Enhanced transport layer security encryption certification management systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12470407-B2
Application number	US-202318507547-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2023
Priority date	Nov 15, 2022
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

This disclosure describes systems, methods, and devices related to installing a security certificate. A method may include identifying, by a network provisioning abstraction layer (NPAL) of a network provisioning system, a digital certificate file received from a certificate management system (CMS); identifying a session boarder controller (SBC) that supports transport layer security (TLS); uploading the digital certificate file to the identified SBC; installing a remote certificate at the identified SBC; enabling the remote certificate at the identified SBC; and sending, based on enabling the remote certificate at the identified SBC, a notification to the CMS indicating that a remote certificate has been installed at the identified SBC.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A method for installing a security certificate, the method comprising:
identifying, by at least one processor of a network provisioning abstraction layer (NPAL) of a network provisioning system, a digital certificate file received from a certificate management system (CMS); identifying, by the at least one processor, a session boarder controller (SBC) that supports transport layer security (TLS); uploading, by the at least one processor, the digital certificate file to the identified SBC; converting, by the at least one processor, the digital certificate file to a remote certificate at the identified SBC; enabling, by the at least one processor, the remote certificate at the identified SBC; and sending, by the at least one processor, based on enabling the remote certificate at the identified SBC, a notification to the CMS indicating that the remote certificate has been installed at the identified SBC, wherein the digital certificate file is associated with a request from a certificate management tool to install the remote certificate.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital certificate file is based on a certificate authority certificate of a certificate authority website.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a second SBC that supports TLS; uploading the digital certificate file to the second identified SBC; installing a remote certificate at the second identified SBC; enabling the remote certificate at the second identified SBC; and sending, based on enabling the remote certificate at the second identified SBC, a notification to the CMS indicating that a remote certificate has been installed at the second identified SBC.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the uploading, installing, and enabling at the identified SBC use a first configuration, and wherein the uploading, installing, and enabling at the second identified SBC use a second configuration different than the first configuration.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the CMS does not provide an indication of the identified SBC to the NPAL.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
deleting the remote certificate from the identified SBC.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying an application programming interface (API) call received from the CMS, the API call requesting names of SBCs using TLS; and sending an API response to the CMS comprising the names of the SBCs using TLS.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a renewing certificate from the CMS; and uploading a cryptography file to the identified SBC based on the renewing certificate.

9 . A certificate management system (CMS) for installing a security certificate, the CMS comprising: a memory and at least one processor, the at least one processor is configured to:
identify a request, received from a certificate management tool (CMT), to install a certificate authority (CA) certificate; convert a filed received from the CA to a certificate file; download the certificate file to a network provisioning abstraction layer (NPAL) of a network provisioning system; install the CA certificate at the NPAL; identify a first notification, received from the NPAL, indicating that the NPAL has uploaded the certificate file and installed a remote certificate at a session boarder controller (SBC) that supports transport layer security (TLS); and send, to the CMT, a second notification indicating that the NPAL has uploaded the certificate file and installed a remote certificate at the SBC that supports transport layer security TLS.

10 . The CMS of claim 9 , wherein the CMS does not identify the SBC to the NPAL.

11 . The CMS of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
send an application programming interface (API) call received to the NPAL, the API call requesting names of SBCs using TLS; receiving an API response from the NPAL comprising the names of the SBCs using TLS; identify a selection of a second SBC received from the CMT; and install a certificate of the second SBC at the NPAL.

12 . The CMS of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
identify a first request, received from the CMT, to delete a SBC certificate version; send a second request, to the NPAL, to delete the SBC certificate version; identify an indication, received from the NPAL, that the SBC certificate version has been deleted; and send, to the CMT, a notification that the SBC certificate version has been deleted.

13 . A system for installing a security certificate, the system comprising:
a memory and at least one processor; a certificate management tool; a certificate management system (CMS); a network provisioning abstraction layer (NPAL) of a network provisioning system; and session boarder controllers (SBCs), wherein: the CMT is configured to send, to the CMS, to install a certificate authority (CA) certificate; the CMS is configured to send, to the NPAL, a digital certificate file based on the CA certificate; and the NPAL is configured to: identify a SBC of the SBCs that supports transport layer security (TLS); upload the digital certificate file to the identified SBC; install a remote certificate at the identified SBC; enable the remote certificate at the identified SBC; and send, based on enabling the remote certificate at the identified SBC, a notification to the CMS indicating that the remote certificate has been installed at the identified SBC.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the NPAL is further configured to:
identify a second SBC that supports TLS; upload the digital certificate file to the second identified SBC; install a remote certificate at the second identified SBC; enable the remote certificate at the second identified SBC; and send, based on enabling the remote certificate at the second identified SBC, a notification to the CMS indicating that a remote certificate has been installed at the second identified SBC.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the uploading, installing, and enabling at the identified SBC use a first configuration, and wherein the uploading, installing, and enabling at the second identified SBC use a second configuration different than the first configuration.

16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the CMS does not provide an indication of the identified SBC to the NPAL.

17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the NPAL is further configured to delete the remote certificate from the identified SBC.

18 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the NPAL is further configured to:
identify an application programming interface (API) call received from the CMS, the API call requesting names of SBCs using TLS; and send an API response to the CMS comprising the names of the SBCs using TLS.

19 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the NPAL is further configured to:
identify a renewing certificate from the CMS; and upload a cryptography file to the identified SBC based on the renewing certificate.

Assignees

• Level 3 Communications Llc

Inventors

• Maher Matthew
• Mcfalls George
• Chan Michael
• Foucher Craig
• Behmlander Darren
• Miller Michael

Classifications

• H04L9/3268 Primary

  using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL] · CPC title

• H04L9/3265 Primary

  using certificate chains, trees or paths; Hierarchical trust model · CPC title