Sharing of NAS information between PoPs

• US 7,529,826 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2005
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chandrupatla, Sunil Kumar, Mishra, Kali Prasanna, Chandrupatla, Anil Kumar, Podar, Sunil Kumar, Sthothra Bhasham, Sampath Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nano; Sargon N
• Application Number:
  US11/077,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20050198294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/224, 709/225, 455/432.1, 455/433, 455/435.1, 455/436
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2869 Operational details of access network equipments admission control or resource allocation in access networks H04L12/5692
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/085 Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

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.

Claims

1. A method for providing roaming capabilities to a user in a computer network having two or more Points-of-Presence (PoPs), wherein one of the PoPs is designated as the user'"'"'s home PoP, the method comprising:

maintaining a network access servers (NAS) list at the user'"'"'s home PoP; and

periodically transferring the NAS list from the user'"'"'s home PoP to a central database, for updating of the central database of all NASes known to the computer network and subsequent update of the two or more PoPs, such that a current version of the central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at each of the two or more PoPs.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an access request at one of the PoPs; and

validating that the access request was received from a known entity by determining if an entry exists in the current version of the central database maintained at the one of the PoPs.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the each entry in the current version of the central database of all NASes known to the computer network contains fields for:

a domain name of a NAS;

a vendor name of the NAS;

a shared secret between all known NASes and AAA servers in the network; and

a dictionary name, the dictionary name indicating a dictionary of attributes supported by the NAS.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the validating further includes validating that the access request was received from a known entity by determining if the domain name that the access request was received from matches the domain name field of any entry in the list.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the validating further includes examining whether a password supplied with the access request matches the shared secret field of a corresponding entry in the list if the domain name that the access request was received from matches the domain name field of any entry in the list.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the dictionary of attributes is a standard RADIUS dictionary.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the periodically transferring includes subscribing to a broker event.

8. An apparatus for providing roaming capabilities to a user in a computer network having two or more Points-of-Presence (PoPs), wherein one of the PoPs is designated as the user'"'"'s home PoP, the apparatus comprising:

a NAS list maintenance module configured to maintain a network access servers (NAS) list at the user'"'"'s home PoP; and

a NAS list transfer module coupled to the NAS list maintenance module and configured to periodically transfer the NAS list from the user'"'"'s home PoP to a central database, for updating of the central database of all NASes known to the computer network and subsequent update of the two or more PoPs, such that a current version of the central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at each of said the or more PoPs.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

an access request receiving module configured to receive an access request at one of the PoPs; and

an access request validator coupled to the access request receiving module.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the each entry in the current version of the central database of all NASes known to the computer network contains fields for:

a domain name of a NAS;

a vendor name of the NAS;

a shared secret between all known NASes and AAA servers in the network; and

a dictionary name, the dictionary name indicating a dictionary of attributes supported by the NAS.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the access request validator is configured to validate that the access request was received from a known entity by determining if the domain name that the access request was received from matches the domain name field of any entry in the list.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the access request validator is configured to examine whether a password supplied with the access request matches the shared secret field of a corresponding entry in the list if the domain name that the access request was received from matches the domain name field of any entry in the list.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the dictionary of attributes is a standard RADIUS dictionary.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the NAS list transfer module is further configured to subscribe to a broker event.

15. An apparatus for providing roaming capabilities to a user in a computer network having two or more Points-of-Presence (PoPs), wherein one of the PoPs is designated as the user'"'"'s home PoP, the apparatus comprising:

means for maintaining a network access servers (NAS) list at the user'"'"'s home PoP;

means for periodically transferring the NAS list from the user'"'"'s home PoP to a central database, for updating of the central database of all NASes known to the computer network and subsequent update of the two or more PoPs, such that a current version of the central database of all NASes known to the computer network is maintained at each of the two or more PoPs.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

means for receiving an access request at one of the PoPs; and

means for validating that the access request was received from a known entity by determining if an entry exists in the current version of the central database maintained at the one of the PoPs.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the each entry in the current version of the central database of all NASes known to the computer network contains fields for:

a domain name of a NAS;

a vendor name of the NAS;

a shared secret between all known NASes and AAA servers in the network; and

a dictionary name, the dictionary name indicating a dictionary of attributes supported by the NAS.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for validating further includes means for validating that the access request was received from a known entity by determining if the domain name that the access request was received from matches the domain name field of any entry in the list.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for validating further includes means for examining whether a password supplied with the access request matches the shared secret field of a corresponding entry in the list if the domain name that the access request was received from matches the domain name field of any entry in the list.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the dictionary of attributes is a standard RADIUS dictionary.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for periodically transferring includes means for subscribing to a broker event.