Service licensing and maintenance for networks

• US 7,904,712 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2004
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bush, Steve M., Butcher, Thomas C., Skelly, Roxanne C., Heymann, Harry J., Kerns, Dan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): TABOR, AMARE F
• Application Number:
  US10/916,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20060036847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,401 Days
• Field of Search: 713/153, 726/3, 726/12
• US Class Current: 713/153
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet

Abstract

A technique is disclosed that allows different computers in a network to create an identifier that uniquely identifies the network. The technique allows the unique identifier to be consistently created over time, regardless of the particular make up of the computing devices in the network at any particular point time. In some implementation, a computer within the network hosts the identification creation tool. In order to create a unique identifier for the network, the tool identifies each network adapter used by the host computer. Using this information, the tool identifies a gateway device used by the network adapter or adapters, and then determines the physical network address of that gateway device. For example, if the network is an Ethernet network, the tool will determine the medial access control (MAC) address for the gateway device. The tool then creates a unique identifier for the network based upon the physical address. The unique network identifier can then be used to associate the billing a usage fee, such as a licensing fee, with the network rather than with an individual computer within the network. Alternately or additionally, the unique network identifier can be used to maintain and support the gateway device for the network.

Claims

1. A method of creating a unique identifier of a first network, the method comprising:

identifying, with a first device of the first network, a gateway device of the first network;

determining, with the first device, a value uniquely associated with the gateway device;

creating, with the first device, a unique identifier for the network based upon the determined value, wherein the determined value is a physical address for the gateway device, and wherein identifying the gateway device for the first network includes identifying at least one network adapter employed by the first device to communicate with the gateway device, wherein the first device is configured to delete an address resolution protocol (ARP) entry maintained by an operating system of the first device and corresponding to a logical address of the gateway device, and wherein the first device is configured to communicate an ARP request message to the gateway device and to receive a media access control (MAC) address from the gateway device that is stored as a new entry in an ARP table of the first device, and wherein the determining of the value uniquely associated with the gateway device is executed only if the first device determines that the logical address of the gateway device corresponds to a router; and

generating a billing record using the physical address, wherein the billing record includes a number of registered devices on the first network that are using an application, and wherein the first device is included in the registered devices that are using the application.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the determined value is a Media Access Control address for the gateway device.

3. The method recited in claim 2, wherein the gateway device is a router.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the determined value is a media access control address for the gateway device;

and determining a value uniquely associated with the gateway device includes obtaining a media access control address corresponding to the gateway logical address.

5. The method recited in claim 4, wherein determining a value uniquely associated with the gateway device further includes accessing an address resolution protocol table listing the gateway device, and looking up the media access control address corresponding to the gateway logical address in the address resolution protocol table.

6. The method recited in claim 4, wherein determining a value uniquely associated with the gateway device further includes determining that the gateway device is a router.

7. The method recited in claim 1, wherein creating a unique identifier for the first network based upon the determined value includes encrypting the determined value.

8. The method recited in claim 1, wherein creating a unique identifier for the first network based upon the determined value includes compressing the determined value.

9. The method recited in claim 8, wherein creating a unique identifier for the first network based upon the determined value further includes encrypting the compressed determined value.

10. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising transmitting the unique identifier to a computer outside of the first network.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 1.

12. A method of licensing network services to at least one device of a first network, the method comprising:

providing a service;

receiving a network identifier for at least one device of the first network;

generating a billing record corresponding to the received network identifier, wherein a first device of the first network identifies a gateway device of the first network and a value uniquely associated with the gateway device is determined, and wherein the first device creates the network identifier based upon the determined value, and wherein the determined value is a physical address for the gateway device, and wherein identifying the gateway device for the first network includes identifying at least one network adapter employed by the first device to communicate with the gateway device, and wherein the billing record is generated using the physical address, wherein the billing record includes a number of registered devices on the first network that are using an application, and wherein the first device is included in the registered devices that are using the application, wherein the first device is configured to delete an address resolution protocol (ARP) entry maintained by an operating system of the first device and corresponding to a logical address of the gateway device, and wherein the first device is configured to communicate an ARP request message to the gateway device and to receive a media access control (MAC) address from the gateway device that is stored as a new entry in an ARP table of the first device, and wherein the determining of the value uniquely associated with the gateway device is executed only if the first device determines that the logical address of the gateway device corresponds to a router.

13. The method recited in claim 12, wherein providing the service to the network includes supplying a software application for use by at least one computer within the network.

14. The method recited in claim 12, further comprising:

receiving usage information with the network identifier, such that the use information identifies one or more particular uses of the network;

determining a charge to be included in the billing record based upon the received usage information.

15. The method recited in claim 14, further comprising:

submitting the billing record to a third party associated with the one or more particular uses of the network identified by the usage information.

16. The method recited in claim 12, further comprising:

submitting the billing record to a party responsible for the network.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 12.

18. A tool for creating a unique network identifier, comprising:

a network adapter enumeration module executed by a host computer that identifies each network adapter for the host computer and any gateway address specified by each identified network adapter;

a physical address identification module executed by the host computer that determines a physical address for a gateway device corresponding to at least one gateway address specified by an identified network adapter;

a network identifier generation module that generates a unique network identifier based upon the determined physical address, wherein a first device of the first network is coupled to the modules and identifies a gateway device of the first network and a value uniquely associated with the gateway device is determined, and wherein the first device creates a unique identifier for the network based upon the determined value, and wherein the determined value is a physical address for the gateway device, and wherein identifying the gateway device for the first network includes identifying at least one network adapter employed by the first device to communicate with the gateway device, and wherein a gateway logical address is obtained and used by the network adapter; and

a billing record generation module that generates a billing record incorporating the unique network identifier, wherein the billing record includes a number of registered devices on the first network that are using an application, and wherein the first device is included in the registered devices that are using the application, wherein the first device is configured to delete an address resolution protocol (ARP) entry maintained by an operating system of the first device and corresponding to a logical address of the gateway device, and wherein the first device is configured to communicate an ARP request message to the gateway device and to receive a media access control (MAC) address from the gateway device that is stored as a new entry in an ARP table of the first device, and wherein the determining of the value uniquely associated with the gateway device is executed only if the first device determines that the logical address of the gateway device corresponds to a router.

19. The tool recited in claim 18, further comprising a gateway identification module that determines identification information identifying the gateway device corresponding to the at least one gateway address, and wherein the billing record generation module incorporates at least a portion of the identification information in the billing record.

20. The tool recited in claim 19, wherein the billing record generation module transmits the billing record to a remote computing device.

21. A tool for identifying a network receiving network services, comprising:

a network services module for providing one or more services to a network, the network services module being hosted in a host computer within the network;

a network adapter enumeration module that identifies each network adapter employed by the host computer and any gateway address specified by each identified network adapter;

a physical address identification module hosted in the host computer that determines a physical address for a gateway device in the network corresponding to at least one gateway address specified by an identified network adapter;

a network identifier generation module that generates a unique network identifier based upon the determined physical address; and

a gateway identification module that identifies the gateway device corresponding to the at least one gateway address, wherein a billing record is generated using the physical address, wherein the billing record includes a number of registered devices on the first network that are using an application, and wherein the host computer is included in the registered devices that are using the application, wherein the host device is configured to delete an address resolution protocol (ARP) entry maintained by an operating system of the host device and corresponding to a logical address of the gateway device, and wherein the host device is configured to communicate an ARP request message to the gateway device and to receive a media access control (MAC) address from the gateway device that is stored as a new entry in an ARP table of the host device, and wherein the determining of the value uniquely associated with the gateway device is executed only if the host device determines that the logical address of the gateway device corresponds to a router.

22. The tool recited in claim 21, further comprising a billing record generation module that creates a billing record incorporating the unique network identifier and usage fees for the one or more network services provided by the network services module.

23. The tool recited in claim 22, wherein the billing record generation module transmits the billing record to a remote computing device.