# US 2014/0156824 A1 · System and method for hosted network management

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- Number: US 2014/0156824 A1
- Document ID: US20140156824A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/089,341
- Filed: 2013-11-25
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2007-03-01
- Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc.
- Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc.
- Inventors: Sanjit Biswas; John Bicket
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156824A1

## CPC

- H04L 41/0803: Configuration setting
- H04L 41/0246: Exchanging or transporting network management information using the Internet; Embedding network management web servers in network elements; Web-services-based protocols
- H04L 41/04: Network management architectures or arrangements
- H04L 41/22: comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
- H04L 41/34: Signalling channels for network management communication
- H04L 61/5092: by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use
- H04W 8/005: {Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals}
- H04W 8/26: Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
- H04L 41/026: using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
- H04L 61/5014: using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
- H04L 2101/622: Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
- H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
- H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
- H04W 88/08: Access point devices
- H04W 88/16: Gateway arrangements
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

A hosted network management solution for communications over a computer network supports data communication across a network in accordance with a network message protocol such that communications are established between a network host and a node device. The and the node device performs a self-configuring operation in which the network host identifies a network owner associated with the hosted network, and maintains a persistent network connection path between the network host and the node device for the exchange of network packet messages. The network host retrieves message data from the network packet messages it receives from the node device and performs network management operations to provide a user management interface to the identified network owner. The hosted network management enables more convenient setup and configuration for the network owner and provides more complete and effective network management tools.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of network management for communications over a managed network in accordance with a network communication protocol, the method comprising:
establishing communications between a network host and a node device, wherein the node device performs a self-configuring operation in which the network host identifies a network owner associated with the hosted network;
maintaining a persistent network connection path between the network host and the node device for the exchange of network messages;
wherein the network host retrieves message data from the network messages it receives from the node device and performs network management operations to provide a user management interface to the identified network owner.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method as defined in claim 1, wherein establishing communications comprises:
receiving a connection message from a node device at a network host wherein the connection message comprises a request from the node device for a network address in a managed network; and
determining if the requesting node device is associated with device registration data in the managed network that identifies a network owner and, if the requesting node device is a registered device, then returning a network address allocation message from the network host to the requesting node device, thereby self-configuring the node device for communications with the network host and establishing a hosted network associated with the identified network owner.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method as defined in claim 1, wherein maintaining a persistent network connection path comprises:
periodically receiving an authentication message from the node device at the network host such that the network host can determine a mapping of the network address to the registered device; and
responding to the authentication message with an acknowledgement message that maintains a persistent network connection path from the network host to the node device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the network messages comprise encapsulated packet messages, the method further including:
sending and receiving the encapsulated packet messages between the network host and the node device, the encapsulated packet messages comprising packet messages of the message protocol appended with header information of the hosted network.

### Claim 5

A method of network management for communications over a computer network in accordance with a message protocol of the computer network, the method comprising:
receiving a connection message from a node device at a network host wherein the connection message comprises a request from the node device for a network address in a managed network;
determining if the requesting node device is associated with device registration data in the managed network that identifies a network owner and, if the requesting node device is a registered device, then returning a network address allocation message from the network host to the requesting node device, thereby self-configuring the node device for communications with the network host and establishing a hosted network associated with the identified network owner;
periodically receiving authentication messages from the node device at the network host such that the network host can determine a mapping of the network address to the registered device, and responding to the authentication message with an acknowledgement message that maintains a persistent network connection path from the network host to the node device; and
sending and receiving encapsulated packet messages between the network host and the node device, the encapsulated packet messages comprising packet messages of the message protocol appended with header information of the hosted network;
wherein the network host retrieves message data from encapsulated packet messages it receives from the node device and performs network management operations to provide a user management interface to the identified network owner.

### Claim 6

A network host device for communications over a managed network in accordance with a network communication protocol, the device comprising:
a network interface for communications using the network communication protocol;
a processor that establishes communications with a node device, wherein the node device performs a self-configuring operation in which the network host device identifies a network owner associated with the hosted network, maintains a persistent network connection path between the network host device and the node device for the exchange of network messages, and retrieves message data from network messages it receives from the node device and performs network management operations to provide a user management interface to the identified network owner.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The network host device as defined in claim 6, wherein the processor receives a connection message from a node device, wherein the connection message comprises a request from the node device for a network address in a managed network, and determines if the requesting node device is associated with device registration data in the managed network that identifies a network owner and, if the requesting node device is a registered device, then returning a network address allocation message to the requesting node device, so that the node device performs self-configuring for communications with the network host device and the network host device establishes an association with the identified network owner.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The network device as defined in claim 6, wherein the network host device periodically receives an authentication message from the node device such that the network host device can determine a mapping of the network address to the registered device, and responds to the authentication message with an acknowledgement message that maintains a persistent network connection path from the network host device to the node device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The network device as defined in claim 6, wherein the network messages comprise encapsulated packet messages, and the network host device sends and receives the encapsulated packet messages to and from the node device, the encapsulated packet messages comprising packet messages of the message protocol appended with header information of the hosted network.