Accessing external network via proxy server

• US 8,806,040 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Shah, Amit
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, FAHMIDA S
• Application Number:
  US12/960,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20120144050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/229, 709/203, 709/202, 709/218, 726/8, 726/10, 726/12
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

A network manager establishes a network connection with a local area network (LAN) using a gateway device that interfaces the LAN with the Internet. A request is transmitted to the gateway device via the network connection to access a Web server of the Internet. A response page received from the Internet via the gateway device is examined to determine whether the response page is a redirect page, or if the response page is from a domain different from that was requested, from a Web proxy server that requires a user to log in, in order to access the Web server. It is determined whether credentials associated with the user required for the login page have been previously cached locally. The cached credentials of the user is automatically provided in response to the redirect page without user intervention to log into the Web proxy server, if it is determined that the credentials have been previously cached locally.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

sending, from a browser application at a client device, a first request to access a web server residing in a first domain of a domain name system and, in response, receiving a first response;

determining, by a network manager executed by a processor at the client device, that the first response comprises a link that redirects the first request to a proxy server and, in response, extracting the link from the first response;

sending a second request to the proxy server in view of the link and, in response, receiving a second response from the proxy server;

determining, by the network manager, that the second response comprises a login page and that the proxy server resides in a second domain of the domain name system;

determining, by the network manager, that the first domain of the web server is different than the second domain of the proxy server;

in response to determining that the second response comprises the login page and that the first domain of the web server is different than the second domain of the proxy server, determining that first credentials associated with the login page have been previously cached at the client device; and

providing the first credentials from the client device to the proxy server, without user intervention, for access to the web server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting a user for the first credentials in response to determining that the first credentials have not been previously cached at the client device;

and

caching the first credentials at the client device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first credentials include at least one of a user identifier or a password.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first credentials are stored at the client device in a configuration file.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the configuration file further stores other credentials required to log into other proxy servers.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a network connection by providing second credentials to log into a network that provides access to the web server and the proxy server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a local area network (LAN).

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

sending, from a browser application at a client device, a first request to access a web server residing in a first domain of a domain name system and, in response, receiving a first response;

determining, by a network manager executed by the processor at the client device, that the first response comprises a link that redirects the first request to a proxy server and, in response, extracting the link from the first response;

sending a second request to the proxy server in view of the link and, in response, receiving a second response from the proxy server;

determining, by the network manager, that the second response comprises a login page and that the proxy server resides in a second domain of the domain name system;

determining, by the network manager, that the first domain of the web server is different than the second domain of the proxy server;

in response to determining that the second response comprises the login page and that the first domain of the web server is different than the second domain of the proxy server, determining that first credentials associated with the login page have been previously cached at the client device; and

providing the first credentials from the client device to the proxy server, without user intervention, for access to the web server.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

prompting a user for the first credentials in response to determining that the first credentials have not been previously cached at the client device;

and

caching the first credentials at the client device.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first credentials include at least one of a user identifier or a password.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the first credentials are stored at the client device in a configuration file.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the configuration file further stores other credentials required to log into other proxy servers.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise establishing a network connection by providing second credentials to log into a network that provides access to the web server and the proxy server.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the network is a local area network (LAN).

15. A system, comprising:

a processor at a client device to execute a browser application to;

send a first request to access a web server residing in a first domain of a domain name system and, in response, receive a first response;

wherein the processor is further to execute a network manager to;

determine that the first response comprises a link that redirects the first request to a proxy server and, in response, extract the link from the first response;

send a second request to the proxy server in view of the link and, in response, receive a second response from the proxy server;

determine that the second response comprises a login page and that the proxy server resides in a second domain of the domain name system;

determine that the first domain of the web server is different than the second domain of the proxy server;

in response to the determination that the second response comprises the login page and that the first domain of the web server is different than the second domain of the proxy server, determine that first credentials associated with the login page have been previously cached at the client device; and

provide the first credentials from the client device to the proxy server, without user intervention, for access to the web server.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the network manager is further to:

prompt a user for the first credentials in response to determining that the first credentials have not been previously cached at the client device;

and

cache the first credentials at the client device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first credentials include at least one of a user identifier or a password.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first credentials are stored at the client device in a configuration file.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the configuration file further stores other credentials required to log into other proxy servers.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the network manager is further to establish a network connection by providing second credentials to log into a network that provides access to the web server and the proxy server.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the network is a local area network (LAN).