Techniques to map switch and router ports to physical locations
First Claim
1. A method for associating a physical location with a device connected to a network interface on an intermediate network device, comprising the steps of:
- receiving a data packet from a the device connected to a network;
determining, by one or more processors, based on data in the data packet, a particular network interface that received the data packet on a particular intermediate network node that received the data packet earlier than any other intermediate network node in the network;
determining, by one or more processors, an identity for an entity that originated the data packet based on the data in the data packet;
determining, by one or more processors, a possible physical location for the entity based on the identity; and
associating with the particular network interface a highest confidence location for the device based on the possible physical location of the entity,determining, by one or more processors, whether the current location data indicates the possible physical location;
if it is determined that the current location data indicates the possible physical location, then determining whether current confidence data associated with the current location data indicates a current confidence value less than a predetermined confidence value; and
if it is determined that the current confidence data indicates the current confidence value is less than the predetermined confidence value, then increasing the current confidence value indicated by the current confidence data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques for associating a physical location with a network interface on an intermediate network node include receiving a data packet from a device connected to a network. Based on data in the data packet, a particular network interface is determined on a first hop intermediate network node. An identity for an entity that originated the data packet is determined based on data in the data packet. A possible physical location for the entity is determined based on the identity. The identity is associated with the possible physical location in an independent data source that is accessible over the network and different from the data packet. The particular network interface is associated with a highest confidence location for the device based on the possible physical location of the entity and any former locations associated with the particular network interface.
68 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method for associating a physical location with a device connected to a network interface on an intermediate network device, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a data packet from a the device connected to a network; determining, by one or more processors, based on data in the data packet, a particular network interface that received the data packet on a particular intermediate network node that received the data packet earlier than any other intermediate network node in the network; determining, by one or more processors, an identity for an entity that originated the data packet based on the data in the data packet; determining, by one or more processors, a possible physical location for the entity based on the identity; and associating with the particular network interface a highest confidence location for the device based on the possible physical location of the entity, determining, by one or more processors, whether the current location data indicates the possible physical location; if it is determined that the current location data indicates the possible physical location, then determining whether current confidence data associated with the current location data indicates a current confidence value less than a predetermined confidence value; and if it is determined that the current confidence data indicates the current confidence value is less than the predetermined confidence value, then increasing the current confidence value indicated by the current confidence data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for associating a physical location with a device connected to a network interface on an intermediate network device, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a location suggestion data packet that includes first data that indicates a particular network interface and second data that indicates a possible physical location for a device directly connected to the particular network interface; associating with the particular network interface a highest confidence location for the device based on the possible physical location and any former locations associated with the particular network interface; determining whether old location data associated with the particular port data does not indicate the possible physical location, and if it is determined that the old location data does not indicate the possible physical location, determining whether old confidence data associated with the old location data indicates an old confidence value greater than a confidence threshold value, and if it is determined that the old confidence data indicates the old confidence value is greater than the given confidence threshold value, then reducing the old confidence value indicated by the old confidence data. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. An article of manufacture including a computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for associating a physical location with a device connected to a network interface on an intermediate network device, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
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receiving a data packet from the device connected to a network; determining, based on data in the data packet, a particular network interface that received the data packet on a particular intermediate network node that received the data packet earlier than any other intermediate network node in the network; determining an identity for an entity that originated the data packet based on the data in the data packet; determining a possible physical location for the entity based on the identity; associating with the particular network interface a highest confidence location for the device based on the possible physical location of the entity, wherein the identity is associated with the possible physical location in a data source that is accessible over the network; determining whether the current location data associated with the particular network interface indicates the possible physical location; if it is determined that the current location data indicates the possible physical location, then increasing or maintaining the current confidence value associated with the current location data. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An apparatus for associating a physical location with a device connected to a network interface on an intermediate network device, comprising:
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a network interface coupled for communicating therewith a first data packet; one or more processors; a computer-readable medium; and one or more sequences of instructions stored in the computer-readable medium, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to carry out the steps of; receiving through the network interface a location suggestion data packet that includes first data that indicates a particular network interface and second data associated with a possible physical location for a the device connected to the particular network interface; identifying a highest confidence location for the device based on the possible physical location for the device and any former locations associated with the particular network interface; determining a first confidence value associated with a first possible physical location of a first user according to packet transmission patterns received from the first user over the particular network interface; determining a second confidence value associated with a second possible physical location of a second user according to data packet transmission patterns from the second user over the particular network interface; and comparing the first confidence value with the second confidence value and using one of the first possible physical location and the second possible physical location with a highest confidence value as the highest confidence location for the device. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification