Service assurance via federation-based network during roaming
Aspects of the disclosure include a method and associated network device. The method includes authenticating an identity of a user of a client device after the client device is associated with an access network provider. Authenticating the identity of the user comprises receiving, from an identity provider, a credential associated with the identity, and receiving, from the identity provider, information identifying a network-based service to be applied to network traffic with the client device. The method further includes establishing, using the credential and the received information, a secure connection between the access network provider and a service provider that is capable of providing the network-based service. The method further includes receiving network traffic from the service provider. Packets of the network traffic include an assurance value that enables the client device to determine that the network-based service is being provided by the service provider.
1. A method comprising:
authenticating an identity of a user of a client device after the client device is associated with an access network provider separate from the client device, wherein authenticating the identity of the user comprises:
receiving, by the access network provider and from an identity provider separate from the client device and the access network provider, a credential associated with the identity; and
receiving, from the identity provider, information identifying a network-based service to be applied to network traffic with the client device;
establishing, using the credential and the received information, a secure connection between the access network provider and a service provider that is capable of providing the network-based service, wherein the access network provider is separate from the service provider;
receiving, at the access network provider and over the secure connection, network traffic from the service provider, wherein packets of the network traffic include assurance information that enables the client device to determine that the network-based service is being provided by the service provider, and wherein the assurance information is determined using a function based on a first token communicated by the identity provider to the service provider and the client device; and
communicating, by the access network provider, the network traffic to the client device, wherein characterization information of the network traffic is communicated from the client device to the service provider through a channel (i) between the client device and the service provider and (ii) separate from the secure connection, and wherein the service provider communicates to the client device a response indicating whether the characterization information is present in a cache table of the service provider.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network-based service comprises a security service that is specified in a security policy for the identity, wherein the security policy is stored by the identity provider.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first token is generated by the identity provider and wherein the first token is transmitted to the client device via the access network provider.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the assurance value is the first token.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the assurance value is further based on:
a second token that is generated by the service provider; and
a third token that is generated by the client device.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the assurance value is a result of the first token, the second token, and the third token applied to a predefined function.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving network traffic from the client device, wherein packets of the network traffic include a second value,
wherein the assurance value is based on the second value.
8. A network device comprising:
one or more computer processors configured to perform an operation comprising:
authenticating an identity of a user of a client device after the client device is associated with an access network provider separate from the client device, wherein authenticating the identity of the user comprises:
receiving, by the access network provider and from an identity provider separate from the client device and the access network provider, a credential associated with the identity; and
receiving, from the identity provider, information identifying a network-based service to be applied to network traffic with the client device;
establishing, using the credential and the received information, a secure connection between the access network provider and a service provider that is capable of providing the network-based service, wherein the access network provider is separate from the service provider; and
receiving, at the access network provider and over the secure connection, network traffic from the service provider, wherein packets of the network traffic include assurance information that enables the client device to determine that the network-based service is being provided by the service provider, wherein the assurance information is determined using a function based on a first token communicated by the identity provider to the service provider and the client device, wherein characterization information of the network traffic is communicated from the client device to the service provider through a channel (i) between the client device and the service provider and (ii) separate from the secure connection, and wherein the service provider communicates to the client device a response indicating whether the characterization information is present in a cache table of the service provider.
9. The network device of claim 8 , wherein the network-based service comprises a security service that is specified in a security policy for the identity, wherein the security policy is stored by the identity provider.
10. The network device of claim 8 , wherein the first token is generated by the identity provider, and wherein the first token is transmitted to the client device via the access network provider.
11. The network device of claim 10 , wherein the assurance value is the first token.
12. The network device of claim 10 , wherein the assurance value is further based on:
a second token that is generated by the service provider; and
a third token that is generated by the client device.
13. The network device of claim 12 , wherein the assurance value is a result of the first token, the second token, and the third token applied to a predefined function.
14. The network device of claim 8 , the operation further comprising:
receiving network traffic from the client device, wherein packets of the network traffic include a second value,
wherein the assurance value is based on the second value.
15. A method comprising:
associating a client device with an access network provider separate from the client device, wherein associating the client device comprises transmitting an identity of a user of the client device to the access network provider, wherein the identity enables the access network provider to receive, from an identity provider separate from the client device and the access network provider, (i) a credential associated with the identity and (ii) information identifying a network-based service to be applied to network traffic with the client device;
receiving, by the access network provider and from a service provider separate from the access network provider and that is capable of providing the network-based service, network traffic via a secure connection between the service provider and the access network provider, wherein the secure connection is established using the credential and the received information; and
determining, based on assurance information embedded by the service provider in headers of packets of the network traffic, whether the network-based service is being provided by the service provider, wherein the assurance information is determined using a function based on a first token communicated by the identity provider to the service provider and the client device;
establishing a channel from the client device to the service provider and separate from the secure connection;
transmitting characterization information of the network traffic from the client device to the service provider via the channel; and
receiving, at the client device, a response from the service provider indicating whether the characterization information is present in a cache table of the service provider.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the assurance information is generated by the identity provider, and wherein the first token is transmitted to the client device via the access network provider.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the assurance information is the first token, and wherein determining whether the network-based service is being provided by the service provider further comprises:
comparing the assurance information received in the network traffic with the first token received by the client device.
18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving a second token that is generated by the service provider;
generating a third token;
applying, to a predefined function, the first token, a second token generated by the service provider, and a third token generated by the client device; and
comparing a result of the predefined function to the assurance information.
19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
transmitting, from the client device, network traffic including a second value, wherein the assurance information is generated based on the second value.