Nova Patents
US20080098103A1

Methods and Apparatus for Tunneling Legacy Network Management Messages through SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)

Claim Score by NHIP

Read claim 33, the broadest

Abstract

Software and/or hardware modules enable secure management of legacy network products. In an illustrated example, if a network device is managed using unsecure SNMPv1 or SNMPv2, the invention acts as an intermediary and applies SNMPv3 security, without the need to migrate the existing network management code to SNMPv3. The invention can be delivered in the form of a stand-alone box, or be integrated into existing products.

US20080098103A1, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 13

Term

Projected expiry 5 January 2027.

  1. Priority
  2. Filed
  3. Published
  4. Today
  5. Projected expiry

34 claims: 2 independent, 32 dependent

  1. 1
    In a network including a network management station operably coupled to a first intermediate network interface, a network device operably coupled to a second intermediate network interface, and a communication network supporting communication between the first and second intermediate network interfaces, a method for communicating network management messages from the network management station to the network device comprising:at the network management station, generating a first network management message intended for receipt at the network device;receiving the first network management message at the first intermediate network interface;in response to receiving the first network management message, generating a second network management message intended for receipt at the second intermediate network interface, the second network management message encapsulating information contained in the first network management message;and sending the second network management message from the first intermediate network interface to the second intermediate network interface over the communication network, wherein the first network management message comprises a request-type message and the second network management message comprises an SNMP message and the first network management message is encapsulated in at least part of a single variable binding of the SNMP message.
  2. 33
    Broadest claimClaim Score 41, average(NHIP)An apparatus for tunneling legacy network management messages from management stations coupled to a first network through SNMP messages to legacy network devices coupled to a second network, said apparatus comprising:a management tunnel endpoint coupled to said first network;a device tunnel endpoint coupled to said second network;a communications network coupled to said management tunnel endpoint and said device tunnel endpoint, said communications network capable of communicating SNMP messages between to said management tunnel endpoint and said device tunnel endpoint;said management tunnel endpoint having means for receiving legacy management messages from the management stations, means for encapsulating legacy management messages in at least a portion of a variable binding of an SNMP message and means for transmitting the SNMP message to the device tunnel endpoint;and said device tunnel endpoint having means for receiving SNMP messages from said management tunnel endpoint, means for decapsulating legacy management messages from a variable binding of an SNMP message, and means for transmitting legacy management messages to the legacy network devices.
Independent claims2