# US 2026/0100940 A1 · Apparatuses and methods for facilitating an equipment/resource lock with network/system specific host identifiers combined with user provided credentials > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0100940 A1 - Document ID: US20260100940A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/907,745 - Filed: 2024-10-07 - Published: 2026-04-09 - Earliest claimed: 2024-10-07 - Assignees: Ciena Corporation - Applicants: Ciena Corporation - Inventors: Andrew Alexander Parsons; Christopher John Brown; Sandra Lynn Fougere; Brian Moore; David James Chow; Magdalena Charbonneau; Colin William Kemp - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260100940A1 ## CPC - H04L 63/08: {for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32)} - H04L 63/083: {using passwords (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226)} - H04L 63/0876: {based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining a first instance of a host identifier associated with a first server based on a communicative coupling between a device and the first server, obtaining a first instance of a credential associated with a first user, and activating a lock feature in respect of a resource coupled to the device based on the first instance of the host identifier associated with the first server and the first instance of the credential, resulting in a first activation, wherein upon the first activation the resource is restricted to operating in a first communication network associated with the first server. Other embodiments are disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device, comprising: a processing system including a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising: obtaining a first instance of a host identifier associated with a first server based on a communicative coupling between the device and the first server; obtaining a first instance of a credential associated with a first user; and activating a lock feature in respect of a resource coupled to the device based on the first instance of the host identifier associated with the first server and the first instance of the credential, resulting in a first activation, wherein upon the first activation the resource is restricted to operating in a first communication network associated with the first server for a duration that the lock feature is activated in conjunction with the first activation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the resource includes a network card, a shelf processor, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: querying the first server for a license, resulting in a first query; obtaining a license based on the first query; and querying the first server based on the license, resulting in a second query, wherein the obtaining of the first instance of the host identifier is based on the second query. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: based on the first activation, facilitating communications in the first communication network using the resource. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4, wherein the facilitating of the communications in the first communication network is based on a performance of an authentication procedure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device of claim 5, wherein the performance of the authentication procedure comprises performing a comparison between the first instance of the host identifier and a second instance of the host identifier. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise: subsequent to the facilitating of the communications, determining that there is a communicative decoupling between the device and the first server. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The device of claim 7, wherein the determining that there is a communicative decoupling between the device and the first server is based on an expiration of a timer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, wherein the expiration of the timer is based on a threshold amount of time that corresponds to a user-defined value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The device of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise: based on the determining that there is the communicative decoupling between the device and the first server, precluding a modification to the resource while still facilitating the communications using the resource. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The device of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise: based on the determining that there is the communicative decoupling between the device and the first server, obtaining a second instance of the credential. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise: based on the obtaining of the second instance of the credential, deactivating the lock feature in respect of the resource. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise: based on the deactivating of the lock feature in respect of the resource, obtaining a first instance of a host identifier associated with a second server based on a communicative coupling between the device and the second server; and activating the lock feature in respect of the resource coupled to the device based on the first instance of the host identifier associated with the second server and the second instance of the credential, resulting in a second activation, wherein upon the second activation the resource is restricted to operating in a second communication network associated with the second server for a duration that the lock feature is activated in conjunction with the second activation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the credential includes a username and password, a personal identification number, a biometric credential, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the credential comprises a use of an interface that is operative in accordance with a command line interface (CLI), Transaction Language 1 (TL1), a network management system, an element management system, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising: obtaining a first instance of a host identifier associated with a first server based on a communicative coupling between the processing system and the first server; obtaining a first instance of a credential associated with a first user; and activating a lock feature in respect of a resource coupled to the processing system based on the first instance of the host identifier associated with the first server and the first instance of the credential, wherein upon the activating the resource is restricted to operating in a first communication network associated with the first server for a duration that the lock feature is activated. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise: subsequent to the activating of the lock feature, detecting that there is a communicative decoupling between the processing system and the first server; and based on the detecting, obtaining a second instance of the credential that deactivates the lock feature in respect of the resource. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise: subsequent to the obtaining of the second instance of the credential, reactivating the lock feature in respect of the resource coupled to the processing system based on a first instance of a host identifier associated with a second server, wherein upon the reactivating the resource is restricted to operating in a second communication network associated with the second server and is precluded from operating in the first communication network for a duration that the lock feature is activated in conjunction with the reactivating. ### Claim 19 A method, comprising: obtaining, by a processing system including a processor, a first instance of a host identifier associated with a first server based on a communicative coupling between the processing system and the first server; obtaining, by the processing system, a first instance of a credential associated with a first user; and activating, by the processing system, a lock feature in respect of a resource coupled to the processing system based on the first instance of the host identifier associated with the first server and the first instance of the credential, wherein upon the activating the resource is restricted to operating in a first communication network associated with the first server for a duration that the lock feature is activated. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising: subsequent to the activating, obtaining, by the processing system, a second instance of the credential that deactivates the lock feature in respect of the resource; and based on the obtaining of the second instance of the credential, reactivating the lock feature in respect of the resource, wherein upon the reactivating the resource is restricted to operating in a second communication network associated with a second server for a duration that the lock feature is activated in conjunction with the reactivating, and wherein the second server is more energy efficient than the first server.