User specific automatic data redirection system

Abstract

A data redirection system for redirecting user's data based on a stored rule set. The redirection of data is performed by a redirection server, which receives the redirection rule sets for each user from an authentication and accounting server, and a database. Prior to using the system, users authenticate with the authentication and accounting server, and receive a network address. The authentication and accounting server retrieves the proper rule set for the user, and communicates the rule set and the user's address to the redirection server. The redirection server then implements the redirection rule set for the user's address. Rule sets are removed from the redirection server either when the user disconnects, or based on some predetermined event. New rule sets are added to the redirection server either when a user connects, or based on some predetermined event.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the field of Internet communications, more particularly, to a database system for use in dynamically redirecting and filtering Internet traffic. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In prior art systems as shown in FIG. 1 when an Internet user establishes a connection with an Internet Service Provider (ISP), the user first makes a physical connection between their computer 100 and a dial-up networking server 102, the user provides to the dial-up networking server their user ID and password. The dial-up networking server then passes the user ID and password, along with a temporary Internet Protocol (IP) address for use by the user to the ISP's authentication and accounting server 104. A detailed description of the IP communications protocol is discussed in Internetworking with TCP / IP, 3rd ed., Douglas Corner, Prentice Hall, 1995, which is fully incorporated herein by reference. The authentication and accounting server, upon verification of th...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention allows for creating and implementing dynamically changing rules to control which data traffic is allowed for specific users. This is done by checking the user's ID and password against information in an authentication database, which also contains personalized filtering and redirection information for the particular user. The authentication accounting server sends the user's temporary IP address and all of the particular user's filter and redirection information to a redirection server, which uses it to either allow packets to pass through the redirection server unmolested, block the request all together, or modify the request according to the redirection information. When the user ends the connection with the network, the dial-up network server informs the authentication accounting server, which in turn, sends a message to the redirection server to remove any remaining filtering and redirection information for the terminated user's temporary IP address. This allows the dial-up network to reassign that IP address to another user. The technical effect of this invention is to provide a more efficient and flexible way to control data traffic for specific users, based on their ID and activity."

Problems solved by technology

One disadvantage with current redirection technology is that control of the redirection is at the remote end, or WWW server end—and not the local, or user end.

However, packet filtering is very limited because it is static.

However, proxy servers are limited to either blocking or allowing specific system terminals access to remote databases.

Images