Granted Patent B2

US 8,528,052 · App. 12/679,613 · Granted Sep 3, 2013

Abstract

Claims (46)

1. A system for providing Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) services, comprising:

an external data repository; and

a plurality of AAA servers coupled to said external data repository, wherein information on a current session which originated with one of said AAA servers is saved to said external data repository so as to allow any AAA server to continue said current session,

wherein said current session information includes the following details: user name, IP address, a network identifier, services for which the user is assigned to, currently active services, the user Customer Relationship Management (CRM) identifier.

2. The system of claim 1 , adapted to DRP application, wherein the server originating information on a current session and at other server among the plurality of servers are located at different sites and wherein at least one of the sites is a back up site.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said plurality of AAA servers is active and capable of originating sessions at a given time, or service a next request in said continued current session.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein a different one of said AAA servers becomes active and continues said current session if said one is no longer active.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said one continues said session as long as it is still active.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the information on a session saved to said external data repository is adapted to be used for control a user's access to one or more network services among the plurality of servers located at one or more sites.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a routing element for routing said request to an active AAA server;

a repository configured for storing and retrieving session information from said external database;

wherein one or more said AAA servers configured to service said user during a current session.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein said routing element for routing includes at least one selected from a group comprising: cluster, secondary server and balancer.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein said repository for storing and retrieving session information from said external database includes at least one selected from a group comprising: plug-in and a software component.

10. A system for providing Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) services, comprising:

an external data repository; and

a plurality of AAA servers coupled to said external data repository, wherein information on a current session which originated with one of said AAA servers is saved to said external data repository so as to allow any AAA server to continue said current session,

wherein said external data repository is further configured to store session related actions information, the system being enabled to communicated with a non-Authentication, Authorization and Accounting AAA system; and is connected to an interface configured to allow said non-AAA system to request session related actions information saved in said external data repository using SQL or Web Service.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein said non-AAA system includes at least one selected from a group comprising: GUI, WAP, GW, CRM.

12. A method of enabling a non-Authentication, Authorization and Accounting AAA system to access AAA session information, comprising:

a non-AAA system requesting session related actions-information using SQL or Web Service;

said non-AAA system receiving the requested session related action information from an external data repository configured to store session information relating to at least one AAA server.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

routing a user initiated request for AAA services to at least one of a plurality of active AAA servers;

said at least one AAA server originating a current session; and

storing information in respect of said session in an external data repository so as to allow any AAA server to access said information and continue said current session.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

routing another user initiated request for AAA services during said current session to another of said active AAA servers; and

retrieving information on said current session from said external data repository so that said other active AAA server can service said other request as part of said current session.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

routing a subsequent user initiated request for AAA services during said session to said one AAA server; and

said one AAA server servicing said subsequent request as part of said current session.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the information on a session saved to said external data repository is used for control a user's access to one or more network services among the plurality of servers located at one or more sites.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein said stored information on said session is further accessible to any AAA server which later replaces said AAA server as the active server.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

said AAA server which originated said current session becoming inactive and another AAA server becoming active instead;

routing a subsequent user initiated request during said current session to said other AAA server; and

retrieving information on said current session from said external data repository so that said other AAA server can service said subsequent request as part of said current session.

19. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of enabling a non-Authentication, Authorization and Accounting AAA system to access AAA session information, comprising:

a non-AAA system requesting session related actions-information using SQL or Web Service;

said non-AAA system receiving the requested session related action information from an external data repository configured to store session information relating to at least one AAA server.

20. The program storage device readable by machine, of claim 19 , further comprising:

routing a user initiated request for AAA services to at least one of a plurality of active AAA servers;

said at least one AAA server originating a current session; and

storing information in respect of said session in an external data repository so as to allow any AAA server to access said information and continue said current session.

Assignments (13)