential repository further comprises, for the first and second network devices, a corresponding protocol identifier; and

for each of the plurality of network devices, a corresponding set of credentials configured for the protocol associated with the corresponding protocol identifier.

12. The credential repository of claim 11, comprising, for each of the plurality of network device identifiers, a plurality of a corresponding credential state, a corresponding address, a total number of instances of use of at least one credential in the corresponding set of credentials, a corresponding candidate credential frequency counter associated with at least one credential in the corresponding set of credentials, a recency of use of at least one credential in the first set of credentials, and an administrative locality of at least one credential in the corresponding set of credentials.

13. A system for determining one or more credentials of a network device, comprising:

means for selecting a first network device from among a plurality of network devices;

a credential repository comprising a first set of credentials corresponding to the first network device;

means for accessing the credential repository;

means for contacting the first network device; and

means for testing the validity of the first set of credentials.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the credential repository further comprises, for the first network device, a plurality of a corresponding credential state, a corresponding protocol identifier, a corresponding address, a total number of instances of use of at least one credential in the first set of credentials, a corresponding candidate credential frequency counter associated with at least one credential in the first set of credentials, a recency of use of at least one credential in the first set of credentials, and the administrative locality of at least one credential in the first set of credentials.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

means for assigning a credential state to at least one credential in the first set of credentials.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising, when at least one credential in the first set of credentials is valid:

means for adding the at least one credential to a candidate credential queue.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising, when at least one credential in the first set of credentials is not valid:

means for pinging the first network device to determine whether the first network device is contactable.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising, when at least one credential in the first set of credentials is not valid:

second means for selecting a second set of credentials from a candidate credential queue; and

second means for testing the validity of the second set of credentials.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising, when at least one credential in the second set of credentials is not valid:

means for prompting a user for a third set of credentials; and

when the third set of credentials is received from the user, third means for testing the validity of the third set of credentials.

20. A system for determining one or more credentials of a network device, comprising:

a credential repository comprising a first set of credentials corresponding to a first network device; and

a credential discovery agent configured to select the first network device from among a plurality of network devices, access the credential repository, contact the first network device, and test the validity of the first set of credentials.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the credential repository further comprises, for the first network device, a plurality of a corresponding credential state, a corresponding protocol identifier, a corresponding address, a total number of instances of use of at least one credential in the first set of credentials, a corresponding candidate credential frequency counter associated with at least one credential in the first set of credentials, a recency of use of at least one credential in the first set of credentials, and the administrative locality of at least one credential in the first set of credentials.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the credential discovery agent is further configured to assign a credential state to at least one credential in the first set of credentials.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the credential discovery agent is further configured, when at least one credential in the first set of credentials is valid, to add the at least one credential to a candidate credential queue.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the credential discovery agent is further configured, when at least one credential in the first set of credentials is not valid, to ping the first network device to determine whether the first network device is contactable.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the credential discovery agent is further configured, when at least one credential in the first set of credentials is not valid, to select a second set of credentials from a candidate credential queue and test the validity of the second set of credentials.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the credential discovery agent is further configured, when at least one credential in the second set of credentials is not valid, to prompt a user for a third set of credentials and, when the third set of credentials is received from the user, to test the validity of the third set of credentials.

27. A candidate credential queue for determining a credential of a network device, comprising:

a plurality of sets of credentials, each of the plurality of sets of credentials having a corresponding ranking indicative of a probability that the plurality of sets of credentials is currently in use by the network device.

28. The candidate credential queue of claim 27, wherein the ranking is determined based on at least one of a candidate credential frequency counter, a recency of use counter, an administrative locality associated with the corresponding set of credentials, preferences of the user, a user configured priority, and an ordering of validation of at least one set of credentials on another network device.

29. A method for determining at least one credential of a network device, comprising:

selecting at least one credential;

contacting a network device;

testing the validity of the at least one credential; and

assigning a ranking to the at least one credential based on whether or not the at least one credential is valid.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the ranking reflects a probability that the at least one credential is in current use in the network associated with the network device.

31. A system for determining at least one credential of a network device, comprising:

a credential discovery agent configured to assign a rank to at least one credential based on whether or not the at least one credential is valid.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the rank reflects a probability that the at least one credential is in current use in the network associated with the network device.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the credential discovery agent is further configured to select at least one credential from a candidate credential queue, test the validity of the at least one credential, and assign the rank to the at least one credential based on whether or not the at least one credential is valid.