Secure target device access
AssigneeArista Networks, Inc.
InventorsRajesh Kumar Ganapathy Achari, Anoop Kumaran Nair, Madhusudhan Chitradurga Sethuram Setty, Rajarao Bhagya Prasad Nittur, Krishna Prabhakar, Anubhav Gupta
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device access management server may facilitate secure remote access of a target device by an accessing device. The secure remote access of the target device by the accessing device may be authenticated using a session token. The device access management server may maintain the session token and other session information.
Claims19
A method for facilitating access to a target device by an accessing device, the method comprising:
- providing, by a server, a device administration portal at a web browser application of the accessing device;
- providing, by the server, a device access application for installation at the accessing device;
- providing, by the server and to the accessing device, a session token based on an indication of successful user authentication by the accessing device;
- based on a target device access request received at the device administration portal, instructing the device access application to connect to the target device by using the session token to establish a communication session with the target device;
- and
- receiving, by the server and from the target device, an authentication request containing the session token used to connect to the target device, wherein the target device is a network device configured to forward network traffic between host devices and wherein the device access application is configured to perform device administration of the network device by supplying the network device with configuration data via the communication session.
One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors for a server that authenticates access to a target device by an accessing device, cause the one or more processors to:
- maintain a database of session records for sessions between corresponding pairs of devices;
- receive an authentication request message containing a session-specific token for authentication from the target device, wherein the target device is a network device configured to forward network traffic between host devices;
- authenticate the session-specific token in the received authentication request message based on a given session record in the database of session records, wherein the given session record identifies the session-specific token and is associated with a communication session between the accessing device and the network device;
- and
- send an authentication response message to the target device based on authenticating the session-specific token.
A method of operating a network device being accessed for device administration, the method comprising:
- receiving, by the network device and from an accessing device, an access request that requests device access to the network device, the access request containing a session-specific key, wherein the network device is configured to forward network traffic between host devices;
- sending, by the network device, an authentication request containing the session-specific key to a server configured to authenticate the session-specific key;
- receiving, by the network device and from the server, an authentication response indicative of a result of authentication for the session-specific key;
- connecting, by the network device via a communication session, to the accessing device based on the result indicating successful authentication;
- and
- providing, from the network device and via the communication session, operational data as output received by the accessing device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.