Server and method for providing specific network services

A computer readable medium containing computer instructions for executing in a computer of a method for automatically providing enhanced and secure access to a group of users initiated by a non-technically trained user on a computer network without intervention of information systems personnel, the method comprising the steps of:

• 1) receiving a request from a non-technically trained user of a visitor based network (VBN) to establish a group of users in the VBN, the request including a group identifier which includes a group name and password provided by the user and identifies the group;
• 2) configuring a network infrastructure of the VBN to support the group without Intervention of information systems personnel;
• 3) allowing other non-technically trained users of the VBN to join the group by using the group name and password;
• 4) further configuring the network infrastructure of the VBN to support the joining users without intervention of information systems personnel;
• and
• 5) dissolving the group based on predetermined rules including a predetermined rule to dissolve the group at expiry of a predetermined period,
• wherein the step of further configuring the network infrastructure includes the step of configuring a switch port that a joining user is connected to with a VLAN associated with the group.

A server to provide enhanced and secure access to a group of users initiated by a non-technically trained user on a computer network without intervention of information systems personnel, the server comprising:

• 1) a registration module to receive from a non-technically trained user of a visitor based network (VBN) a request to create a group of users in the VBN, the request including a group identifier which includes a group name and password provided by the user and identifies a group of users, and to receive from other non-technically trained users of the VBN a request to join the group using the group name and password;
• 2) a registration driver to register the user and the other users to access the group of users, assign the group of users and maintain registration information and state information of a network infrastructure of the VBN associated with the group of users according to the group identifier in response to the requests from the user without intervention of information systems personnel, and to dissolve the group based on predetermined rules including a predetermined rule to dissolve the group at expiry of a predetermined period;
• 3) a module to assign VLAN tags to the group based on registration status;
• and
• 4) a packet driver module to insert/remove VLAN tags from packets based on the registration status,
• 5) a switch commander for configuring a network infrastructure of the VBN to support the group without intervention of information systems personnel in response to the request for creating the group of users, and configuring a switch port that a joining user is connected to with a VLAN associated with the group.