IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,463,904
Granted Patent B2
US 8,463,904 · App. 13/309,860 · Granted Jun 11, 2013

System and method of middlebox detection and characterization

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,463,904
App. No.
13/309,860
Granted
Jun 11, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A computer-implemented system and method to detect and characterize middleboxes is disclosed. Embodiments of the system and method include a middlebox detection engine to provide a plurality of middlebox detection modules, and to use at least one middlebox detection module of the plurality of middlebox detection modules to determine if a middlebox exists on a path between a first communicating entity of a network and a second communicating entity of the network.

Claims (31)

1. A method comprising:

embedding a web beacon into web content to direct a client to a detection server;

serving client code to the client, in response to activation of the web beacon, the client code, executed at the client, to gather client information related to middlebox detection;

receiving client information related to middlebox detection from the client;

using the client information to perform middlebox detection analysis;

using a standalone middlebox detection module that is not executed at the client to augment the middlebox detection analysis; and

using the middlebox detection analysis to determine if a middlebox exists on a path between a first communicating entity and a second communicating entity.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein performing middlebox detection analysis includes HTTP header analysis.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein performing middlebox detection analysis includes performing Synchronization packet fingerprinting.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein performing middlebox detection analysis includes collecting User-Agent string information.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein receiving client information includes using a client applet to gather client configuration information.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the client information includes client timezone parameter information.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the client information includes client language parameter information.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the client information includes network round-trip timing information.

9. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having machine executable instructions embedded thereon, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

embed a web beacon into web content to direct a client to a detection server;

serve client code to the client, in response to activation of the web beacon, the client code, executed at the client, to gather client information related to middlebox detection;

receive client information related to middlebox detection from the client;

use the client information to perform middlebox detection analysis;

use a standalone middlebox detection module that is not executed at the client to augment the middlebox detection analysis; and

use the middlebox detection analysis to determine if a middlebox exists on a path between a first communicating entity and a second communicating entity.

10. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 9 being configured to perform HTTP header analysis.

11. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 9 being configured to perform Synchronization packet fingerprinting.

12. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 9 being configured to use a client applet to gather client configuration information.

13. A system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor to store information related to middlebox detection; and

a middlebox detection system to embed a web beacon into web content to direct a client to a detection server, to serve client code to the client, in response to activation of the web beacon, the client code, executed at the client, to gather client information related to middlebox detection, to receive client information related to middlebox detection from the client, to use the client information to perform middlebox detection analysis, to use a standalone middlebox detection module that is not executed at the client to augment the middlebox detection analysis, and to use the middlebox detection analysis to determine if a middlebox exists on a path between a first communicating entity and a second communicating entity.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13 being configured to perform HTTP header analysis.

15. The system as claimed in claim 13 being configured to perform Synchronization packet fingerprinting.

16. The system as claimed in claim 13 being configured to use a client applet to gather client configuration information.

Assignments (12)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE APPLICATION NO. 16/990,698 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 058294 FRAME 0010. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Apr 21, 2022
From: TRU OPTIK DATA CORP.; NEUSTAR INFORMATION SERVICES, INC.; NEUSTAR DATA SERVICES, INC.; TRUSTID, INC.; NEUSTAR, INC.; NEUSTAR IP INTELLIGENCE, INC.; MARKETSHARE PARTNERS, LLC; SONTIQ, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH
Reel/Frame 059846/0157 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 058294, FRAME 0161 Recorded Dec 27, 2021
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: EBUREAU, LLC; IOVATION, INC.; SIGNAL DIGITAL, INC.; TRANS UNION LLC; TRANSUNION INTERACTIVE, INC.; TRANSUNION RENTAL SCREENING SOLUTIONS, INC.; TRANSUNION TELEDATA LLC; AGGREGATE KNOWLEDGE, LLC; TRU OPTIK DATA CORP.; NEUSTAR INFORMATION SERVICES, INC.; TRUSTID, INC.; NEUSTAR, INC.; NEUSTAR IP INTELLIGENCE, INC.; MARKETSHARE PARTNERS, LLC; SONTIQ, INC.
Reel/Frame 058593/0852 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT RELEASE Recorded Dec 3, 2021
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
To: NEUSTAR, INC.; MARKETSHARE PARTNERS LLC; AGGREGATE KNOWLEDGE, INC.; NEUSTAR INFORMATION SERVICES, INC.; NEUSTAR IP INTELLIGENCE, INC.
Reel/Frame 058300/0739 →
FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT RELEASE Recorded Dec 3, 2021
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: NEUSTAR, INC.; MARKETSHARE PARTNERS LLC; AGGREGATE KNOWLEDGE, INC.; NEUSTAR INFORMATION SERVICES, INC.; NEUSTAR IP INTELLIGENCE, INC.
Reel/Frame 058300/0762 →
GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Dec 1, 2021
From: TRU OPTIK DATA CORP.; NEUSTAR INFORMATION SERVICES, INC.; NEUSTAR DATA SERVICES, INC.; TRUSTID, INC.; NEUSTAR, INC.; NEUSTAR IP INTELLIGENCE, INC.; MARKETSHARE PARTNERS, LLC; SONTIQ, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH
Reel/Frame 058294/0010 →
GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN UNITED STATES PATENTS Recorded Dec 1, 2021
From: EBUREAU, LLC; IOVATION, INC.; SIGNAL DIGITAL, INC.; TRANS UNION LLC; TRANSUNION HEALTHCARE, INC.; TRANSUNION INTERACTIVE, INC.; TRANSUNION RENTAL SCREENING SOLUTIONS, INC.; TRANSUNION TELEDATA LLC; AGGREGATE KNOWLEDGE, LLC; TRU OPTIK DATA CORP.; NEUSTAR INFORMATION SERVICES, INC.; TRUSTID, INC.; NEUSTAR, INC.; NEUSTAR IP INTELLIGENCE, INC.; MARKETSHARE PARTNERS, LLC; SONTIQ, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A
Reel/Frame 058294/0161 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 2, 2020
From: CASADO, MARTIN; FREEDMAN, MICHAEL J.
To: QUOVA, INC.
Reel/Frame 051404/0901 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 2, 2020
From: QUOVA, INC.
To: NEUSTAR IP INTELLIGENCE, INC.
Reel/Frame 051461/0229 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 22, 2017
From: MARKETSHARE PARTNERS LLC; AGGREGATE KNOWLEDGE, INC.; NEUSTAR INFORMATION SERVICES, INC.; NEUSTAR IP INTELLIGENCE, INC.; NEUSTAR, INC.
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
Reel/Frame 043633/0527 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 22, 2017
From: MARKETSHARE PARTNERS LLC; AGGREGATE KNOWLEDGE, INC.; NEUSTAR INFORMATION SERVICES, INC.; NEUSTAR IP INTELLIGENCE, INC.; NEUSTAR, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 043633/0440 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2017
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: NEUSTAR, INC.; NEUSTAR IP INTELLIGENCE, INC.; ULTRADNS CORPORATION; NEUSTAR INFORMATION SERVICES, INC.; NEUSTAR DATA SERVICES, INC.; AGGREGATE KNOWLEDGE, INC.; MARKETSHARE ACQUISITION CORPORATION; MARKETSHARE HOLDINGS, INC.; MARKETSHARE PARTNERS, LLC
Reel/Frame 043618/0826 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 13, 2013
From: NEUSTAR, INC.; NEUSTAR IP INTELLIGENCE, INC.; ULTRADNS CORPORATION; NEUSTAR INFORMATION SERVICES, INC.; NEUSTAR DATA SERVICES, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 029809/0260 →