WO1998019250A1

WO1998019250A1 - Network session wall

Info

Publication number: WO1998019250A1
Application number: PCT/US1997/019003
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ziv Dascalu
Original assignee: Abirnet Ltd.; Friedman, Mark, M.
Priority date: 1996-10-29
Filing date: 1997-10-21
Publication date: 1998-05-07
Also published as: EP1010091A4; AU4992097A; EP1010091B1; US5958015A; EP1010091A1; US6754713B1

Abstract

A session wall for a local area network (1) is provided. This is a device connected to a local area network (1) which listens passively to communications sent over the network (1). The device also sends data over the network (1) which is interpreted by other devices connected to the local network (1) as if it were sent by another network device connected to the local network (1). The session wall has means for storing access rules for the network devices which generate data communication messages over the local network (1). It reads a portion of each communication message it listens to and compares that data with the stored access rules (10) to determine whether the message is permitted or not. If not, the session wall sends a message to both parties.

Description

NETWORK SESSION WALL

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to local area networks, and wide area networks

which consists of at least one local area network, for providing communication

between computers and/or other network connected devices. The communication is

based on well known communication rules, known as protocols (a set of rules) known

to all parties participating in a session. A session is a conversation between two or

more parties using a standard protocol. A party that initiates a session is called

"client." A party that is connected to the client and accepts an invitation to join a

session is called a "server." A session is always established by a client inviting one or

more servers to attend. Additional clients may attend as well.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and means for

restricting the access of specific clients to specific servers for specific protocols or

data content. This is accomplished using a device located on the network and capable

of passively listening to network traffic, analyzing it and responding to it when access

is to be denied.

Presently, there are a number of solutions available for controlling

communications over a network. One such controlling apparatus is a firewall. This is

a machine located between an internal network and external networks connected

thereto. The only way to communicate outside of the internal network is through the

firewall. Therefore, a firewall is known as an active device that is managed for access

control, and, in some cases, for authentication and encryption. By placing firewalls at

strategic points between network segments, using routers, bridges and repeaters, it is possible to use this technology for access control between network stations located on

different network segments. However, this solution is effectively limited, because a

server station must reside on a different network segment than the communicating

client station in order to monitor the communication. Internal intruders may install

their own devices on the segment behind the firewall and thus get unlimited access to

all machines inside the secured local area network. Also, because a firewall requires

that all network traffic to pass through it and be processed for access control, the

firewall causes a degradation in the throughput of the network. Accordingly, a

firewall is also known as a network bottleneck.

Other methods for controlling communications over a network are various

software products that implement secured protocols which include authentication.

Using such software, the client identifies itself either directly or using an

authentication trusted server; the server (in the communication) reciprocates by

identifying itself as well. Using a pre defined security protocol, both parties either

accept or deny the session. This requires both parties to use the same security

protocol. This method also carries an implied trust in the authentication server when

such a server is employed.

There is therefore a need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a

passive network device that provides access control at a requested level over a local

area network and a wide area network without using conventional software security

and authentication methods. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a session wall for monitoring and controlling

communications over a computer network.

According to the teachings of the present invention there is provided, a session

wall device featuring a network adapter for attaching the session wall to a network, a

memory, a processor, all suitably interconnected and a communication session control

system. The memory is any medium for data storage, such as, but not limited to Flash

memory, conventional magnetic memory disk or diskette, and Read Only Memory

(ROM). The processor functions to perform the various tasks associated with the

network session control system. The network adapter is any hardware component

enabling network communication between a session wall device and another network

device. According to a preferred embodiment, the network adapter receives

communications in several protocols simultaneously and transmits messages in

several protocols.

The communication session control system features data pertinent to the

control of communication between network devices, stored in the memory. This data

includes network information and access information. Network information includes

information regarding the network, such as network topology, defining which network

devices are servers and which are clients and defining the communication protocols

between network devices. Access information is a set of rules typically realized as a

table of groups of servers, groups of clients, and rules between them. The rules define

actions that should take place when a specific set of protocols are used when the two

or more parties communicate, and optionally, specific data content, or specific data

sequences to be passed over the network. According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention, the rules contain logical and mathematical

combinations according to which a specific action is to be performed.

The session control system passively listens to communications traversing the

network and reads a portion of each communication. It then compares the data read

with the access data in order to determine whether the message is permitted or not. If

ihe communication is not allowed, the session wall issues a message to at least one of

the devices involved in the communication. The term 'listen' in the context of the

present invention is directed at the process of an electronic device receiving data

communication. Thus, the term 'passive listening' is directed at an electronic device

receiving data communication not designated for the device without interfering in any

way with the transmission of that communication to its intended destination.

According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention

described below, the device to which the message is sent is a client.

According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention, the

message issued features either an emulated message from a respective server, a notice

that a respective server has ended the session, or a notice that the session has been

blocked, or any combination thereof.

According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention, the

device to which the message is sent is a server.

According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention, the

message sent to the server features either an emulated message from a respective

client to end the current session or a data string causing the server not to respond to

additional messages from the respective client in the current session, or both. According to still further features in preferred embodiments of the invention

described below, the session wall issues two different messages: one to the client and

another to the server.

According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention

described below, when the session wall fails to issue an appropriate message, it issues

a succession of communication messages (conforming to the appropriate system

protocol) in order to block transmission by another network device. A further feature

according to this embodiment is to provide a timer configured to limit the number of

consecutive messages sent in order not to block the network indefinitely. The timer is

realized either as a separate device, or as software executed by the processor.

According to the teachings of the present invention, there is also provided a

method for controlling communication between network devices including the steps

of:

(a) providing network information;

(b) providing access information;

(c) reading portions of communication traversing the network;

(d) comparing the read communication with the access information; and

(e) when the communication is not allowed according to the access

information, issuing any of the aforementioned messages to an

appropriate network device involved in the communication. According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention, the

method further includes providing the network information using one of the

aforementioned methods for providing network information.

According to still further features in preferred embodiments of the invention

described below, access information is provided by having the session wall passively

listen to network traffic and allowing all active communication links.

According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention, the

method further features the step of, when a message is not issued as it should have

been, issuing a succession of communication messages in order to block transmission

by another network device. According to still further features in this preferred

embodiment, the succession is limited in order not to block the network indefinitely.

According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention, there

is provided a method wherein a plurality of network devices are provided, each device

capable of performing each of the steps in the method outlined above, and further

iding a communication protocol for communication between these devices. The

different steps involved in the method described above are executed by various of the

session wall devices, whereby the devices coordinate by communicating with each

other using the above mentioned protocol.

According to still further features in preferred embodiments of the invention,

the above mentioned configuration is employed as a back-up. Accordingly, the

plurality of devices are located on a single network segment. When one device does

not function properly, another of the devices automatically operates in its stead. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to

the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates the operation of a session wall as a block diagram;

FIG. 2 illustrates various hardware components of a session wall device;

FIG. 3 illustrates a network configured with a plurality of session wall devices.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is of a session wall device connected to a local area

network for passively listening to communication sent over the network, and for

generating messages to various network devices. When received, these messages are

interpreted as messages sent either by the session wall or by another network device.

The principles and operation of the session wall according to the present

invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the

accompanying description.

Referring now to the Figures, Figures 1 and 2 show Network Adapter 2 as part

of a session wall device. The network adapter is a hardware component for attaching

a session wall device to network 1. Network Adapter 2 receives network

communication in several protocols simultaneously. Network Adapter 2 also

transmits messages in several protocols.

Figure 1 illustrates how, in operation, data is transferred from Network

Adapter 2 to Receiver/Transmitter Llandler 4. Receiver/Transmitter Handler 4 is a

software logic that stores received network traffic in Received Data Buffer 6.

Protocol Scanner 16 is a set of software routines that scans data in Received Data Buffer 6 and compares it with Access Rules 10 to determine whether the message is

permitted or not. When Protocol Scanner 16 detects an event which is not permitted.

Protocol Scanner 16 generates a message which will terminate the communication

session in which that event took place. Protocol Scanner 16 stores that message in

Blocking Data Buffer 8 and notifies Receiver/Transmitter Handler 4 that data should

be transmitted. Receiver/Transmitter Handler 4 scans Blocking Data Buffer 8. and

transmits data contained therein to network 1 via Network Adapter 2.

As mentioned above, if Protocol Scanner 16 detects that an event not

permitted according to Access Rules 10 occurred over the network, a session wall

issues a message which will terminate that communication session. Accordingly, a

session wall sends a message to both parties involved in the session. In a message to

the server, a session wall either notifies that the client wishes to close the current

session, or it sends a specific "terminate session" message to the server using the

particular communication protocol used by the server. That message causes the server

to stop responding to additional client messages in that specific session. In the

message to the client, a session wall either emulates data from the server causing the

client to misinterpret it so future responses from the server for that session will not be

accepted properly, or a session wall will notify the client that the server dropped the

connection. According to yet another embodiment of the invention, a session wall

sends the client a previously defined message to notify that the session was blocked.

According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention

described below, the session wall features an additional layer of session control.

Accordingly, in cases when, due to malfunction or any other reason, the actions listed

above are not performed the session wall injects a rapid succession of communication messages into the network that conform to the system protocol, so that any other

device seeking to transmit will encounter a "collision." In order to prevent the

network from being tied up indefinitely by such action, the session wall is additionally

fitted with timer device 24 arranged to limit the number of consecutive messages that

will be sent. Alternatively, the timer is realized as software executed by the processor.

Access rules 10 mentioned above are a table of groups of servers, groups of

clients, and rules between them. The rules define actions which should take place

when a specific set of protocols is used when two or more parties communicate, and

also, when specific data content, or specific data sequences are passed over the

network. The definition contains several logical and mathematical combinations after

which a specific action is to be performed. For example, if a client is connecting to a

Telnet server and is using an FTP session on that server, the session wall will issue a

command to the Telnet server to terminate the FTP session. Another example is that

if a client is limited to two concurrent sessions of Telnet and FTP together and he tries

to open a third session, both server and client will get a message that the other party

closed the connection in order to inhibit the third session.

The access rules are written to memory 22 in various ways, depending (among

other things) on the level of security required. For example, a degree of security is

achieved by allowing a learning period when the network is first set up. During this

period the session wall "self-learns" the network topology (i.e. which devices send

data from within the local network and which devices are connected from other

segments), which devices are servers and which devices are clients, and which

protocols are used between them, by passively listening to network traffic. According

to one embodiment, the session wall is configured to automatically accept all existing access and thus set up its own access rules for each device forbidding new- devices or

new protocols. This is illustratively shown in Figure 1 as Access Rules Generator 12.

According to further features in preferred embodiments, more sophisticated rules are

loaded (or self-learned rules are edited) using data provided as control frames from a

network manager. If the possibility of the network manager being misused or

counterfeited needs to be allowed for, the control frames are supplied from a special

input device (not shown). The session wall device also features Central Processing

Unit 20 for handling any processing tasks required during session wall operation.

According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention.

several session wall devices perform a common task together. This is figuratively

shown in Figure 3 featuring session wall devices 30 and 32. To this end, the various

session wall devices may be located on the same segment of a local area network (as

sho n in the Figure) or on different segments of a wide area network. In order to

perform a common task, the session wall devices feature a secured protocol to

communicate. Using this protocol they automatically maintain which device will

perform which task. The access rules between the devices are shared via software

illustratively shown in Figure 1 as Access Rules Synchronizer 14. This software

receives rules from other session wall products connected to the network and

transmits access rules to other session wall products. In addition, Access Rules

Synchronizer 14 also scans received data in order to automatically determine access

rules and suggest them to be used. As mentioned above, in such a configuration each

device is responsible for a portion of the rules. According to further features in this

preferred embodiment, this configuration is used for backup purposes. Thus, if one device stops performing the other devices will automatically replace it, assuming that

they have access to the same network segment.

It will be appreciated that the above descriptions are intended only to serve as

examples, and that many other embodiments are possible within the spirit and the

scope of the present invention.

Claims

WF1AT IS CLAIMED IS:

1 . For use in a computer network facilitating communication sessions

between network devices, a session wall comprising:

(a) a network adapter for attaching the session wall to the network;

(b) data memory;

(c) a processor connected to said data memory and to said network

adapter; and

(d) a communication session control system wherein data pertinent to the

control of at least one of the communication sessions is stored in said

memory, a portion of said at least one session is read by said processor,

said processor comparing said portion with a set of access rules stored

in said memory, and, when said at least one session is not allowed

according to said access rules, issuing a message to at least one of the

network devices involved in said at least one session.

2. The session wall of claim 1, wherein said at least one network device is

a client.

3. The session wall of claim 1. wherein said at least one network device is

a server.

4. The session wall of claim 2. wherein said message emulates a message

from a respective server, said message causing said client not to accept further

responses from said server during said at least one session.

5. The session wall of claim 2, wherein said message features a notice

that a respective server has ended said at least one session.

6. The session wall of claim 2, wherein said message features a notice

that said at least one session has been blocked.

7. The session wall of claim 3, wherein said message emulates a request

from a respective client to end said at least one session.

8. The session wall of claim 1, wherein said message is a message to a

client and a different message to a respective server.

9. The session wall of claim 1, further comprising the step of. w hen said

at least one session is not allowed according to said access rules, and said message is

not issued, injecting a succession of communication messages in order to block

transmission by another network device.

10. The session wall of claim 9, further comprising a timer configured to

limit the duration of said succession of messages.

1 1. The session wall of claim 1, wherein said data pertinent to the control

of at least one of the communication sessions are self learned by the session wall.

12. The session wall of claim 1 , wherein said data pertinent to the control

of at least one of the communication sessions are provided using control frames.

13. For use in a computer network facilitating communication sessions

between network devices, a method of controlling the communication sessions, the

method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing network information;

(b) providing access information;

(c) reading a portion of at least one of the communication sessions;

(d) comparing said portion with said access information;

(e) when said at least one communication session is not allowed according

to said access information, issuing a message to at least one of the

network devices involved in said at least one session.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said message is issued to a client.

15. The method of claim 14. wherein said message emulates a message

responses from said server during said at least one session.

16. The method of claim 14. wherein said message features a notice that

said at least one session has ended.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said message features a notice that

said at least one session has been blocked.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein said message is issued to a server.

19. The method of claim 18. wherein said message emulates a message

from a respective client, said message causing said server to end said at least one

session.

20. The method of claim 13. wherein said message includes a message to a

client and a different message to a server.

21. The method of claim 13. further comprising the step of. when said at

least one session is not allowed according to said access information, and said

message is not issued, injecting a succession of communication messages in order to

block transmission by another network device.

22. The method of claim 21. wherein said succession of messages is

limited.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein said network information is provided

by listening to network traffic.

24. The method of claim 23. wherein said access information is defined by

network traffic at a particular time.

25. The method of claim 13. wherein said network information is provided

using control frames.

26. The method of claim 13, wherein a plurality of session wall devices

execute said steps and coordinate said execution using an inter-device communication

protocol.

27. The method of claim 26, said plurality of session wall devices located

on a common network segment, further comprising the step of, when one of said

session wall devices does not function properly, executing functions of said non-

functioning session wall device by another of said session wall devices.