Secure computer support system

• US 6,754,707 B2
• Filed: 10/28/1999
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Support.com Incorporated (Greenidge Generation Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SupportSoft, Inc. (Greenidge Generation Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Richards, Mark E., Dale, Scott William, Lee, Cadir Batista
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Application Number:
  US09/430,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20020188706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/223, 709/224, 709/228, 709/229, 709/227, 710/104, 713/1, 713/100
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system maintains a first computer using a second computer and a central computer by: receiving a request for maintenance from a first computer; opening first and second secured connections to the first and second computers through the central computer; transferring a request for data from the second computer; storing data and a destination instruction sent from the second computer in a central computer buffer; and forwarding the buffered data to the first computer.

Claims

1. A method to maintain a first computer using a second computer and a central computer, the method comprising:

receiving at a central computer a request for maintenance from a first computer, the first computer residing inside of a first secured area behind firewalls, proxy servers or private Internet addresses;

establishing a persistent connection between the first computer and the central computer;

the central computer determining for the first computer an appropriate second computer to provide maintenance to the first computer, the second computer residing inside a second secured area behind firewalls, proxy servers or private Internet addresses, and the central computer residing outside the first secured area and residing outside the second secured area;

in response to initiation by the central computer, opening a secure connection between a second computer and the central computer;

transferring, in response to the request for maintenance, a request for data from the second computer to the first computer through the central computer; and

transferring the data from the first computer to the second computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the central computer is a nexus.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the persistent connection of the first computer remains open without network traffic.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising spawning a process on the first computer iii response to the request from the second computer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the spawned process collects the data on the first computer in accordance with the request from the second computer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for maintenance spawns a process that executes diagnostic software on the first computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for maintenance spawns a process that executes repair software on the first computer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for maintenance spawns a process that provides information on configuration, state or screen display of the first computer to the second computer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for maintenance spawns a process that results in the transmission of software to and from the first computer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first computer or the second computer reestablishes a connection with the central computer in the case that the connection is interrupted.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering the first computer with the central computer to enable the transfer of the request for data from the second computer to the first computer.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering the first computer with the central computer;

identifying the first computer with an address; and

using the address, enabling the transfer of the request for data from the second computer to the first computer.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transferring a request for configuration and maintenance data from the second computer to the first computer through the central computer; and

transferring the configuration and maintenance data from the first computer to the second computer.

14. A system with an apparatus adapted to maintain one or more computers, comprising:

a first computer residing inside a first secured area behind firewalls, proxy servers or private Internet addresses;

a nexus to initiate and support a persistent connection with the first computer in response to receiving a re-guest for maintenance from the first computer, the nexus determining an appropriate second computer to provide maintenance to the first computer, and establishing a secured communication session between the first computer and the second computer,

wherein the second computer resides inside a second secured area behind firewalls, proxy servers or private Internet addresses, and wherein the nexus resides outside of the first secured area and outside the second secured area.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the nexus is a server.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the persistent connection between the first computer and the nexus remains open without network traffic.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising a module to spawn a process on the first computer in response to a request from the second computer.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the spawned process collects data on the first computer in accordance with the request from the second computer.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the request spawns a process that executes diagnostic software on the first computer.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the request spawns a process that executes repair software on the first computer.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the request spawns a process that provides information on configuration, state or screen display of the first computer to the second computer.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the request spawns a process that results in the transmission of software to and from the first computer.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein one of the first computer or the second computer reestablishes a connection with the nexus in the case that the connection is interrupted.

24. The system of claim 14, the first computer being registered with the nexus.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the spawned process collects configuration and maintenance data on the first computer in accordance with the request from the second computer.

26. A nexus adapted to establish a through connection between a first and second computer, the nexus operable to run:

a registration process operable to register a first computer and save registration information upon receiving a maintenance request from the first computer, the first computer residing inside a first secured area behind firewalls, proxy servers or private Internet addresses;

a first connection process operable to open a persistent connection between the nexus and the first computer;

a second connection process operable to determine for the first computer an appropriate second computer to provide maintenance to the first computer, and establish, upon initiation by the central computer, a secure connection between the second computer and the nexus, the second computer residing outside of the first secured area, inside a second secured area behind firewalls, proxy servers or private Internet addresses, the nexus residing outside the first secured area and the second secured areas;

a third connection process operable to use the registration information to establish a through, persistent connection between the first and second computers.

27. A method to maintain a first computer using a second computer and a central computer, the central computer:

receiving a request for maintenance from a first computer, the first computer residing inside of a first secured area;

establishing a persistent connection between the first computer and the central computer;

determining an appropriate second computer to provide maintenance to the first computer;

opening a secured connection between the central computer and the second computer, the second computer residing outside of the first secured area inside a second secured area and the central computer residing between the first and second secured areas, the first and second secured areas residing behind firewalls, proxy servers or private Internet addresses;

transferring the request for maintenance from the first computer to the second computer and providing a response to the first computer from the second computer.