Secure server architecture for Web based data management

• US 6,606,708 B1
• Filed: 09/24/1998
• Issued: 08/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Shoulberg, Richard W., Shifrin, Gerald A., Devine, Carol Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Gail
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arani, Taghi T.
• Application Number:
  US09/159,406
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200-203, 709/217-219, 709/227, 705/26, 705/27, 707/1-10, 707/103, 707/517, 707/522, 707/523, 713/201
• US Class Current: 726/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0775 Content or structure details of the error report, e.g. specific table structure, specific error fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0781 Error filtering or prioritizing based on a policy defined by the user or on a policy defined by a hardware/software module, e.g. according to a severity level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/202 where processing functionality is redundant redundant communication control functionality G06F11/2005, redundant storage control functionality G06F11/2089
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/32 with visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/324 Display of status information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 : Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 : Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 : Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 : Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 : insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 : Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 : Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 : Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 : Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1428 : Invoice generation, e.g. customization, lay-out, database processing, algorithms for calculating the bill or formatting invoices as WWW pages invoicing in general G06Q30/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 : Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 : Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/024 : using relational databases for representation of network management data, e.g. managing via structured query language [SQL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 : using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 : Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 : Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 : Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 : Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0879 : Manual configuration through operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 : Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 : of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 : using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 : Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 : comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 : Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 : Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 : by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 : Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5032 : Generating service level reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5061 : characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5064 : Customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5067 : Customer-centric QoS measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 : Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5083 : wherein the managed service relates to web hosting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 : wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 : Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/024 : by adaptive sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 : for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 : Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 : related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 : related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 : using time frame reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0805 : by checking availability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 : by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 : by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 : Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 : Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 : Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 : Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 : Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 : Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/091 : Measuring contribution of individual network components to actual service level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 : Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 : using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 : Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 : User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 : Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 : using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 : for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 : Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0218 : Distributed architectures, e.g. distributed firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 : Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 : Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 : Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 : wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 : using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 : using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 : providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 : using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• 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 63/162 : at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 : at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 : above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 : using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 : Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 : wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 : Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 : Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 : Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 : Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 : Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 : for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 : based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/705 : Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/721 : using the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 : Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 : Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 : Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 : Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8351 : before establishing a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/84 : Types of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 : Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 : Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 : General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 : Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 : On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0176 : Billing arrangements using internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/018 : On-line real-time billing, able to see billing information while in communication, e.g. via the internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 : Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 : Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 : Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7009 : Account settings, e.g. users, terminals, limits, numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7045 : Using Internet or WAP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 : Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/81 : Notifying aspects, e.g. notifications or displays to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8108 : before establishing a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8129 : Type of notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 : Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 : Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 : interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 : Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 : Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 : Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 : Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 : Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/969 : Network layout and operation interface

Abstract

A double firewalled system is disclosed for protecting remote enterprise servers that provide communication services to telecommunication network customers from unauthorized third parties. A first router directs all connection requests to one or more secure web servers, which may utilize a load balancer to efficiently distribute the session connection load among a high number of authorized client users. On the network side of the web servers, a second router directs all connection requests to a dispatcher server, which routes application server calls to a proxy server for the application requested. A plurality of data security protocols are also employed. The protocols provide for an identification of the user, and an authentication of the user to ensure the user is who he/she claims to be and a determination of entitlements that the user may avail themselves of within the enterprise system. Session security is described, particularly as to the differences between a remote user'"'"'s copper wire connection to a legacy system and a user'"'"'s remote connection to the enterprise system over a “stateless”public Internet, where each session is a single transmission, rather than an interval of time between logon and logoff, as is customary in legacy systems.

Claims

1. A system for securing an enterprise communications network, said system having client access through the public Internet, said system comprising:

(a) a first Internet firewall for accepting service requests from an enterprise client and routing said requests to one or more preselected addresses behind said firewall, said firewall permitting access in compliance with a first set of filtering rules;

(b) at least one secure web server for receiving said service requests and managing a secure client session over the public Internet, said secure server providing session management for said service request, said session management including client identification, validation and a session identifier to link said session with said client, wherein said session identifier is a web cookie generated by a separate server during an entitlements communications, after identification and validation of the client;

(c) a second Internet/Internet firewall for accepting service requests from a secure web server and routing said requests to one or more preselected addresses behind said firewall corresponding to dispatcher servers, said firewall permitting access in compliance with a second set of filtering rules;

(d) at least one dispatcher server for communicating with said secure web server through a second firewall, said second firewall accepting services requests from said secure web server and routing said requests to said dispatcher server in compliance with a second set of filtering rules, said dispatcher server providing system access to said enterprise communications network after client entitlements have been verified; and

(e) a plurality of proxy services linking said dispatcher server to a plurality of system resources over said communications network, said plurality of system resources providing communications network management capabilities for said enterprise client, said system resources responsive to service requests from said enterprise client to generate client data or instructions relating to said communications network.

2. The system for securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 1 wherein said secure web server communicates with said dispatcher server over an encrypted socket connection.

3. The system for securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 2 wherein said system includes encryption between said secure web server and said dispatcher server.

4. The system for securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 3 wherein said system includes a first encryption algorithm for transmission of all customer data between said secure web server and said dispatcher server, and a second encryption algorithm for transmission of all data between said secure web server and said enterprise client.

5. The system for securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system further comprises a plurality of secure web servers and a load balancing device for managing and distributing a plurality of client sessions across said plurality of secure web servers.

6. The system for securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 1 wherein said web cookie is wrapped and unwrapped by said secure web server at each service request to link a session with said client through a plurality of discrete client service requests in said session to verify said client to said dispatcher server at each transmission of a service request in said session.

7. The system for securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 6 which further includes a web browser for said client which provides secure socket layer encryption of client identification, authentication and said web cookie at each service request.

8. The system for securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 7 wherein said web cookies provide simultaneous session management for a plurality of system resources.

9. A system for securing an enterprise communications network, said system having client access through the public Internet, said system comprising:

(a) a first Internet firewall for accepting service requests from an enterprise client and routing said requests to one or more preselected addresses behind said firewall, said firewall permitting access in compliance with a first set of filtering rules;

(b) a plurality of web servers having said preselected addresses for receiving said service requests and managing a plurality of client sessions over the public Internet, a load of said client sessions per each of said web servers is balanced by web balancers, each of said web servers providing session management for said service request, said session management including client identification, validation and a session identifier to link a session with a client, wherein said session identifier is a web cookie generated by a separate server during an entitlements communications, after identification and validation of the client;

(c) at least one dispatcher server for communicating with said web servers through a second firewall, said second firewall accepting services requests from said web servers and routing said requests to said dispatcher server in compliance with a second set of filtering rules, said dispatcher server providing system access to said enterprise communications network after client entitlements have been verified; and

(d) a plurality of proxy servers linking said dispatcher server to a plurality of application servers within said communications network, said application servers communicating with a plurality of system resources to provide communications network management capabilities for said enterprise clients.

10. The system for securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 9 wherein said web servers are secure servers which encrypt each of said service requests with a first algorithm before transmission to said dispatcher server and a selected one of said proxy and said application servers.

11. The system for securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 9, said communications network further including an authentication server which determines application server entitlements for said client following authentication.

12. The system for securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 9, wherein said system further comprises a load balancing device for managing and distributing a plurality of client sessions across said plurality of web servers.

13. The system for securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 9 wherein said unique web cookie is wrapped and unwrapped by said secure web server at each service request to link a session with said client through a plurality of discrete client service requests in said session to verify said client to said dispatcher server at each transmission of a service request in said session.

14. The system for securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 10 which further includes a web browser for said client which provides secure socket layer (SSL) encryption of client identification, authentication and said web cookie at each service request.

15. The system for securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 14 wherein said system includes RSA encryption for transmission of all customer data between said plurality of secure web servers and said dispatcher server, and SSL encryption for transmission of all data between said secure web servers and said plurality of enterprise clients.

16. A method of securing an enterprise communications network having public access via the public Internet, said method enabling access by a plurality of enterprise clients, said method comprising:

(a) routing all public access requests to one or more first preselected addresses for response via a first set of routing rules;

(b) authenticating a secure web server in response to said request for access and initiating a secure session with a client browser over the Internet;

(c) encrypting communications between said client browser and said secure server with a first security protocol;

(d) routing a request for client authentication and a set of client entitlements from said secure server to a second preselected address at log-on via a second set of routing rules, wherein said client authentication and client and entitlements are provided by an authentication server;

(e) encrypting communications within said network with a second security protocol; and

(f) creating a session management object at each log-on to authenticate the client'"'"'s browser to the enterprise network at each communication from the browser during the communications session, said session management object including client identification, validation and a session identifier to link a session with a client, wherein said session identifier is a unique web cookie generated by a separate server during an entitlements communications, after identification and validation of the client.

17. The method of securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 16, said method further comprising the step of providing a plurality of application resources to one of said plurality of enterprise clients within said network in accordance with entitlements determined for said one of said plurality of clients at authentication.

18. The method of securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 16 which further includes the step of balancing a plurality of client requests across a plurality of secure web servers to improve response time for each client session.

19. The method of securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim, 17, said method further comprising the steps of packet filtering communications between said client browser and said secure web server.

20. The method of securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 19, said method further comprising the step of creating a proxy to filter communications between said secure web server and an application resource within said network.

21. The method of securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 18, wherein said method further includes public key encryption for encrypting communications between the client browser and the network.

22. The method of securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 18 which uses a negotiated SSL protocol to authenticate the secure web server and encrypt communications between the client browser and the secure web server.

23. The method of securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 18, wherein public key encryption is used for said second security protocol within said network.

24. The method of securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 16, wherein said method further includes the step of embedding calls to Java applets in a logon page presented to a one of said plurality of clients at log on, one of said applets creating said session management object in said one client browser.

25. The method of securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 17, wherein said method further includes the step of downloading a collection of Java objects to said client browser for session management following a successful log on, said collection of objects enabling communications with said application resources during said session.

26. The method of securing an enterprise communications network as claimed in claim 24, further comprising the step of examining said unique cookie at each session transmission to maintain session security.