Systems and methods for the detection and management of network assets

• US 7,243,147 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth IP Corporation
• Inventors: Hodges, Donna K., Wright, Robert E., Hagan, Guy R., Lockhart, James Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, OANH L
• Application Number:
  US10/334,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20040128374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,653 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-225, 709/229, 709/250, 726 22- 23, 726/28, 726/29, 705/59
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies

Abstract

System and methods are disclosed that enable the detection and management of network assets. Such systems in accordance with the present invention include one or more asset detection systems and one or more asset repositories. Asset detection systems and asset repositories in accordance with the present invention each have an interface for exchanging information. For example, such an interface may enable asset registration information to be detected at an asset detection system and automatically sent to asset repository. Furthermore, for example, such an interface may enable asset registration information to be verified at an asset repository, and enable a verification to be sent to an asset detection system.

Claims

1. A method for administration of network assets, the method comprising:

detecting, by one of asset detection systems, an appearance of an asset in a network;

acquiring, by the one of the asset detection systems, registration information associated with the detected asset;

sending, by one of asset detection interfaces associated with the one of the asset detection systems, the acquired registration information to asset repositories; and

receiving, by asset repository interfaces that run at the asset repositories, the acquired registration information corresponding to the detected asset from the one of the asset detection interfaces,

wherein one of the asset repositories;

compares the acquired registration information with previously received registration information associated with the detected asset;

sends a message to the asset detection interfaces from one of the asset repository interfaces confirming the acquired registration information if the acquired registration information matches the previously received registration information stored at the asset repositories; and

sends an alert to the asset detection interfaces from the one of the asset repository interfaces if the acquired registration information does not match the previously received registration information recorded at the asset repositories; and

wherein the acquired registration information is updated by reacquiring asset registration information from the one of the asset detection systems.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the appearance of an asset comprises detecting the appearance of an asset via an intrusion detection tool on the network.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting an intrusion of the detected asset; and

alerting the asset repositories of the intrusion.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein alerting the asset repositories of the intrusion comprises:

alerting an information service to suspend currently running applications of the detected asset; and

alerting the information service to suspend deployment of new applications to the detected asset.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the appearance of an asset comprises detecting the appearance of a hardware apparatus.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein acquiring the registration information comprises acquiring a number of central processing units operating at the hardware apparatus.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein acquiring the registration information comprises acquiring an amount of memory available at the hardware apparatus.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the appearance of an asset comprises detecting the appearance of a software application.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein acquiring the registration information comprises acquiring registration information from a signature issued to an instance of the software application.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein acquiring the registration information comprises acquiring an identifier for a hardware apparatus on which the software application is deployed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein reacquiring the

registration information comprises acquiring an identifier for the detected asset.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring the registration information comprises acquiring an electronic license to use the detected asset.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the one of the asset repositories a message that the acquired registration information has not been previously reported to an information service.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising acquiring updated registration information at a pre-determined interval from the detected asset.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising reporting the updated registration information to the asset repositories.

16. A system for detection and management of network assets, the system comprising:

asset detection systems, wherein one of the asset detection systems detects an appearance of an asset of the network assets in a network and acquires registration information associated with the detected asset;

asset detection interfaces, running at the asset detection systems, wherein one of the asset detection interfaces associated with the one of the asset detection systems sends the acquired registration information to asset repositories;

asset repository interfaces that, running at the asset repositories, receive the acquired registration information corresponding to the detected asset from the one of the asset detection interfaces,

wherein one of the asset repositories;

compares the acquired registration information with previously received registration information associated with the detected asset;

sends a message to the asset detection interfaces from one of the asset repository interfaces confirming the acquired registration information if the acquired registration information matches the previously received registration information stored at the asset repositories; and

sends an alert to the asset detection interfaces from the one of the asset repository interfaces if the acquired registration information does not match the previously received registration information recorded at the asset repositories, and

wherein the acquired registration information is updated by reacquiring asset registration information from the one of the asset detection systems.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the asset detection systems comprise a network monitoring tool on the network.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the asset detection systems comprise intrusion detection tool on the network.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the asset repositories comprise a grid information service.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the asset repositories comprise a digital asset management system.