SWITCHING APPARATUS, AUTHENTICATION SERVER, AUTHENTICATION SYSTEM, AUTHENTICATION METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20100125892A1
• Filed: 08/26/2009
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanizawa, Yoshimichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,959,581 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

A switching apparatus includes an authentication client unit that requests user authentication to a user authentication server that performs user authentication of the switching apparatus, and, when the requested user authentication is successfully performed, receives from the user authentication server, information of success of the user authentication and setting information used when terminal authentication of a terminal to be connected to the switching apparatus is relayed to a terminal authentication server that performs terminal authentication; an authentication setting unit that sets the setting information to an authentication relay unit that relays terminal authentication; and a control unit that allows the authentication relay unit to relay the terminal authentication when the setting information is set to the authentication relay unit.

Claims

1. A switching apparatus comprising:

an authentication client unit that requests user authentication to a user authentication server that performs user authentication of the switching apparatus, and, when the requested user authentication is successfully performed, receives from the user authentication server, information of success of the user authentication and setting information used when terminal authentication of a terminal to be connected to the switching apparatus is relayed to a terminal authentication server that performs terminal authentication;

an authentication setting unit that sets the setting information to an authentication relay unit that relays terminal authentication; and

a control unit that allows the authentication relay unit to relay the terminal authentication when the setting information is set to the authentication relay unit.

2. The switching apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the authentication relay unit that relays the terminal authentication of the terminal when the control unit allows relay of the terminal authentication.

3. The switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further allows a switching unit that relays a communication of a terminal to be connected to the switching apparatus to relay a communication to a terminal that has succeeded in the terminal authentication.

4. The switching apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit terminates the terminal authentication and causes the switching unit to terminate the relay of the communication to the terminal, when termination of the user authentication is instructed during the communication of the terminal resulting from the success of the user authentication and success of the terminal authentication.

5. The switching apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image generating unit that generates an image notifying of termination of the user authentication and termination of relay of a communication of the terminal, when the termination of the user authentication is instructed during the communication of the terminal resulting from the success of the user authentication and success of the terminal authentication.

6. The switching apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image generating unit that generates an image urging to perform the user authentication, when the user authentication is not successful and the terminal authentication is requested.

7. The switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user authentication is performed based on user identification information of the switching apparatus.

8. The switching apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a telephone communicating unit that establishes telephone communications based on the user authentication;

an input interface unit for the telephone communications by the telephone communicating unit; and

an output interface unit for the telephone communications by the telephone communicating unit.

9. The switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user authentication is one of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and a Protocol for carrying Authentication for Network Access (PANA).

10. The switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the terminal authentication is one of an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 802.1X and a Protocol for carrying Authentication for Network Access (PANA).

11. An authentication server that performs user authentication of a switching apparatus, the server comprising:

an authenticating unit that receives a request for user authentication, and, when the received request for user authentication is successfully performed, transmits to the switching apparatus, information of success of the user authentication and setting information used when terminal authentication of a terminal to be connected to the switching apparatus is relayed to a terminal authentication server that performs the terminal authentication; and

a control unit that generates the setting information and requests the terminal authentication server to set the terminal authentication based on the setting information.

12. The server according to claim 11, wherein the control unit further includes a setting-information holding unit that holds the setting information.

13. An authentication system comprising:

a switching apparatus; and

a user authentication server that performs user authentication of the switching apparatus and is connected the switching apparatus, wherein

the switching apparatus includes

an authentication client unit that requests the user authentication server to perform user authentication, and, when the requested user authentication is successfully performed, receives from the user authentication server, information of success of the user authentication and setting information used when terminal authentication of a terminal to be connected to the switching apparatus is relayed to a terminal authentication server that performs the terminal authentication,

an authentication setting unit that sets the setting information to an authentication relay unit that relays the terminal authentication, and

a control unit that allows the authentication relay unit to relay the terminal authentication when the setting information is set to the authentication relay unit, and

the user authentication server includes

an authenticating unit that receives a request for user authentication, and, when the received request for user authentication is successfully performed, transmits to the switching apparatus, the information of the success of the user authentication and the setting information, and

a control unit that generates the setting information and requests the terminal authentication server to set the terminal authentication based on the setting information.

14. An authentication method performed in a switching apparatus, comprising:

requesting user authentication to a user authentication server that performs user authentication of the switching apparatus;

receiving, when the requested user authentication is successfully performed, from the user authentication server, information of success of the user authentication and setting information used when terminal authentication of a terminal to be connected to the switching apparatus is relayed to a terminal authentication server that performs terminal authentication;

setting the setting information to an authentication relay unit that relays a terminal authentication; and

allowing the authentication relay unit to relay the terminal authentication when the setting information is set to the authentication relay unit.

15. An authentication method performed in an authentication server that performs user authentication of a switching apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a request for user authentication;

generating, when the received request for user authentication is successfully performed, setting information used when terminal authentication of a terminal to be connected to the switching apparatus is relayed to a terminal authentication server that performs terminal authentication;

transmitting, when the user authentication is successfully performed, information of success of the user authentication and the setting information to the switching apparatus; and

requesting the terminal authentication server to set the terminal authentication based on the setting information.

16. An authentication method performed in an authentication system including a switching apparatus and a user authentication server that performs user authentication of the switching apparatus and is connected the switching apparatus, the method comprising:

requesting by the switching apparatus user authentication to a user authentication server that performs user authentication of the switching apparatus;

receiving by the switching apparatus, when the requested user authentication is successfully performed, from the user authentication server, information of success of the user authentication and setting information used when terminal authentication of a terminal to be connected to the switching apparatus is relayed to a terminal authentication server that performs terminal authentication;

setting by the switching apparatus the setting information to an authentication relay unit that relays terminal authentication;

allowing the authentication relay unit to relay the terminal authentication by the switching apparatus when relay of the terminal authentication is set to the authentication relay unit;

receiving the request for user authentication by the user authentication server;

generating by the user authentication server, when the received request for user authentication is successfully performed, setting information used when the terminal authentication of the terminal to be connected to the switching apparatus is relayed to the terminal authentication server that performs the terminal authentication;

transmitting by the user authentication server, when the user authentication is successfully performed, the information of the success of the user authentication and the setting information to the switching apparatus; and

requesting by the user authentication server to the terminal authentication server to set the terminal authentication based on the setting information.

17. A computer program product having a computer readable medium including programmed instructions for performing an authentication method executed in a switching apparatus, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform:

requesting user authentication to a user authentication server that performs user authentication of the switching apparatus;

receiving, when the requested user authentication is successfully performed, from the user authentication server, information of success of the user authentication and setting information used when terminal authentication of a terminal to be connected to the switching apparatus is relayed to a terminal authentication server that performs terminal authentication;

setting the setting information to an authentication relay unit that relays a terminal authentication; and

allowing the authentication relay unit to relay the terminal authentication when the setting information is set to the authentication relay unit.