Sharing of NAS information between PoPs
First Claim
1. A method for centrally managing a computer network, including:
- maintaining a central database of all NASes known to the computer network; and
broadcasting a message from said central database to a NAS list located at each POP in the computer network whenever said central database is changed, said message containing information regarding the change such that a current version of said central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at said NAS list located at each POP.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for handling access requests at multiple PoPs using the sharing of NAS information between the PoPs, enabling each PoP to maintain its own, independent, database of user records. When an access request is received, it is forwarded to a specific PoP designated as the user'"'"'s “home PoP”. This home PoP is the only PoP to contain the user'"'"'s records. The home PoP may then handle the access request by utilizing a local NAS list, the local NAS list being synchronized with other NAS lists in the network and providing information on all the “known” NASes throughout the entire network. This allows for a user to roam between PoPs, while reducing the bandwidth and security concerns that have existed in the past when users chose to roam. The NAS lists may then be updated via a central Network Control Console.
72 Citations
77 Claims
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1. A method for centrally managing a computer network, including:
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maintaining a central database of all NASes known to the computer network; and
broadcasting a message from said central database to a NAS list located at each POP in the computer network whenever said central database is changed, said message containing information regarding the change such that a current version of said central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at said NAS list located at each POP. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for locally processing an access request at a Point-of-Presence (PoP) in a computer network having other PoPs, said access request received from a NAS, the method including:
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accessing a list of network access servers (NASes) known to the PoP and known to the computer network, said list located locally at the PoP and periodically updated via communication with a central database of all NASes known to said computer network, wherein said central database broadcasts a message upon a change to said central database such that a current version of said central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at said list; and
validating that said access request was received from a known entity by determining if an entry exists in said list for the NAS from which the access request was received. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for handling an access request at a PoP, said access request generated by a user logging on to said PoP, said user having a home PoP, the method including:
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accessing a list of network access servers (NASes) known to the PoP and known to a computer network containing the PoP, said list located locally at the PoP and periodically updated via communication with a central database of all NASes known to said computer network, wherein said central database broadcasts a message upon a change to said central database such that a current version of said central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at said list;
validating that said access request was received from a known entity by determining if an entry exists in said list for the NAS from which the access request was received;
determining if said user'"'"'s home PoP is said PoP;
forwarding said access request to an AAA server located at said PoP if said user'"'"'s home PoP is said PoP; and
relaying said access request to said user'"'"'s home PoP if said user'"'"'s home PoP is not said PoP. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An apparatus for centrally managing a computer network including:
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a central NAS list maintainer;
a NAS list broadcaster coupled to said central NAS list maintainer and coupled to said computer network, said NAS list broadcaster configured to broadcast a message from a central database to a NAS list located at each POP in the computer network whenever said central database is changed, said message containing information regarding the chance such that a current version of said central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at said NAS list located at each POP. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An apparatus for locally processing an access request at a PoP in a computer network having other PoPs, said access request received from a NAS, the apparatus including:
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a memory configured to store a NAS list, said NAS list containing entries on each NAS known to the PoP and known to the computer network and located locally at the PoP and periodically updated via communication with a central database of all NASes known to said computer network, wherein said central database broadcasts a message upon a change to said central database such that a current version of said central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at said list;
a NAS list accessor coupled to said NAS list; and
an access request validator coupled to said NAS list accessor. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. An apparatus for handling an access request at a PoP, said access request generated by a user logging on to said PoP, said user having a home PoP, the apparatus including:
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a memory configured to store a NAS list, said NAS list containing entries on each NAS known to the PoP and known to a computer network containing the PoP, and located locally at the PoP and periodically updated via communication with a central database of all NASes known to said computer network, wherein said central database broadcasts a message upon a change to said central database such that a current version of said central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at said list;
a NAS list accessor coupled to said NAS list;
an access request validator coupled to said NAS list accessor;
a user home PoP determiner; and
an access request forwarder coupled to said user home PoP determiner, said access request forwarder coupled to an AAA server if the PoP is said user'"'"'s home PoP and coupled to a computer network if the PoP is no said user'"'"'s home PoP. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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40. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for centrally managing a computer network, the method including:
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maintaining a central database of all NASes known to the computer network; and
broadcasting a message to a NAS list located at each POP in the computer network whenever said central database is changed, said message containing information regarding the change such that a current version of said central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at said NAS list located at each POP.
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41. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for locally processing an access request at a Point-of-Presence (PoP) in a computer network having other PoPs, said access request received from a NAS, the method including:
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accessing a list of network access servers (NASes) known to the PoP and known to the computer network, said list located locally at the PoP and periodically updated via communication with a central database of all NASes known to said computer network, wherein said central database broadcasts a message upon a change to said central database such that a current version of said central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at said list; and
validating that said access request was received from a known entity by determining if an entry exists in said list for the NAS from which the access request was received.
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42. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for handling an access request at a PoP, said access request generated by a user logging on to said PoP, said user having a home PoP, the method including:
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accessing a list of network access servers (NASes) known to the PoP and known to a computer network containing the PoP, said list located locally at the PoP and periodically updated via communication with a central database of all NASes known to said computer network, wherein said central database broadcasts a message upon a change to said central database such that a current version of said central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at said list;
validating that said access request was received from a known entity by determining if an entry exists in said list for the NAS from which the access request was received;
determining if said user'"'"'s home PoP is said PoP;
forwarding said access request to an AAA server located at said PoP if said user'"'"'s home PoP is said PoP; and
relaying said access request to said user'"'"'s home PoP if said user'"'"'s home PoP is not said PoP.
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43. An apparatus for centrally managing a computer network, including:
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means for maintaining a central database of all NASes known to the computer network; and
means for broadcasting a message from said central database to a NAS list located at each POP in the computer network whenever said central database is changed, said message containing information regarding the change such that a current version of said central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at said NAS list located at each POP. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. An apparatus for locally processing an access request at a Point-of-Presence (PoP) in a computer network having other PoPs, said access request received from a NAS, the apparatus including:
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means for accessing a list of network access servers (NASes) known to the PoP and known to the computer network, said list located locally at the PoP and periodically updated via communication with a central database of all NASes known to said computer network, wherein said central database broadcasts a message upon a change to said central database such that a current version of said central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at said list; and
means for validating that said access request was received from a known entity by determining if an entry exists in said list for the NAS from which the access request was received. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. An apparatus for handling an access request at a PoP, said access request generated by a user logging on to said PoP, said user having a home PoP, the apparatus including:
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means for accessing a list of network access servers (NASes) known to the PoP and known to a computer network containing the PoP, said list located locally at the PoP and periodically updated via communication with a central database of all NASes known to said computer network, wherein said central database broadcasts a message upon a change to said central database such that a current version of said central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at said list;
means for validating that said access request was received from a known entity by determining if an entry exists in said list for the NAS from which the access request was received;
means for determining if said user'"'"'s home PoP is said PoP;
means for forwarding said access request to an AAA server located at said PoP if said user'"'"'s home PoP is said PoP; and
means for relaying said access request to said user'"'"'s home PoP if said user'"'"'s home PoP is not said PoP. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. A method for managing a computer network, including:
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maintaining a central database of all NASes known to the computer network;
broadcasting a message from said central database to a NAS list located at each POP in the computer network whenever said central database is changed, said message containing information regarding the change such that a current version of said central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at said NAS list located at each POP;
receiving said message at said NAS list located at each PoP in the computer network;
updating said NAS list to reflect the change;
receiving an access request at a PoP, said access request generated by a user logging on to said PoP, said user having a home PoP;
accessing said NAS list;
validating that said access request was received from a known entity by determining if an entry exists in said list for the NAS from which the access request was received;
determining if said user'"'"'s home PoP is said PoP;
forwarding said access request to an AAA server located at said PoP if said user'"'"'s home PoP is said PoP; and
relaying said access request to said user'"'"'s home PoP if said user'"'"'s home PoP is not said PoP. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71)
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72. An apparatus for managing a computer network, including:
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means for maintaining a central database of all NASes known to the computer network;
means for broadcasting a message from said central database to a NAS list located at each PoP in the computer network whenever said central database is changed, said message containing information regarding the change such that a current version of said central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at said NAS list located at each POP;
means for receiving said message at said NAS list located at each PoP in the computer network;
means for updating said NAS list to reflect the change;
means for receiving an access request at a PoP, said access request generated by a user logging on to said PoP, said user having a home PoP;
means for accessing said NAS list;
means for validating that said access request was received from a known entity by determining if an entry exists in said list for the NAS from which the access request was received;
means for determining if said user'"'"'s home PoP is said PoP;
means for forwarding said access request to an AAA server located at said PoP if said user'"'"'s home PoP is said PoP; and
means for relaying said access request to said user'"'"'s home PoP if said user'"'"'s home PoP is not said PoP. - View Dependent Claims (73, 74, 75, 76)
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77. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for managing a computer network, the method including:
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maintaining a central database of all NASes known to the computer network;
broadcasting a message from said central database to a NAS list located at each PoP in the computer network whenever said central database is changed, said message containing information regarding the change such that a current version of said central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at said NAS list located at each POP;
receiving said message at said NAS list located at each PoP in the computer network;
updating said NAS list to reflect the change;
receiving an access request at a PoP, said access request generated by a user logging on to said PoP, said user having a home PoP;
accessing said NAS list;
validating that said access request was received from a known entity by determining if an entry exists in said list for the NAS from which the access request was received;
determining if said user'"'"'s home PoP is said PoP;
forwarding said access request to an AAA server located at said PoP if said user'"'"'s home PoP is said PoP; and
relaying said access request to said user'"'"'s home PoP if said user'"'"'s home PoP is not said PoP.
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Specification