System and method for remote access to cloud-enabled network devices

• US 9,521,217 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2014
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CTERA Networks Limited
• Original Assignee: CTERA Networks Limited
• Inventors: Brand, Aron
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUNDUR, PADMAVATHI V
• Application Number:
  US14/520,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20150046521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/06 using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A system and method for optimizing communication between a client and a cloud-enabled network device communicating over the internet are provided. The method includes receiving a request from the client to access a user interface of the cloud-enabled network device; checking if the request is for a static resource of the user interface; upon determining that the request is for a static resource, sending the static resource from the cloud relay server to the client over the internet; and relaying the request to the cloud-enabled network device over the secure tunnel if the request cannot be served by the cloud relay server. In an embodiment, the cloud-enabled network device is connected in a local area network and communicates with the cloud relay server over a secure tunnel.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing communication between a client and a cloud-enabled network device communicating over the internet, comprising:

receiving, at a cloud relay server, a request from the client to access a user interface of the cloud-enabled network device;

checking if the request is for a static resource of the user interface;

upon determining that the request is for a static resource of the user interface, sending the static resource from the cloud relay server to the client over the internet, wherein the static resource of the user interface is retrieved from a firmware image matching a respective firmware image of the cloud-enabled network device that is cached in the cloud relay server, wherein the firmware image is retrieved from a firmware repository of a firmware update service that contains the most updated firmware image of the cloud-enabled network device that the cloud relay server has an active secure tunnel with; and

relaying the request to the cloud-enabled network device over the secure tunnel established between the cloud-enabled network device and the cloud relay server when the request cannot be served by the cloud relay server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

checking if the request is for accessing a file locally stored in the cloud-enabled network device; and

checking if an up-to-date copy of the file is available in a cloud storage system (CSS);

upon determining that the request is for accessing a file available in the cloud storage system, returning the file, by the cloud relay server, from a cloud storage system (CSS) storing a copy of the requested file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface is at least a web application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the cloud relay server maintains a cached copy of the web application.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the user interface by a cloud connector connected to the cloud-enabled network device through a management link established between the cloud connector and the cloud-enabled network device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein checking if the request is for the static resource further comprising:

checking a uniform resource identifier (URI) in the request against a list of URI of static resources maintained by the cloud relay server.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

8. A system for optimizing communication between a client and a cloud-enabled network device communicating over the internet, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the system to;

receive, at a cloud relay server, a request from the client to access a user interface of the cloud-enabled network device;

check if the request is for a static resource of the user interface;

upon determining that the request is for a static resource of the user interface, send the static resource from the cloud relay server to the client over the internet, wherein the static resource of the user interface is retrieved from a firmware image matching a respective firmware image of the cloud-enabled network device that is cached in the cloud relay server, wherein the firmware image is retrieved from a firmware repository of a firmware update service that contains the most updated firmware image of the cloud-enabled network device that the cloud relay server has an active secure tunnel with; and

relay the request to the cloud-enabled network device over the secure tunnel established between the cloud-enabled network device and the cloud relay server when the request cannot be served by the cloud relay server.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is further configured to:

check if the request is for accessing a file locally stored in the cloud-enabled network device; and

upon determining that the request is for accessing a file, return the file, by the cloud relay server, from a cloud storage system (CSS) storing a copy of the requested file.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the user interface is at least a web application.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the cloud relay server maintains a cached copy of the web application.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is further configured to:

update the user interface by a cloud connector connected to the cloud-enabled network device through a management link established between the cloud connector and the cloud-enabled network device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is further configured to:

check a uniform resource identifier (URI) in the request against a list of URI of static resources maintained by the cloud relay server.