# US 11,909,720 B2 · Secure remote support of systems deployed in a private network

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- Number: US 11,909,720 B2
- Document ID: US11909720B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/478,165
- Filed: 2021-09-17
- Published: 2023-03-23
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2021-09-17
- Assignees: Kyndryl, Inc.
- Applicants: Kyndryl, Inc.
- Inventors: Grzegorz Piotr Szczepanik; Tiberiu Suto; Nadiya Kochura; Nicolo' Sgobba; Erik Rueger
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909720B2

## CPC

- H04L 63/0209: {Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones}
- H04L 63/10: {for controlling access to devices or network resources}
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes: connecting, by a computing device, to a database using an outbound connection, wherein the computing device is an information technology (IT) product in a private network and the database is outside the private network; receiving, by the computing device, a response from the database, the response including a command; executing, by the computing device, the command; and sending, by the computing device, result data to the database, wherein the result data is data that results from executing the command on the computing device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
connecting, by a computing device, to a database using an outbound connection, wherein the computing device is an information technology (IT) product in a private network and the database is outside the private network, and wherein the IT product is registered with the database with a unique identifier of the IT product;
receiving, by the computing device, a response from the database based on the unique identifier of the IT product, the response including a command for execution by the IT product;
executing, by the computing device, the command on the IT product; and
sending, by the computing device, result data to the database, wherein the result data is data that results from executing the command on the computing device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the private network includes a firewall that blocks inbound connections from devices outside the private network.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the response from the database is a response to the outbound connection.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting includes the computing device transmitting its unique identifier to the database.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the command is one of many commands stored in the database, the command being stored with information that matches the unique identifier.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the executing the command causes the computing device to perform one of: change system log level; change system parameters; upgrade system code; capture system logs and upload to server; and run a script.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the sending the result data includes sending the unique identifier.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the result data includes one or more selected from the group consisting of: error codes; status codes; diagnostic data; settings and configuration data; system logs; and application logs.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
requesting approval to execute the command;
receiving the approval based on comparison of the command to a pre-approved list of commands; and
performing the executing the command after receiving the approval to execute the command.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the requesting approval to execute the command comprises the computing device requesting approval from an administrator computing device in the private network.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
waiting a predefined amount of time and then connecting again to the database; and receiving another response based on the connecting again to the database.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising disconnecting from the database based on the other response not including another command.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the other response includes another command, and further comprising:
requesting approval to execute the other command;
receiving a denial in response to the requesting approval to execute the other command; and
posting negative feedback to the database in response to the receiving the denial.

### Claim 14

A computer program product comprising one or more computer readable storage media having program instructions collectively stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions executable to cause a computing device to:
connect to a database using an outbound connection as a result of a problem trigger that requires support from a support provider, wherein the computing device is an information technology (IT) product in a private network and the database is outside the private network, and wherein the IT product is registered with the database with a unique identifier of the IT product;
receive a response from the database based on the unique identifier of the IT product, the response including a command for execution by the IT product;
execute the command on the IT product; and
send result data to the database, wherein the result data is data that results from executing the command on the computing device,
wherein the private network includes a firewall that blocks inbound connections from devices outside the private network;
the response from the database is a response to the outbound connection; and
the connecting includes the computing device transmitting its unique identifier to the database.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the command is one of many commands stored in the database, the command being stored with information that matches the unique identifier.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the sending the result data includes sending the unique identifier.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the program instructions cause the computing device to:
request approval to execute the command;
receive the approval based on comparison of the command to a pre-approved list of commands; and
perform the executing the command after receiving the approval to execute the command.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the program instructions cause the computing device to:
wait a predefined amount of time and then connecting again to the database; and
receive another response based on the connecting again to the database.

### Claim 19

A system comprising:
a processor, a computer readable memory, one or more computer readable storage media, and program instructions collectively stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions executable to cause a support provider computing device to:
store plural commands in a database, each respective one of the commands being associated with a respective unique identifier of an information technology (IT) product registered with the database;
receive an outbound connection from the IT product that is behind a firewall in a private network, the outbound connection including an identifier of the IT product;
identify one of the commands stored in the database by matching the received identifier of the IT product to the respective unique identifier stored in the database;
respond to the outbound connection from the IT product with a response communication that includes the identified one of the commands;
receive result data from the IT product as a result of the IT product executing the identified one of the commands; and
store the result data with the respective unique identifier of the IT product in the database.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein:
the firewall blocks inbound connections from devices outside the private network; and
the support provider computing device is outside the private network.
