US5968133A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Enhanced security network time synchronization device and method
Assignee: McAfee LLC
•
Filing: 1997-01-10
•
Granted: 1999-10-19
•
Expires: 2017-01-10
Abstract
Abstract An external portion or burb of a host computer receives messages from external servers representative of accurate time from one or more peer computers coupled by a network. A process called a client on the external burb processes the messages and then accurately sets a host computer clock. Processes called servers running on an internal burb which may not communicate directly with peers, then access the clock to obtain a correct indication of network time without having to communicate directly with the peer computers. The time is then provided to internal clients. This allows a host computer without an expensive clock to update its clock and enable it to provide accurate time to processes running on the host.
Inventors
- 👤 Daren Wayne Latham
- 👤 Mark P. Gooderum
- 👤 Glenn Andreas
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 01:33
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F1/00; G06F1/04; G06F1/14; H; H04; H04L; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04L69/00; H04L69/28
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
113 words
A method of determining time in a host coupled to a network having one or more accurate time keepers comprising the steps of: requesting time from an external server via an entity operating in an external portion of a firewall system; receiving a communication in the external portion of the firewall system from the external server containing an indication of time; and adjusting a clock register based upon the indication of time received from the external server wherein the clock register may be read by entities operating in an internal portion of the firewall system which entities may not directly communicate with the entity operating in the external portion of the firewall system.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
113 words
A method of determining time in a host coupled to a network having one or more accurate time keepers comprising the steps of: requesting time from an external server via an entity operating in an external portion of a firewall system; receiving a communication in the external portion of the firewall system from the external server containing an indication of time; and adjusting a clock register based upon the indication of time received from the external server wherein the clock register may be read by entities operating in an internal portion of the firewall system which entities may not directly communicate with the entity operating in the external portion of the firewall system.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the clock register is adjusted based upon the indication of time received from the external server and a delay known to be associated with receiving such indication of time.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein time is determined consistent with Internet Network Time Protocol.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1 wherein time is requested on a periodic basis.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1 wherein time is requested from plural external servers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein communications received from an external server are validated prior to being used to adjust the clock register.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 and further comprising the step of obtaining time from the clock register through an internal portion of the firewall system.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
134 words
A storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for causing a suitably programmed host system to determine time from a network having one or more accurate time keepers, by performing the following steps when such program is executed on the system: requesting time from an external server via the program operating in an external portion of a firewall in the system; receiving a communication in the external portion of the firewall system from the external server containing an indication of time; and adjusting a clock register based upon the indication of time received from the external server wherein the clock register may be read by entities operating in an internal portion of the firewall system which entities may not directly communicate with the program operating in the external portion of the firewall system.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
134 words
A storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for causing a suitably programmed host system to determine time from a network having one or more accurate time keepers, by performing the following steps when such program is executed on the system: requesting time from an external server via the program operating in an external portion of a firewall in the system; receiving a communication in the external portion of the firewall system from the external server containing an indication of time; and adjusting a clock register based upon the indication of time received from the external server wherein the clock register may be read by entities operating in an internal portion of the firewall system which entities may not directly communicate with the program operating in the external portion of the firewall system.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
The storage medium of claim 8 wherein the computer program comprises programming for further causing the system to adjust the clock register based upon the indication of time received from the external server and a delay known to be associated with receiving such indication of time.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The storage medium of claim 8 wherein the computer program comprises programming for further causing the system to adjust the clock register consistent with Internet Network Time Protocol.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
The storage medium of claim 8 wherein the computer program comprises programming for further causing the system to request time from plural external servers.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
47 words
The storage medium of claim 8 wherein the computer program comprises programming for further causing the system to perform the following additional step when such program is executed on the system: Validating received communications containing indications of time prior to using them to adjust the clock register.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
117 words
A method of determining time in a host coupled to a network having one or more accurate time keepers comprising the steps of: periodically requesting time from plural external servers via an entity operating in an external portion of a firewall system; receiving communications in the external portion of the firewall system from the external servers containing an indication of time; validating the communications received; and adjusting a clock register based upon authenticated indications of time received from the external servers wherein the clock register may be read by entities operating in an internal portion of the firewall system which entities may not directly communicate with the entity operating in the external portion of the firewall system.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
117 words
A method of determining time in a host coupled to a network having one or more accurate time keepers comprising the steps of: periodically requesting time from plural external servers via an entity operating in an external portion of a firewall system; receiving communications in the external portion of the firewall system from the external servers containing an indication of time; validating the communications received; and adjusting a clock register based upon authenticated indications of time received from the external servers wherein the clock register may be read by entities operating in an internal portion of the firewall system which entities may not directly communicate with the entity operating in the external portion of the firewall system.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the entity operating in the external portion of the firewall system comprises a Network Time Protocol (NTP) daemon program which has exclusive authority to adjust the clock register in accordance with NTP.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the daemon operating in the external burb of the firewall system comprises a Network Time Protocol (NTP) program which has exclusive authority to adjust the clock register in accordance with NTP.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
123 words
A security system on a host computer coupled to an external network comprising: an external portion that communicates with other systems coupled to the external network, at least one of which is capable of providing an indication of current time; a process running in the external portion of the host computer that requests time from another system coupled to the external network and receives such indications of current time; and said process adjusting a clock register based upon the indication of time received from the external server wherein the clock register may be read by entities operating in an internal portion of the firewall system which entities may not directly communicate with the process operating in the external portion of the firewall system.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
123 words
A security system on a host computer coupled to an external network comprising: an external portion that communicates with other systems coupled to the external network, at least one of which is capable of providing an indication of current time; a process running in the external portion of the host computer that requests time from another system coupled to the external network and receives such indications of current time; and said process adjusting a clock register based upon the indication of time received from the external server wherein the clock register may be read by entities operating in an internal portion of the firewall system which entities may not directly communicate with the process operating in the external portion of the firewall system.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
36 words
The security system of claim 16 wherein the clock register is adjusted based upon the indication of time received from the external server and a delay known to be associated with receiving such indication of time.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
16 words
The security system of claim 16 wherein time is determined consistent with Internet Network Time Protocol.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
14 words
The security system of claim 16 wherein time is requested on a periodic basis.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
14 words
The security system of claim 16 wherein time is requested from plural external servers.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
The security system of claim 16 wherein communications received from an external server are validated prior to being used to adjust the clock register.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
The security system of claim 16 and wherein time is requested from the clock register through an internal portion of the firewall system.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
134 words
A security system in a host coupled to a network having one or more accurate time keepers, the security system comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; an external burb; an internal burb; a daemon operating as a client in the external burb that periodically requests time from plural external servers; the daemon running from the memory on the processor that receives communications from the external servers containing a indications of time; the daemon validating the communications received; and the daemon adjusting a clock register based upon authenticated indications of time received from the external servers wherein the clock register may be read by entities operating in an internal burb of the security system which entities may not directly communicate with the daemon operating in the external portion of the firewall system.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
134 words
A security system in a host coupled to a network having one or more accurate time keepers, the security system comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; an external burb; an internal burb; a daemon operating as a client in the external burb that periodically requests time from plural external servers; the daemon running from the memory on the processor that receives communications from the external servers containing a indications of time; the daemon validating the communications received; and the daemon adjusting a clock register based upon authenticated indications of time received from the external servers wherein the clock register may be read by entities operating in an internal burb of the security system which entities may not directly communicate with the daemon operating in the external portion of the firewall system.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
126 words
A method of determining time in a host coupled to at least two distinct networks having one or more accurate time keepers comprising the steps of: requesting time from a first server on a first network via an entity operating in a first portion of a firewall system; receiving a communication in the first portion of the firewall system from the first server containing an indication of time; and adjusting a clock register based upon the indication of time received from the first server wherein the clock register may be read by entities operating in a second portion of the firewall system coupled to a second distinct network, which entities may not directly communicate with the entity operating in the first portion of the firewall system.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
126 words
A method of determining time in a host coupled to at least two distinct networks having one or more accurate time keepers comprising the steps of: requesting time from a first server on a first network via an entity operating in a first portion of a firewall system; receiving a communication in the first portion of the firewall system from the first server containing an indication of time; and adjusting a clock register based upon the indication of time received from the first server wherein the clock register may be read by entities operating in a second portion of the firewall system coupled to a second distinct network, which entities may not directly communicate with the entity operating in the first portion of the firewall system.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 24 wherein the clock register is adjusted based upon the indication of time received from the first server and a delay known to be associated with receiving such indication of time.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 24 wherein time is determined consistent with Internet Network Time Protocol.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 24 wherein time is requested on a periodic basis.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 24 wherein time is requested from plural servers.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 24 wherein communications received from a server are validated prior to being used to adjust the clock register.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4177510A
Cited
US3956615A
Cited
US4584639A
Cited
US4621321A
Cited
US4701840A
Cited
US4713753A
Cited
US4914568A
Cited
US5272754A
Cited
EP0554182A1
Cited
US5276735A
Cited
WO1996013113A1
Cited
EP0743777A2
Cited
WO1997013340A1
Cited
US5689566A
Cited
WO1997016911A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-10-18 | 2003-04-19 | 2003-10-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-10-18 | 2007-04-19 | 2007-10-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-10-18 | 2011-04-19 | 2011-10-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |