System and method for authenticating an element in a network environment

• US 7,310,307 B1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Issued: 12/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Das, Amitava, Wright, Michael A., Salowey, Joseph A., Gossman, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hyun, Soon D.
• Application Number:
  US10/322,128
• Time in Patent Office: 1,827 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A method for authenticating an element in a network environment is provided that includes receiving a request for one or more triplets. One or more of the triplets may be associated with an authentication communications protocol that may be executed in order to facilitate a communication session. The method further includes returning one or more of the triplets in response to the request and initiating the communication session in response to the triplets after proper authentication of an entity associated with the request.

Claims

1. An apparatus for authenticating an element in a network environment, comprising:

an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server receiving a request for one or more triplets from a wireless local area network (WLAN) element, one or more of the triplets being associated with an authentication communications protocol being executed in order to facilitate a communication session via the WLAN element, the AAA server returning one or more of the triplets to the WLAN element such that the communication session is facilitated after proper authentication of an entity associated with the request, and wherein a mobile application part (MAP) gateway receives a request from the AAA server when the AAA server cannot communicate one or more requested triplets to the WLAN element, the MAP gateway accessing a cache table within the MAP gateway in order to return one or more triplets to the WLAN element in response to the request from the AAA server, whereby either the MAP gateway or the AAA server is accessed to locally cache the triplets such that a home location register (HLR) is not initially involved in an authentication process for the communication session.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the AAA server includes a cache table storing one or more triplets, and wherein selected triplets may be communicated to the WLAN element based on criteria included within the request for one or more of the triplets from the WLAN element, the criteria being based on parameters associated with the entity.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the AAA server and the MAP gateway include a caching algorithm selecting one or more triplets to be communicated to the WLAN element based on criteria communicated by the WLAN element and included in the request.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein each of the cache tables are populated by one or more access requests received by the AAA server and the MAP gateway, the access requests being included within RADIUS flows propagating to the AAA server and the MAP gateway.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a home location register (HLR) that includes a cache table, the HLR receiving a request for one or more triplets from the MAP gateway when the AAA server and the MAP gateway cannot satisfy the request communicated by the WLAN element.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the HLR includes an authentication center operable to verify an identification element that is included in the request for one or more triplets from the WLAN element, the authentication center authorizing communication of requested triplets when an authentication of the entity is valid.

7. An apparatus for authenticating an element in a network environment, comprising:

a mobile application part (MAP) gateway receiving a request for one or more triplets from a wireless local area network (WLAN) element, one or more of the triplets being associated with an authentication communications protocol being executed in order to facilitate a communication session via the WLAN element, the MAP gateway returning one or more of the triplets such that the communication session is facilitated after proper authentication of an entity associated with the request, and wherein an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server also receives the request from the WLAN element, whereby either the MAP gateway or the AAA server is accessed to locally cache the triplets such that a home location register (HLR) is not initially involved in an authentication process for the communication session.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the MAP gateway includes a cache table storing one or more triplets, and wherein selected triplets being communicated to the WLAN element based on criteria included within the request, the criteria being based on parameters associated with the entity associated with the request.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the MAP gateway performing a caching algorithm that selects one or more triplets to be communicated to the WLAN element based on the criteria communicated by the WLAN element and included in the request.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the cache table is populated by one or more access requests received by the MAP gateway, the access requests being included within RADIUS flows propagating to the MAP gateway.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a home location register (HLR) that includes a cache table, the HLR receiving a request for one or more triplets from the MAP gateway when the MAP gateway cannot satisfy the request communicated by the WLAN element.

12. A method for authenticating an element in a network environment, comprising:

receiving a request for one or more triplets, one or more of the triplets being associated with an authentication communications protocol being executed in order to facilitate a communication session;

returning one or more of the triplets in response to the request; and

initiating the communication session in response to the triplets after proper authentication of an entity associated with the request, and wherein a mobile application part (MAP) gateway receives a request from an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server when the AAA server cannot communicate one or more requested triplets to the WLAN element, the MAP gateway accessing a cache table within the MAP gateway in order to return one or more triplets to the WLAN element in response to the request from the AAA server, whereby either the MAP gateway or the AAA server is accessed to locally cache the triplets such that a home location register (HLR) is not initially involved in an authentication process for the communication session.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

storing one or more triplets, wherein one or more selected triplets being communicated based on criteria included within the request, the criteria being based on parameters associated with the entity.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

forwarding the request in response to an inability to satisfy the request.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

accessing a cache table in order to return one or more triplets.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

selecting one or more triplets to be returned using an algorithm that processes the criteria included in the request.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

populating the cache table with one or more access requests, the access requests being included within RADIUS flows.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

verifying an identification element that is communicated in the request; and

authorizing communication of requested triplets when authentication of the entity is valid.

19. A system for authenticating an element in a network environment, comprising:

an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server receiving a request for one or more triplets from a wireless local area network element, one or more of the triplets being associated with an authentication communications protocol that being executed in order to facilitate a communication session via the WLAN element, the AAA server returning one or more of the triplets to the WLAN element such that the communication session is facilitated after proper authentication of an entity associated with the request, wherein the AAA server includes a cache table stores one or more triplets, and wherein selected triplets may be communicated to the WLAN element based on criteria included within the request for one or more of the triplets from the WLAN element, the criteria being based on parameters associated with the entity; and

a mobile application part (MAP) gateway receiving a request from the AAA server when the AAA server cannot communicate one or more requested triplets to the WLAN element, the MAP gateway accessing a cache table within the MAP gateway in order to return one or more triplets to the WLAN element in response to the request from the AAA server, whereby either the MAP gateway or the AAA server is accessed to locally cache the triplets such that a home location register (HLR) is not initially involved in an authentication process for the communication session.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each of the AAA server and the MAP gateway include a caching algorithm selecting one or more triplets to be communicated to the WLAN element based on the criteria communicated by the WLAN element and included in the request.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the network environment is a selected one of a 2.5G and a 3G communication architecture.

22. A system for authenticating an element in a network environment, comprising:

means for receiving a request for one or more triplets, one or more of the triplets being associated with an authentication communications protocol being executed in order to facilitate a communication session;

means for returning one or more of the triplets in response to the request; and

means for initiating the communication session in response to the triplets after proper authentication of an entity associated with the request, and wherein a mobile application part (MAP) gateway receives a request from an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server when the AAA server cannot communicate one or more requested triplets to the WLAN element, the MAP gateway accessing a cache table within the MAP gateway in order to return one or more triplets to the WLAN element in response to the request from the AAA server, whereby either the MAP gateway or the AAA server is accessed to locally cache the triplets such that a home location register (HLR) is not initially involved in an authentication process for the communication session.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for storing one or more triplets, wherein one or more selected triplets being communicated based on criteria included within the request, the criteria being based on parameters associated with the entity.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for forwarding the request in response to an inability to satisfy the request.

25. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for verifying an identification element that is communicated in the request; and

means for authorizing communication of requested triplets when authentication of the entity is valid.

26. A computer readable medium coded with computer executable codes for authenticating an element in a network environment, the codes being operated to:

receive a request for one or more triplets, one or more of the triplets being associated with an authentication communications protocol being executed in order to facilitate a communication session;

return one or more of the triplets in response to the request; and

initiate the communication session in response to the triplets after proper authentication of an entity associated with the request, and wherein a mobile application part (MAP) gateway receives a request from an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server when the AAA server cannot communicate one or more requested triplets to the WLAN element, the MAP gateway accessing a cache table within the MAP gateway in order to return one or more triplets to the WLAN element in response to the request from the AAA server, whereby either the MAP gateway or the AAA server is accessed to locally cache the triplets such that a home location register (HLR) is not initially involved in an authentication process for the communication session.

27. The medium of claim 26, the codes further being operated to:

store one or more triplets, wherein one or more selected triplets being communicated based on criteria included within the request, the criteria being based on parameters associated with the entity.

28. The medium of claim 26, the codes further being operated to:

forward the request in response to an inability to satisfy the request.

29. The medium of claim 26, the codes further being operated to:

access a cache table in order to return one or more triplets.

30. The medium of claim 26, the codes further being operated to:

verify an identification element that is communicated in the request; and

authorize communication of requested triplets when authentication of the entity is valid.