Patent Abstract:
Systems, methods and apparatus regarding network configuration and network switches including an in-line Network Console Access (NETCONA) Device having a NETCONA Management Module, a NETCONA WAN-side Port, a NETCONA LAN-side Port, and at least one NETCONA Serial Console Access Port. The NETCONA Device may share a single IP address for “out-of-band” access to network appliances at a network edge point. The NETCONA Device uses packet forwarding to transparently transfer data between a WAN and a LAN. Data packets having console access information are forwarded to the NETCONA Management Module for processing. An exemplary network system includes an in-line NETCONA Device and at least one Network Appliance; wherein the Network Appliance includes a Network Appliance Serial Console Access Port; and wherein the NETCONA Serial Console Access Port is coupled with the Network Appliance Serial Console Access Port to enable Serial Console Access. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Full Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     This application is a utility application claiming priority to U.S. Application Ser. No. 61/756,218 filed on Jan. 24, 2013 entitled “Inline Network Switch Having Serial Ports For Out-Of-Band Serial Console Access,” which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to systems, methods and apparatus involving computer networks, network configurations and network switches. In particular, the invention involves out-of-band serial console access to network appliances within a network configuration. 
     Description of Related Art 
     The related art includes, for instance, assorted network systems having network switches in various network configurations. A network system having a given network configuration typically will have distributed network switches for communication with remote network appliances via a shared network connection. 
     A network system may be part of an enterprise network, which could be, for instance, a large-scale commercial, government, or military network, a large global multinational network, a large national network, a large educational network, or some extension of the Internet at-large. A network system typically has a data center and a network operations center at its core. A data center is a large network node where quantities of computers, network switches, and network appliances reside. A data center usually is manned 24×7 and is outfitted with backup power sources and a failover to a backup data center. A network operations center (“NOC”) is a management center specifically built to manage large enterprise networks, support the configuration and uptime of the network, and is manned 24×7 with network engineers. Some people use the terms data center and NOC interchangeably. 
     The distant portions within a network system may be considered network edge points, which are remote sites that typically are populated with, for instance, a router, a firewall, a network switch, and one or more network appliances, such as general purpose computers or specific purpose devices. A network appliance may be any device connected to the network, including, for example, a router, a firewall, a network switch, a print server, an intrusion detection device, an application specific device, or a general purpose computer. Network appliances may communicate with other network appliances through a plurality of network connections. The network edge points typically do not have technical personnel onsite and may be managed 100% remotely by a network operations center. 
     In some instances, a network appliance may need to be managed directly, such as for an application update or fix. Network appliance management often uses a command line interface (CLI), which uses root commands that an operating system will understand. A user located in an NOC, for instance, may need to remotely manage a network appliance at a network edge point. In some instances, appliance management may occur over the network connection. Network-based appliance management may use Telnet, a clear text network protocol that allows access to remote network devices through the network. Moreover, Secure Shell (SSH) is a secure version of Telnet to provide an encrypted terminal session with a remote device on a network. This method requires that the appliance be functioning and that the network connection be functioning, and that the appliance be connected to the network connection, which typically requires that up-network network appliances, such as a router, also be functioning. 
     In other instances, appliance management may occur through an appliance&#39;s console access port, instead of through a network port, and over serial console access between the user&#39;s computer and the console access port. Almost all enterprise-level network appliances contain a serial console port for configuration. The console access port was created to ensure a method to communicate directly with the operating system of the device. A console access port generally uses CLI for configuration and management. The console access port is used for configuration and management only, which may occur directly via a connection to a laptop serial port, or indirectly via an appliance management device&#39;s serial port. Serial console access between an appliance and a remote user may occur, for instance, through a terminal server, which is a network appliance that has console access ports that connect directly to the console access ports of the network appliances at the network edge point. Terminal server console access typically assumes CLI appliance management. 
     A terminal server may use “out of band” (OOB) connection for appliance management. True out of band management involves methods to access a network device for management purposes using communication separate from the network connection. For example, OOB management might use a dial-up modem with a network terminal server connected to a console port to manage a remote device even if the network is not present or configured correctly. Today there are three schools of thought on Out of Band Management (OBM): (1) use a phone line connected to a device with a modem and several serial ports (true out of band access); (2) use a cellular modem connected to a device with several serial ports (true out of band access); and (3) use a Terminal or Console server with a network connection and several serial ports (this is not true out of band access, but it is much less costly as there are no recurring fees associated with the secondary circuit). 
     In summary, the method that an NOC typically uses to manage remote sites is to use CLI access to network devices in order to configure them. CLI is keystroke terminal data and is defined as either: 
     (1) A direct serial connection to the console port found on almost all network devices of substance (routers, firewalls, VOIP switches, managed switches, etc). This is usually accomplished by connecting a laptop directly to the serial port or an OOB management device that provides remote access to the serial port. 
     (2) A remote network connection using the SSH protocol. This is usually accomplished by an engineer in the NOC who enters the IP address in a simple SSH client software that provides a remote encrypted terminal session to the network appliance. 
     While a network appliance can be accessed for CLI through its network port, the most common way to ensure CLI access to remote sites is to install hardware, such as a terminal server, also known as a console server, that provides network access to the serial console access ports on all the network appliances. Attaching to the serial port improves reliability because the appliance can be contacted even if its network interface loses its configuration. A terminal server typically has a network interface and some number of serial ports. Each serial port can be connected to a console access port on a network appliance. In order to communicate to the terminal server, each network port usually requires its own IP address, independent of the IP address of a nearby router, usually at a cost from the network provider, which incurs a cost to the edge point to purchase this additional IP address. As cloud computing has increased, however, IP addresses have become more expensive, because cloud computing requires the assignment of increasingly more IP addresses. 
     When the NOC wants to contact the network appliance via the console access port, it performs a Telnet or SSH connection to the terminal server over the network, and then selects the appropriate serial port connected to that network appliance. Once the access is made, the NOC has CLI access to the network appliance. Inasmuch as this connection is made through the network appliance&#39;s serial console access port, many consider the connection to be “out of band” even though the original access is provided using the primary network, which is considered “in band.” The placement of the terminal server is important as to what type of access the NOC will have to the site. 
     The most typical installation places the terminal server behind the firewall, which has the security advantage that, by being behind the firewall, the terminal server is in the security zone already established by the firewall. The disadvantages include that the device will require its own IP address to be mapped through the router and firewall, and that the device can only be reached if the router, firewall, and network switch, are all functioning. 
     The least common placement of the terminal server is parallel to, i.e., next to, the router. The advantage to a parallel placement is that the terminal server can now be reached regardless of the status of the router, firewall or network switch. The disadvantage of parallel placement is that the terminal server is now in front of the firewall and therefore outside the security zone. The terminal server is sitting directly on the internet, which is considered “untrusted” for obvious reasons. For security, the terminal server usually uses Remote Authentication Dial In User Server (RADIUS) (a software server run on a server to authenticate users from any device running a RADIUS client) or TACACS+, which would now have to come from the internet as the terminal server is in front of the router and firewall. This is typically not achievable or recommended. 
     A third option is to use a terminal server having dual network interfaces, which allows placement of the terminal server next to the router, and allows access to the terminal server over a redundant, backup IP circuit, independent of the primary network. The advantages include that the terminal server may be accessed regardless of the status of the primary network, inasmuch as there is a secondary path to the terminal server via the redundant backup network access. The disadvantages include the cost and infrastructure, insofar as (1) a fixed IP address needs to be purchased for each network interface of the terminal server, and the network edge point may need to pay for a redundant, backup IP network connection, which preferably should be completely independent of the primary network (i.e., not using same carrier etc.). 
     To the extent that each of these aforementioned terminal server placements has its own disadvantages, new systems, methods and apparatus for serial console access are desired to improve performance and reduce costs. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is directed to systems, methods and apparatus involving an in-line network switch having serial ports for out-of-band (OOB) serial console access, wherein the in-line network switch includes dual network ports for transparent data flow between a WAN and a LAN of a network edge point, wherein the network switch shares a single IP address assigned to the network edge point. 
     In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a network switch is disclosed, wherein the network switch comprises an in-line Network Console Access (NETCONA) Device having a NETCONA Management Module, a NETCONA WAN-side Port, a NETCONA LAN-side Port, and at least one NETCONA Serial Console Access Port. 
     In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, a network system is disclosed, wherein a network system comprises an in-line NETCONA Device and at least one Network Appliance; wherein the NETCONA Device comprises a network switch having a NETCONA Management Module, a NETCONA WAN-side Port, a NETCONA LAN-side Port, and at least one NETCONA Serial Console Access Port; wherein the at least one Network Appliance includes a Network Appliance Serial Console Access Port; and wherein the NETCONA Serial Console Access Port is coupled with the Network Appliance Serial Console Access Port. 
     In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, a method of configuring a network switch is disclosed, wherein the method comprises: providing a NETCONA Device having a NETCONA Management Module, a NETCONA WAN-side Port, a NETCONA LAN-side Port, and at least one NETCONA Serial Console Access Port; configuring the NETCONA Device to use packet forwarding to transfer data between the NETCONA WAN-side Port and the NETCONA LAN-side Port, configuring the NETCONA Device to intercept data packets having serial console access instructions and forward these data packets to the NETCONA Management Module; configuring the NETCONA Management Module to process data packets having serial console access instructions; and configuring the NETCONA Management Module to use the at least one NETCONA Serial Console Access Port to generate Serial Console Access. 
     In accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention, a method of configuring a network system is disclosed, wherein the method comprises: providing a NETCONA Device having a NETCONA Management Module, a NETCONA WAN-side Port, a NETCONA LAN-side Port, and at least one NETCONA Serial Console Access Port; providing at least one Network Appliance having a Network Appliance Serial Console Access Port; and coupling the NETCONA Serial Console Access Port with the Network Appliance Serial Console Access Port. The method may further comprise using packet forwarding to transfer data between the NETCONA WAN-side Port and the NETCONA LAN-side Port; intercepting data packets having serial console access instructions; forwarding these data packets to the NETCONA Management Module; processing these data packets with the NETCONA Management Module; and generating Serial Console Access from the at least one NETCONA Serial Console Access Port to the Network Appliance Serial Console Access Port. 
     In accordance with a fifth aspect of the invention, a method of performing console access management is disclosed, wherein the method comprises: transferring data packets through a NETCONA Device having a NETCONA Management Module, a NETCONA WAN-side Port, a NETCONA LAN-side Port, and at least one NETCONA Serial Console Access Port; using packet forwarding to transfer the data packets between the NETCONA WAN-side Port and the NETCONA LAN-side Port; intercepting data packets having serial console access instructions; forwarding these data packets to the NETCONA Management Module; processing these data packets with the NETCONA Management Module; and generating Serial Console Access from the at least one NETCONA Serial Console Access Port to a Network Appliance Serial Console Access Port coupled to the at least one NETCONA Serial Console Access Port. 
     The details of exemplary embodiment of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       By reference to the appended drawings, which illustrate one or more exemplary embodiments of this invention, the detailed description provided below explains in detail various features, advantages and aspects of this invention. As such, features of this invention can be more clearly understood from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which the same reference numerals denote the same elements throughout. Any exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawings is not intended to be to scale and is not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic block diagram of a first network configuration, configured in accordance with the prior art. 
         FIG. 2  shows a schematic block diagram of a second network configuration, configured in accordance with the prior art. 
         FIG. 3  shows a schematic block diagram of a third network configuration, configured in accordance with the prior art. 
         FIG. 4  shows a schematic block diagram of a fourth network configuration, configured in accordance with aspects of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  shows a schematic block diagram of a fifth network configuration, configured in accordance with aspects of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As discussed above, the prior art typically has used a terminal server in one of three configurations to achieve serial console access to network appliances at a network edge point. In contrast, the present invention uses an inline network switch, rather than a terminal server, to achieve serial console access. To understand these configurations, and their differences, the three prior art configurations will be discussed before discussing configurations according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 1  shows a schematic block diagram of a First Network Configuration  1000 , configured in accordance with the prior art, depicting an installation placing a terminal server behind a firewall. First Network Configuration  1000  includes a Wide-Area Network (WAN) Port  100  that may be connected to the Internet, such as via a modem output of a coaxial cable network or fiber optic cable network. In some cases, as shown in  FIG. 3 , a Redundant WAN Port  105  may be present as well. WAN Port  100  may provide a Raw WAN Connection  110 , such as to the Internet. Likewise, as in  FIG. 3 , Redundant WAN Port  105  may provide a Redundant, Backup Raw WAN Connection  115 . In  FIG. 1 , WAN Connection  110  is connected to a Router  200 . Router  200  begins the network edge point, comprising a Local-Area Network (LAN). Router  200  may include a Router WAN-side Port  210  (for receiving WAN Connection  110 ), a Router LAN-side Port  220 , and a Router Serial Console Access Port  230 . Router WAN-side Port  210  receives WAN Connection  110 . Router  200  outputs a Routed LAN Connection  240  through Router LAN-side Port  220 . 
     Router Serial Console Access Port  230  may be used to manage Router  200  using CLI. As shown in  FIG. 5 , Router  200  also may have a Router Power Input  250 . Routed LAN Connection  240  may connect to a Firewall  300 . Firewall  300  may be a hardware device, or a software installation, such as on Router  200 . In  FIG. 1 , Firewall  300  is a separate device having a Firewall WAN-side Port  310 , a Firewall LAN-side Port  320 , and a Firewall Serial Console Access Port  330 . Firewall LAN-side Port  320  may receive Routed LAN Connection  240 . Firewall  300  may output a Firewalled Routed LAN Connection  340  from Firewall LAN-side Port  320 . Firewall Serial Console Access Port  330  may be used to manage Firewall  300  using CLI. As shown in  FIG. 5 , Firewall  300  also may have a Firewall Power Input  350 . 
     Firewalled Routed LAN Connection  340  may connect to a Network Switch  400 . Network Switch  400  may include a Network Switch WAN-side Port  410 , a Network Switch LAN-side Port  420 , and a Network Switch Serial Console Access Port  430 . Network Switch WAN-side Port  410  may receive Firewalled Routed LAN Connection  340 . Network Switch  400  may output a Switched Firewalled Routed LAN Connection  440 . Network Switch Serial Console Access Port  430  may be used to manage Network Switch  400  using CLI. As shown in  FIG. 5 , Network Switch  400  also may have a Network Switch Power Input  450 . 
     Switched Firewalled Routed LAN Connection  440  may connect to a Network Appliance  500 . Network Appliance  500  may include a Network Appliance Network Port  510  and a Network Appliance Serial Console Access Port  520 . Examples of specific Network Appliances  500  shown in  FIG. 5  include an Out of Band Management (OBM) Secure Terminal  530 , an Application Server  540  running OBM Management Software  545 , a Database Server  550 , and an Authentication Server  560 . Also as shown in  FIG. 5 , Network Appliance  500  may include a Network Appliance Power Input  570 . 
     First Network Configuration  1000  also includes a Terminal Server  600 . Terminal Server  600  is placed behind Firewall  300  in accordance with the prior art. Terminal Server  600  may include a Terminal Server Network Port  610 , a Terminal Server Redundant/Backup Network Port  615  as shown in  FIG. 3 , and a Terminal Server Serial Console Access Port  620 . Terminal Server Network Port  610  is shown in  FIG. 1  as connected to Network Switch  400  via Switched Firewalled Routed LAN Connection  440 . Terminal Server Serial Console Access Port  620  may connect with Router Serial Console Access Port  230 , Firewall Serial Console Access Port  330 , Network Switch Serial Console Access Port  430 , Network Appliance Serial Console Access Port  520 , or any combination thereof, to generate Serial Console Access  630 . 
     In First Network Configuration  1000 , Terminal Server  600  has the security advantage that it connects to the WAN through Firewall  300  and is in the security zone established by Firewall  300 . The disadvantages include that the Terminal Server  600  will require its own IP address to be mapped through Router  200  and Firewall  300 , meaning that First Network Configuration  1000  requires at least two independent IP addresses at the network edge point, a first IP address for Router  200 , and a second IP address for Terminal Server  600 . Also, Terminal Server  600  can only be reached if Router  200 , Firewall  300 , and Network Switch  400 , are all functioning. 
       FIG. 2  shows a schematic block diagram of a Second Network Configuration  2000 , configured in accordance with the prior art. Second Network Configuration  2000  includes all the same components of First Network Configuration  1000 , but instead of Terminal Server  600  being connected to Network Switch  400  via Switched Firewalled Routed LAN Connection  440 , Terminal Server  600  is connected to WAN Port  100  via Raw WAN Connection  110 . In this placement, Terminal Server  600  is parallel to, i.e., next to, Router  200 , allowing Terminal Server  600  to be reached regardless of the status of the Router  200 , Firewall  300 , or Network Switch  400 . However, Terminal Server  600  is in front of Firewall  300  and therefore outside the security zone. Insofar as Terminal Server  600  is sitting directly on the Internet, securing communicating with Terminal Server  600  using RADIUS or TACACS+ would now have to come from the Internet, which is typically not achievable or recommended. Second Network Configuration  2000  also requires at least two independent IP addresses at the network edge point, a first IP address for Router  200 , and a second IP address for Terminal Server  600 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a schematic block diagram of a Third Network Configuration  3000 , configured in accordance with the prior art. Third Network Configuration  3000  includes all the components of First and Second Network Configurations  1000 ,  2000 , and additionally includes Redundant WAN Port  105  that may provide Redundant, Backup Raw WAN Connection  115 . Terminal Server  600  of  FIG. 3  has dual network interfaces, Terminal Server Network Port  610  and Terminal Server Redundant/Backup Network Port  615 . These dual network interfaces allow placement of Terminal Server  600  next to Router  200 , and allow Terminal Server  600  to access Redundant WAN Port  105  over Redundant, Backup Raw WAN Connection  115 , independent of the primary network and connection, WAN Port  100  and Raw WAN Connection  110 . As such, Terminal Server  600  may be accessed via the secondary path regardless of the status of the primary network. 
     Third Network Configuration  3000  requires at least three independent IP addresses at the network edge point, a first IP address for Router  200 , a second IP address for Terminal Server Network Port  610 , and a third IP address for Terminal Server Redundant/Backup Network Port  615 . Third Network Configuration  3000  incurs additional costs and needs additional infrastructure, insofar as Terminal Server  600  needs a fixed IP address for each network interface, and the network edge point needs to install, service, and pay for Redundant WAN Port  105  and Redundant, Backup Raw WAN Connection  115 , which preferably should be completely independent of the primary network (i.e., not using same carrier etc.). 
     In contrast to the First, Second, and Third Network Configurations  1000 ,  2000 ,  3000 , network configurations in accordance with the present invention avoid many of the disadvantages of the prior art, and achieve advantages not possible with the prior art. The present invention involves a secure enterprise device for true out of band management that can provide secure out of band access to a remote site without having a separate IP address and is available regardless of the status of Router  200 , Firewall  300 , or Network Switch  400 , while still providing strong two factor authentication and security. In particular, embodiments of the present invention include an in-line Network Console Access (NETCONA) device with two network interfaces and several serial ports. 
       FIG. 4  shows a schematic block diagram of a Fourth Network Configuration  4000 , configured in accordance with aspects of the invention. Fourth Network Configuration  4000  includes a NETCONA Inline Network Switch and Console Access Device  700 . NETCONA Device  700  may be inserted between Router  200  and WAN Port  100  in an “in-line” fashion that will allow Router  200  transparent access to WAN Port  100 , using the original IP address of Router  200 , avoiding the need to purchase additional IP addresses. Inherent in NETCONA Device  700  is a NETCONA Management Module  705 , implemented either as hardware, software, or a combination thereof, for OOB Management of respective network appliances. NETCONA Management Module  705  also may include all security and networking functionality selected for a given embodiment of NETCONA Device  700 . NETCONA Device  700  includes a NETCONA WAN-side Port  710 , a NETCONA LAN-side Port  720 , and at least one NETCONA Serial Console Access Port  730 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , NETCONA Device  700  also may include at least one NETCONA Power Control Port  740  and a NETCONA Telco Port  750 . NETCONA Serial Console Access Port  730  and NETCONA Power Control Port  740  may be considered NETCONA Management Ports, generically speaking, that generates Management Access. Serial Console Access  630  would be an example of such Management Access generated by a NETCONA Management Port. 
     NETCONA WAN-side Port  710  may connect to WAN Port  100  over Raw WAN Connection  110 . NETCONA LAN-side Port  720  may connect to Router WAN-side Port  210  over Raw WAN Connection  110  passed through NETCONA Device  700 . NETCONA Serial Console Access Ports  730  may connect to Router Serial Console Access Port  230 , Firewall Serial Console Access Port  330 , Network Switch Serial Console Access Port  430 , Network Appliance Serial Console Access Port  520 , or any combination thereof, to generate Serial Console Access  630 . 
     NETCONA Device  700  is “in-line” with the primary network circuit and acting as a switch. NETCONA Device  700  shares the IP address of Router  200  as NETCONA Device  700  sits in front of Router  200  to trap any OOB messages intended for NETCONA Device  700 . All other traffic is passed transparently to Router  200  and its IP address. All such pass-through data remain “untouched” using pack forwarding commands built into the IP stack of NETCONA Device  700 , similar to how a network switch works. Packet forwarding is the relaying of packets from one network segment to another by nodes in a computer network. NETCONA Device  700  applies this technology in a slightly different way to “peel off” OOB traffic. In view of their transitory nature, data traffic and data packets are represented in  FIGS. 1-5  by the solid lines depicting connections  110 ,  115 ,  240 ,  340 ,  440 ,  940  and accesses  630 ,  840 . 
     The two network interfaces  710 ,  720  on NETCONA Device  700  will act as a network switch, transparently forwarding data from WAN Port  100  to Router  200 , and from Router  200  to WAN Port  100 . When a particular TCP port is addressed on NETCONA Device  700  (an example would be “SSH port  23 ”), NETCONA Device  700  will intercept the packet and route it to an Out of Band Management module in NETCONA Device  700 , where the packet will be authenticated and passed to the appropriate Serial Console Access Port  730  for console port access. 
     There are several advantages to placing NETCONA Device  700  “in-line” with the circuit that are not available in the prior art, which does not use this configuration. All prior art configurations use devices that are “attached” to the network using a separate IP address. Acting like a switch spares NETCONA Device  700  the need for an additional IP address, which is critical in today&#39;s IP-address-consuming environment filling with cloud connections requiring IP addresses, which are running out and becoming more costly. As a result, a network configuration in accordance with the invention need only have a single IP address at the network edge point, like in  FIG. 4 , as opposed to two or three IP addresses, as in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
     Further advantages may include the following aspects. NETCONA Device  700  may be completely transparent to the network. NETCONA Device  700  may pass all data between WAN Port  100  and Router  200 , and between Router  200  and WAN Port  100 . NETCONA Device  700  may activate only when the OOB port is accessed. NETCONA Device  700  may use security greater in strength than a standard firewall. All security may be built in NETCONA Device  700 , so as not to rely on the network for operation, allowing NETCONA Device  700  to securely run out in front of Router  200 . NETCONA Device  700  may use strong two factor authentication to secure the Out of Band access. NETCONA Device  700  may use strong encryption to secure the Out of Band access. For additional security, NETCONA Device  700  may use Private key technology that is never shared in clear text form. NETCONA Device  700  may be paired with a client device at an NOC to provide hardware level security between the two points on the network; pairing may be one-to-many so the NOC can have just a few client devices accessing thousands of remote devices. Such security measures may reduce or prevent any intrusion through NETCONA access ports. All CLI commands performed on each console access port may be captured and sent back to a central server for later audit by a security professional. 
       FIG. 5  shows a schematic block diagram of a Fifth Network Configuration  5000 , configured in accordance with aspects of the invention. Fifth Network Configuration  5000  includes NETCONA Power Control Port  740  and a NETCONA Telco Port  750  in NETCONA Device  700 . Fifth Network Configuration  5000  also includes a Power Control Module  800  that may include a Power Control Module Access Port  810 , a Power Control Module Power Input  820 , and a Power Control Module Power Output  830 . NETCONA Power Control Port  740  may be connected to Power Control Module Access Port  810  to generate a Power Control Access  840 . Power Control Access  840  would be a further example of a Management Access generated by a NETCONA Management Port. Over Power Control Access  840 , NETCONA Device  700  may turn on and turn off Power Control Module  800 , which in turn may connect and disconnect a Power Connection  850  between a Power Supply  860  and, for instance, Router Power Input  250 , Firewall Power Input  350 , Network Switch Power Input  450 , or Network Appliance Power Input  570 . Turning power off and then on again may be used to reboot a remote device that may have malfunctioned, or that may have been updated or otherwise managed over Serial Console Access  630 . NETCONA Device  700  may provide a power reset or power cycle of the remote network devices of the NOC center requires. It is possible that an embodiment of the present invention may include NETCONA Power Control Ports  740  instead of, and to the exclusion of, NETCONA Serial Console Access Ports  730 , effectively making such a NETCONA Device  700  a remote power management system without any serial console access, even though the name NETCONA is derived from the words Console Access. 
     Fifth Network Configuration  5000 , configured in accordance with aspects of the invention, also includes a Telco Network  900  as a backup circuit for communication between an NOC and NETCONA Device  700 . Alternatively, Telco Network  900  may be replaced by Redundant WAN Port  105  for provision of Redundant, Backup Raw WAN Connection  115 , as in  FIG. 3 . The NOC may include a Telco Network Modem  910  having a Telco Network Modem Telco-side Port  920  and a Telco Network Modem LAN-side Port  930 . A Telco Network Connection  940  may connect Telco Network Modem Telco-side Port  920  with Telco Network  900 , and Telco Network  900  with NETCONA Telco Port  750 . Telco Network  900  may include, for instance, a PSTN landline or a wireless network (e.g., Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, or Cellular Network), as a backup means of requesting Serial Console Access  630  from NETCONA Serial Console Access Port  730 , or even as a backup means of providing Raw WAN Connection  110  from NETCONA LAN-side Port  720 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the NOC may also include a second Router  200  that interconnects over Raw WAN Connection  110  with WAN Port  100 , and over Routed LAN Connection  240  with Telco Network Modem LAN-side Port  930 , OBM Secure Terminal  530 , Application Server  540  running OBM Software  545 , Database Server  550 , and Authentication Server  560 . Network Appliances  530 ,  540 ,  550 , and  560  may comprise the OBM infrastructure at the NOC, and this OBM infrastructure may perform out-of-band management either over Raw WAN Connection  110  or over Telco Network Connection  940 . 
     Embodiments of methods in accordance with the present invention may include configuring a network system to include NETCONA Device  700 , providing NETCONA Device  700  functionality, and/or using NETCONA Device  700  for OOB Management. For instance, a network system may be configured to include NETCONA Device  700 , with or without a Telco Network  900  or a Redundant/Backup WAN Port  105  as a backup means of accessing NETCONA Device  700 . Similarly, a network system may be configured to include power management using Power Control Module  800  irrespective of whether a backup means  105 ,  900  and backup connection  115 ,  940  are included in the configuration. NETCONA Device  700  functionality may be provided as a stand-alone device or integrated in a multi-functional device that may include, for instance, routing functionality. Using NETCONA Device  700  for OBM might be viewed either at the remote device level, or at the network level. 
     Viewed at the network level, when an NOC wants to access Network Appliance Serial Console Access Port  520  on remote Network Appliance  500 , the NOC may use a client CDI device, such as OBM Secure Terminal  530 , located at the NOC to initiate a raw TCP connection to a specific port on the WAN interface of the remote NETCONA Device  700 . This specific port may intercept the connection and direct it to NETCONA Management Module  705  of NETCONA Device  700 . NETCONA Management Module  705  processes all data packets intended for use in generating Serial Console Access  630 . The NOC connection may be authenticated using built-in two factor authentication between the NOC Client device and NETCONA Device  700 . The two factor authentication may communicate with a CDI client device at the NOC to confirm that the connection is allowable, which may be done using a cryptographic algorithm and a private key already programmed into each end. Depending on the security setup, the connection may become encrypted by NETCONA Device  700  and the Client device at the NOC using available encryption algorithms like AES. The NOC user may be presented with a list of allowable ports to be accessed on NETCONA Device  700 . The NOC user may select the desired port and perform CLI functions to the network appliance. The NOC user might access, for instance, a NETCONA Serial Console Access Port  730  to generate Serial Console Access  630 , or a NETCONA Power Control Port  740  to generate Power Control Access  840 . All CLI functions may be logged (e.g., by keystroke) to be sent back to the central manager for later audit by a systems administrator or security officer. Meanwhile, the main Raw WAN Connection  110  to Router  200  is still passing traffic transparently during this process and does not affect any remote site traffic. 
     The foregoing description discloses exemplary embodiments of the invention. While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims. Modifications of the above disclosed apparatus and methods that fall within the scope of the invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, other embodiments may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims. 
     In the description above, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to an artisan of ordinary skill that the invention may be practiced without incorporating all aspects of the specific details described herein. In other instances, specific details well known to those of ordinary skill in the art have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the invention. Readers should note that although examples of the invention are set forth herein, the claims, and the full scope of any equivalents, are what define the metes and bounds of the invention. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST: 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 First Network Configuration, configured 
                 1000 
               
               
                 according to the Prior Art 
               
               
                 Second Network Configuration, configured 
                 2000 
               
               
                 according to the Prior Art 
               
               
                 Third Network Configuration, configured 
                 3000 
               
               
                 according to the Prior Art 
               
               
                 Fourth Network Configuration, configured 
                 4000 
               
               
                 according to the Invention 
               
               
                 Fifth Network Configuration, configured 
                 5000 
               
               
                 according to the Invention 
               
               
                 WAN Port (Internet)(Modem Output) 
                 100 
               
               
                 Redundant WAN Port (Internet)(Modem Output) 
                 105 
               
               
                 Raw WAN Connection 
                 110 
               
               
                 Redundant/Backup Raw WAN Connection 
                 115 
               
               
                 Router 
                 200 
               
               
                 Router WAN-side Port 
                 210 
               
               
                 Router LAN-side Port 
                 220 
               
               
                 Router Serial Console Access Port 
                 230 
               
               
                 Routed LAN Connection 
                 240 
               
               
                 Router Power Input 
                 250 
               
               
                 Firewall 
                 300 
               
               
                 Firewall WAN-side Port 
                 310 
               
               
                 Firewall LAN-side Port 
                 320 
               
               
                 Firewall Serial Console Access Port 
                 330 
               
               
                 Firewalled Routed LAN Connection 
                 340 
               
               
                 Firewall Power Input 
                 350 
               
               
                 Network Switch 
                 400 
               
               
                 Network Switch WAN-side Port 
                 410 
               
               
                 Network Switch LAN-side Port 
                 420 
               
               
                 Network Switch Serial Console Access Port 
                 430 
               
               
                 Switched Firewalled Routed LAN Connection 
                 440 
               
               
                 Network Switch Power Input 
                 450 
               
               
                 Network Appliance 
                 500 
               
               
                 Network Appliance Network Port 
                 510 
               
               
                 Network Appliance Serial Console Access Port 
                 520 
               
               
                 OBM Secure Terminal 
                 530 
               
               
                 Application Server 
                 540 
               
               
                 OBM Management Software 
                 545 
               
               
                 Database Server 
                 550 
               
               
                 Authentication Server 
                 560 
               
               
                 Network Appliance Power Input 
                 570 
               
               
                 Terminal Server 
                 600 
               
               
                 Terminal Server Network Port 
                 610 
               
               
                 Terminal Server Redundant/Backup Network Port 
                 615 
               
               
                 Terminal Server Serial Console Access Port 
                 620 
               
               
                 Serial Console Access 
                 630 
               
               
                 NETCONA Inline Network Switch and Console Access Device 
                 700 
               
               
                 NETCONA Management Module 
                 705 
               
               
                 NETCONA WAN-side Port 
                 710 
               
               
                 NETCONA LAN-side Port 
                 720 
               
               
                 NETCONA Serial Console Access Port 
                 730 
               
               
                 NETCONA Power Control Port 
                 740 
               
               
                 NETCONA Telco Port 
                 750 
               
               
                 Power Control Module 
                 800 
               
               
                 Power Control Module Access Port 
                 810 
               
               
                 Power Control Module Power Input 
                 820 
               
               
                 Power Control Module Power Output 
                 830 
               
               
                 Power Control Access 
                 840 
               
               
                 Power Connection 
                 850 
               
               
                 Power Supply 
                 860 
               
               
                 Telco Network 
                 900 
               
               
                 Telco Network Modem 
                 910 
               
               
                 Telco Network Modem Telco-side Port 
                 920 
               
               
                 Telco Network Modem LAN-side Port 
                 930 
               
               
                 Telco Network Connection 
                 940

Technology Classification (CPC): 7