Classifying client devices in a network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9596154-B2
Application number	US-201313907597-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2013
Priority date	Apr 11, 2013
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

One or more devices may receive attribute information identifying multiple attributes associated with a client device; classify the client device based on the attribute information; and provide, based on classifying the client device, classification information to a network device to cause the network device to associate a particular policy set, of multiple policy sets, with the client device. The classification information may identify a classification of the client device. The particular policy set may be based on the classification of the client device and may include an instruction used to process a data flow provided to or provided from the client device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by one or more devices, a particular data flow from a client device;
determining, by the one or more devices and based on receiving the particular data flow, that the client device is not registered;
providing, by the one or more devices and based on determining that the client device is not registered, a registration instruction for the client device;
receiving, by the one or more devices and based on providing the registration instruction for the client device, attribute information from the client device,
the attribute information identifying a plurality of attributes associated with the client device;

classifying, by the one or more devices, the client device based on the attribute information; and
providing, by the one or more devices and based on classifying the client device, classification information to a network device to cause the network device to associate a particular policy set, of a plurality of policy sets, with the client device,
the classification information identifying a classification of the client device,
the particular policy set being based on the classification of the client device,
the particular policy set including a processing instruction used to process a data flow, provided to or provided from the client device via a network, using a particular amount of network resources, a particular network interface, a particular network protocol, or a particular quality of service (QoS).

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, based on providing the registration instruction for the client device, a registration request from the client device,
the registration request including identification information to uniquely identify the client device;

authorizing the client device to communicate with the network device based on the identification information; and
providing, based on authorizing the client device, a response to the client device to indicate that the client device is authorized to communicate with the network device,
where receiving the attribute information is based on providing the response to the client device.

3. The method of claim 1 , where the plurality of attributes identify at least one of a hardware profile, a software profile, a function, a geographic location, or an internet protocol (IP) address of the client device.

4. The method of claim 1 , where the processing instruction to process the data flow causes the network device to provide the data flow with the particular amount of network resources.

5. The method of claim 1 ,
where the processing instruction to process the data flow causes the network device to provide the data flow with a particular service, and
where the particular service includes a firewall service, a routing service, a packet-inspection service, or a virus-scanning service.

6. The method of claim 1 ,
where the classification information includes an identifier of the client device, and
where the client device is associated with the particular policy set based on the identifier of the client device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an acknowledgement from the network device when the network device associates the particular policy set with the client device; and
providing the acknowledgement to the client device to permit the client device to provide or receive the data flow.

8. The method of claim 1 , where the client device is a machine-to-machine (M2M) device that includes at least one of a sensor or an application.

9. A system comprising:
one or more devices to:
receive a particular data flow from a client device;
determine, based on receiving the particular data flow, that the client device is not registered;
provide, based on determining that the client device is not registered, a registration instruction for the client device;
receive, from the client device and based on providing the registration instruction for the client device, attribute information identifying a plurality of attributes associated with the client device,
the client device being separate from the one or more devices;

classify the client device based on the attribute information; and
provide, based on classifying the client device, classification information to a network device to cause the network device to associate a particular policy set, of a plurality of policy sets, with the client device,
the classification information identifying a classification of the client device,
the particular policy set being based on the classification of the client device, and
the particular policy set including a processing instruction used to process a data flow provided to or provided from the client device via a network to provide the data flow with a particular amount of network resources, a particular Quality of Service (QoS), or a particular network protocol.

10. The system of claim 9 ,
where the one or more devices are further to:
receive, based on providing the registration instruction for the client device, a registration request from the client device,
the registration request including identification information to uniquely identify the client device;

authorize the client device to communicate with the network device based on the identification information; and
provide, based on authorizing the client device, a response to the client device to indicate that the client device is authorized to communicate with the network device,
where, when receiving the attribute information, the one or more devices are to:
receive the attribute information based on providing the response to the client device.

11. The system of claim 9 , where the plurality of attributes identify at least one of a hardware profile, a software profile, a function, a geographic location, or an internet protocol (IP) address of the client device.

12. The system of claim 9 ,
where the classification information includes an identifier of the client device, and
where the client device is associated with the particular policy set based on the identifier of the client device.

13. The system of claim 9 , where the one or more devices are further to:
receive an acknowledgement from the network device when the network device associates the particular policy set with the client device; and
provide the acknowledgement to the client device to permit the client device to provide or receive the data flow.

14. The system of claim 9 , where the client device is a machine-to-machine (M2M) device that includes at least one of a sensor or an application.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
a plurality of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
receive a particular data flow from a client device;
determine, based on receiving the particular data flow, that the client device is not registered;
provide, based on determining that the client device is not registered, a registration instruction for the client device;
receive, from the client device and based on providing the registration instruction for the client device, attribute information identifying a plurality of attributes associated with the client device,
the client device being separate from the one or more processors;

classify the client device based on the attribute information; and
provide, based on classifying the client device, classification information to a network device to cause the network device to associate a particular policy set, of a plurality of policy sets, with the cl

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc
• Cellco Partnership Dba Verizon

Inventors

• Zhou Jingyi
• Zhu Lily Hui
• Venizelos Paul
• Schmidt Christopher M
• Kamal Ashfaq
• Geltner David
• Stansell Robert Bruce
• Tam Mimi K

Classifications

• H04L43/08 Primary

  Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters · CPC title

• H04L41/085

  Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history · CPC title

• H04L41/0893

  Assignment of logical groups to network elements · CPC title

• H04L41/0894 Primary

  Policy-based network configuration management · CPC title