Internetwork authentication

• US 9,979,727 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2017
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aerohive Networks Incorporated (Extreme Networks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sakura, Kenshin, Gast, Matthew Stuart, Fu, Long
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kenneth W
• Application Number:
  US15/645,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20170310672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0884 by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys

Abstract

A technique for network authentication interoperability involves initiating an authentication procedure on a first network, authenticating on a second network, and allowing access at the first network. The technique can include filtering access to a network, thereby restricting access to users with acceptable credentials. Offering a service that incorporates these techniques can enable incorporation of the techniques into an existing system with minimal impact to network configuration.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing an internetwork authentication service between a first network and a second network by establishing a connection between a first network device of the first network and a second network device of the second network through a first local authoritative user datastore interface at the first network device and an internetwork authentication proxy and a second local authoritative user datastore interface at the second network device and the internetwork authentication proxy, the first and second local authoritative user datastore interfaces associated with identity routing rules for routing to the first network;

receiving at the second network device an authentication request for a station to access the first network;

determining whether the authentication request meets authentication proxy rules of the first network;

routing the authentication request according to the identity routing rules to the first network device through the first and second local authoritative user datastore interfaces, if it is determined that the authentication request meets the authentication proxy rules;

receiving at the second local authoritative user datastore interface from the first local authoritative user datastore interface an authentication result indicating the station is authenticated to access the first network;

providing the station access to network services provided through the second network according to the authentication result.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity routing rules establish conditions under which authentication requests are sent to the first network based upon credentials associated with the authentication requests.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity routing rules establish conditions under which authentication requests are sent to the first network based upon domains and subdomains associated with the authentication requests.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first local authoritative user datastore interface is preinstalled on the first network device before the first network device is shipped to an agent of the first network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the station can be authenticated using the authentication request at the second network device using the second network;

routing the authentication request according to the identity routing rules to the first network device through the first and second local authoritative datastore interfaces, if it is determined the station is incapable of being authenticated using the authentication request at the second network device using the second network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the authentication request meets parameters suitable for providing guest network service access;

providing guest network service access to the station, as the station is provided access to the network services provided through the second network according to the authentication result.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication proxy rules specify a subset of credentials the first network is willing to authenticate remotely, further comprising:

routing the authentication request according to the identity routing rules to the first network device through the first and second local authoritative user datastore interfaces, if it is determined that the authentication request meets the authentication proxy rules.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first local authoritative user datastore interface is configured to send the authentication result directly to the second local authoritative datastore interface absent using the internetwork authentication proxy.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, wherein the first local authoritative user datastore interface is configured to send the authentication result to the second local authoritative datastore interface through the internetwork authentication proxy.

10. A system comprising:

a first local authoritative user datastore interface at a first network device of a first network configured to establish a connection with an internetwork authentication proxy for purposes of providing internetwork authentication services between the first network and a second network;

a second local authoritative user datastore interface at a second network device of the second network configured to;

establish a connection with the internetwork authentication proxy for purposes of providing the internetwork authentication services between the first network and the second network, the second local authoritative user datastore interface associated with identity routing rules for routing to the first network;

receive at the second network device an authentication request for a station to access the first network;

a policy-based identity routing engine at the second local authoritative user datastore interface configured to determine whether the authentication request meets authentication proxy rules of the first network; and

route the authentication request according to the identity routing rules to the first network device through the first and second local authoritative user datastore interfaces, if it is determined that the authentication request meets the authentication proxy rules;

the second local authoritative user datastore interface further configured to;

receive from the first local authoritative user datastore interface an authentication result indicating the station is authenticated to access the first network;

provide the station access to network services provided through the second network according to the authentication result.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the identity routing rules establish conditions under which authentication requests are sent to the first network based upon credentials associated with the authentication requests.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the identity routing rules establish conditions under which authentication requests are sent to the first network based upon domains and subdomains associated with the authentication requests.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the policy-based identity routing engine is further configured to:

determine whether the station can be authenticated using the authentication request at the second network device using the second network;

route the authentication request according to the identity routing rules to the first network device through the first and second local authoritative datastore interfaces, if it is determined the station is incapable of being authenticated using the authentication request at the second network device using the second network.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising a guest authentication engine at the second local authoritative user datastore interface configured to:

determine whether the authentication request meets parameters suitable for providing guest network service access;

provide guest network service access to the station, as the station is provided access to the network services provided through the second network according to the authentication result.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the authentication proxy rules specify a subset of credentials the first network is willing to authenticate remotely and wherein the internetwork authentication proxy is further configured to:

route the authentication request according to the identity routing rules to the first network device through the first and second local authoritative user datastore interfaces, if it is determined that the authentication request meets the authentication proxy rules.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the first local authoritative user datastore interface is configured to send the authentication result directly to the second local authoritative datastore interface absent using the internetwork authentication proxy.

17. The system of claim 10, further comprising, wherein the first local authoritative user datastore interface is configured to send the authentication result to the second local authoritative datastore interface through the internetwork authentication proxy.

18. A system comprising:

means for providing an internetwork authentication service between a first network and a second network by establishing a connection between a first network device of the first network and a second network device of the second network through a first local authoritative user datastore interface at the first network device and an internetwork authentication proxy and a second local authoritative user datastore interface at the second network device and the internetwork authentication proxy, the first and second local authoritative user datastore interfaces associated with identity routing rules for routing to the first network;

means for receiving at the second network device an authentication request for a station to access the first network;

means for determining whether the authentication request meets authentication proxy rules of the first network;

means for routing the authentication request according to the identity routing rules to the first network device through the first and second local authoritative user datastore interfaces, if it is determined that the authentication request meets the authentication proxy rules;

means for receiving at the second local authoritative user datastore interface from the first local authoritative user datastore interface an authentication result indicating the station is authenticated to access the first network;

means for providing the station access to network services provided through the second network according to the authentication result.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the identity routing rules establish conditions under which authentication requests are sent to the first network based upon credentials associated with the authentication requests.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the identity routing rules establish conditions under which authentication requests are sent to the first network based upon domains and subdomains associated with the authentication requests.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the first local authoritative user datastore interface is preinstalled on the first network device before the first network device is shipped to an agent of the first network.