Combined remote access and security system

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1.

Field of the Invention

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The present invention relates to a system that will provide remote access to allow servicing of a mainframe computer site while at the same time providing for security and integrity of the mainframe computer installation. In particular, the present invention is directed to a system wherein service and maintenance of the mainframe computer system is controlled and monitored from a remote location and service on the mainframe computer system may be performed by a field engineer at a further remote location.

2.

Prior Art

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Current mainframe processing environments use an operator console to display messages about the system. These messages are monitored and any problems are noted. Programmers and other technicians may then become involved in solving a problem. The problem may be beyond the operations staff's ability to handle.

The mainframe computer system may be serviced and monitored from a remote location. Remote support of mainframe computer installations is becoming increasingly important. This includes both remote monitoring and service support of mainframe computer systems. Businesses have been established which are capable of monitoring and maintaining a wide variety of mainframe computer installations.

From time to time, when problems are found, it is necessary for a technician or field engineer to have access to the mainframe computer system. A technician or field engineer can work on the problems on site at the mainframe installation. With high speed, broad band communications, it is possible for a field engineer to diagnose and solve mainframe computer problems from a remote location by communication from a personal computer. Accordingly, the field engineer may be at any location. These technicians are increasingly specialized and require wide access to the mainframe computer installation. At the same time, the computer mainframe installation must retain its security and integrity. In the past, while limited access and "firewalls" have sometimes been employed to maintain security, the field engineer needs wide access to the mainframe computer to diagnosis and solve the problems.

Typically, the dispatch control center is located in a secure location. The field engineer, however, is often times at an unsecured location and may operate from a laptop or other unsecured machine. Additionally, the mainframe computer business has only limited controls over the field engineer. For example, a disgruntled field engineer with wide access to the mainframe computer system could cause considerable problems.

With both the dispatch control center and the field engineer at remote locations from the mainframe computer center, the channels of communication are important. While secure transmission lines are possible to establish, these are expensive over long distances. Additionally, the field engineer may be mobile.

The development of personal computers, modems (modulator/demodulator devices) and data connections has allowed the growth of computer networks. The Internet, a somewhat public network of networks, has become an increasingly useful pathway for computer communication. There is, however, a concern about the security and integrity of the Internet pathways.

One solution to security on the Internet has been the encryption of data to be transmitted. One type of encryption uses a single "key" which the sender and recipient must keep secret. Another type of popular encryption uses "public-private keys." The first is a public key made available to anyone. The second is a "secret key" which the user must not allow anyone else to see. The public and private keys work in tandem. If the secret key is stored on a computer system, it is, however, vulnerable.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an arrangement where a mainframe or mainframes are secured at a customer site wired to a personal computer with software for console monitoring. The console monitor is in communication with a remote, secure dispatch control center location. The dispatch control center, upon being alerted of a problem, will contact a field engineer to diagnosis and solve the particular problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a combined remote access and security system of the present invention, a single mainframe or multiple mainframes are located at a secure location. A mainframe or mainframes are connected to a console central processing unit through a coax or twinax connection.

The console is used to display status messages about the mainframe computer system including errors or critical situations occurring on the computer system. When specified mainframe system alerts or problems occur a warning or alert will be issued. This alert will be communicated from the console to a dispatch control center central processing unit at a remote, secure location.

A dispatcher will monitor any alarm codes received from the mainframe system. The dispatcher will create a trouble ticket for each incoming alarm, assign a field engineer to the problem and call or otherwise contact the field engineer.

Thereafter, the dispatcher will initiate through the dispatch central processing unit, a unique, randomly generated user identification/password pair which is referenced to the assigned problem number. The user identification/password pair is a data encryption key randomly generated by the dispatch central processing unit. The data encryption key is a mathematical algorithm randomly generated.

The identification/password encryption key is transmitted in two separate transmissions over two separate paths. The data encryption key is communicated from the dispatcher's central processing unit to the field engineer's central processing unit. Additionally, the dispatch central processing unit will also transmit the data encryption key back to the console central processing unit of the mainframe.

Once the field engineer has been notified and has received the identification/password pair from the dispatch control center, the field engineer will log on and communicate with the console central processing unit.

Data communicated from the field engineer's central processing unit to the console central processing unit is encrypted with the identification/password key. The data is subsequently decrypted upon receipt at the console monitor central processing unit. Importantly, the password/identification pair does not travel over the connection between the field engineer and the mainframe site.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 illustrates a simplified schematic view of a combined remote access and security system as set forth in the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figure 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a combined remote access and security system 10 of the present invention.

At a mainframe computer installation, a single mainframe 12 or multiple mainframes are located at a secure location (illustrated by the box 14). In many industries and businesses, large numbers of transactions are processed on an around-the-clock basis. Because of this demand, multiple mainframe central processing units are utilized within a secure computer complex. Access may be limited by physical measures, such as locked rooms, finger printing, and the like.

The mainframe or mainframes are connected to a console central processing unit 16 which typically includes a keyboard 18 and display 20. The console 16 can be connected with the mainframe or mainframes in various ways, such as, by a coax or twinax connections 22.

The console 16, in the present situation, may employ a Windows NT™ operating system or other known operating systems. The operating system will have an application program or programs which is in a client-server format and provides console monitoring and console automation features. The application program watches the console for certain conditions.

The console 16 is used to display status messages about the mainframe computer system and allows the operations staff to control the operations of the mainframe or mainframes. Types of messages displayed may be about errors or critical situations occurring on the computer system. Examples of problems noted may be a tape drive fault or a chip on a board.

In today's environment, a single console may be responsible for multiple mainframe computers running multiple computer operating systems.

In specified mainframe system alerts, events or problems, the console will issue a warning or alert. This alert will be communicated from the console 16 through a modem and through a communications path, shown by arrow 30, to a dispatch control center 32. In the present invention, the communications path may be across the public Internet network.

The dispatch control center 32 is ordinarily at a secure location. Thus, access to the computer is limited by physical measures such as locked rooms, finger printing and the like. Additionally, access to the dispatch central processing unit 34 may require passwords. Typically, the dispatch central processing unit 34 includes a keyboard 36 and a display 38. The dispatch central processing unit 34 will be running a client side version of the application program.

A dispatcher (not shown) will monitor incoming alarm codes received from the mainframe 12. If an alert occurs, it will appear on the screen of the dispatcher. Upon receipt of an alarm code, it will display in a list on the display 38. The dispatcher will create a trouble ticket for each incoming alarm in the problem tracking program. Once this has been completed, a field engineer will be assigned to the problem and will be called or otherwise contacted. In one such procedure, the dispatcher will call the field engineer via telephone over a voice line. This connection is shown by arrow 40. The field engineer will be assigned a problem number for the incoming problem on the mainframe computer.

Thereafter, the dispatch control center will initiate a utility software program on the dispatch central processing unit which will create a unique, randomly generated user identification/password pair which is referenced to the assigned problem number. The user identification/password pair is a data encryption key randomly generated by the dispatch central processing unit.

In the present case, the data encryption key is a mathematical algorithm which will be a randomly generated binary code of 128 bits. The data encryption key is also time limited so that after a certain period of time, it will automatically expire. For example, the data encryption key may be valid for a period of 24 hours.

The identification/password is transmitted in two separate transmissions in two separate paths. The data encryption key is communicated and transmitted from the dispatch central processing unit to the field engineer central processing unit 50 as shown by arrow 52. The dispatch central processing unit will also transmit the identification/password data encryption key back to the console central processing unit 16. The data encryption key is itself also encrypted. The data encryption key is itself decrypted at the field engineer's central processing unit and at the console.

Once the field engineer has been notified and has received the identification/password pair from the dispatch control center, the field engineer 50 will log on and communicate with the console central processing unit 16 as shown at arrow 54. The field engineer will be running a client side version of the same application program. This communication may be made through a public network such as the Internet. The encrypted data is decrypted at the console monitor.

The field engineer will input and download the assigned problem number already received from the dispatch control center. The field engineer will thereby retrieve the problem details from the console. The field engineer will thus be connected to the mainframe site. Importantly, the password does not travel over the connection between the field engineer 50 and the mainframe site 14.

Once connected to the mainframe computer site, the field engineer retrieves the necessary information through the console central processing unit 16 via the coax 22 connection to the mainframe 12. The field engineer, thus, has access to the mainframe and will endeavor to solve the problem presented.

Once the problem is resolved, the field engineer will notify the dispatch control center 32 that the problem has been resolved. This may be done in a number of ways. This may be done by telephone through voice line. Alternatively, the field engineer may communicate through the field engineer's central processing unit 50 through a communications line back to the dispatch central processing unit. This may also be performed through the Internet.

The dispatcher closes the problem in the problem tracking system. Thereafter, the unique identification/password pair is invalidated so that there is no longer access to the mainframe computer. The dispatcher closes the problem in the dispatch central processing unit database, which then removes the identification/password pair from the console monitor 16 at the mainframe site.

Each of the computer communications may be made through a public network such as the Internet. The data connection from an unsecured terminal/location is at all times secured by the present invention.

Whereas, the present invention has been described in relation to the drawings attached hereto, it should be understood that other and further modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention.