SERVER MANAGER

• US 20020052876A1
• Filed: 10/29/1998
• Published: 05/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infoblox Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: WATERS, GLENN
• Granted Patent: US 6,564,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing IP addressing in a network and effectively synchronizing communication between a central database and one or more servers (such as DNS and DHCP).

Claims

1. A network comprising:

(a) a database accessible by one or more servers; and

(b) a server manager coupled in communication with the database and the one or more servers.

2. The network as recited by claim 1 wherein the database is a relational database.

3. The network as recited by claim 2 wherein the database stores configuration information for the network and logs configuration changes made to the network in a delta-logging facility within the database.

4. The network as recited by claim 3 wherein the logging of the configuration changes made to the network allows the database to be restored to a previously known state.

5. The network as recited by claim 1 wherein the server manager synchronizes all communication to and from the one or more servers and acts as a single pipeline to the database.

6. The network as recited by claim 1 wherein the server manager polls the database and communicates changes made to the database to the one or more servers.

7. The network as recited by claim 1 wherein the server manager receives updated information from the one or more servers and transmits the updated information to the database.

8. The network as recited by claim 1 wherein the server manager services multiple work requests at one time and queues up any further requests based on priority.

9. The network as recited by claim 8 wherein the server manager prioritizes the requests in-the following order:

(a) get configuration requests from the one or more servers;

(b) polling the database for the configuration changes;

(c) configuration update requests from the one or more servers; and

(d) removing leases for Internet Protocol (IP) addresses when expired.

10. The network as recited by claim 1 wherein the server manager processes multiple requests at one time and queues up any further requests based on first- in first-out priority.

11. The network as recited by claim 1 wherein the one or more servers is selected from the group consisting essentially of a Domain Name Services (DNS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Remote Access Dial In User Services (RADIUS), or Policy server.

13. The server manager as recited by claim 12 further configured to synchronize all communication to and from the one or more servers and act as a single pipeline to the database.

14. The server manager as recited by claim 12 further configured to poll the database and communicate network configuration changes to the one or more servers.

15. The server manager as recited by claim 12 further configured to receive updated information from the one or more servers and communicate the updated information to the database.

16. The server manager as recited by claim 12 further configured to processes multiple requests at one time and queue up any further requests based on priority.

18. The server as recited by claim 17 wherein the server manager enables dynamic updates and dynamic reconfiguration of the server.

19. The server as recited by claim 17 wherein the server manager enables incremental synchronization of the servers through updates of changes in configuration.

20. The server as recited by claim 17 wherein the server manager receives requests for the information in the database from the server and transmits the information from the database to the server.

12. A server manager configured as an interface between a database and one or more servers.

17. A server configured to access information from a database through a server manager.

21. A method of communicating information between a database and one or more servers through a server manager comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving at the server manager requests for the information stored in the database and information updates from the one or more servers;

(b) communicating by the server manager the request for the information stored in the database and the information updates from the one or more servers to the database;

(c) receiving at the server manager the requested information from the database.

(d) transmitting by the server manager the requested information to the one or more servers.

22. The method as recited by claim 21 further comprising the step of polling the database by the server manager for configuration changes in a network and communicating the configuration changes in the network to the one or more servers.

24. The widely-distributed IP network as recited by claim 23 wherein the server manager monitors and controls the database and the one or more DNS and DHCP servers.

25. The widely-distributed IP network as recited by claim 23 wherein the server manager controls the database and the DNS and DHCP servers in dynamic configuration of the IP addresses.

27. A server manager as recited by claim 26 further configured to monitor and control the one or more distributed DNS and DHCP servers.

28. A server manager as recited by claim 26 further configured to manage IP services in dynamic configuration of IP addresses.

23. A widely-distributed IP network comprising:

(a) a database accessible by one or more DNS and DHCP servers; and

(b) a server manager configured as a central control for the database and the one or more DNS and DHCP servers.

26. A server manager configured as a central control for a database and one or more DNS and DHCP servers in a widely distributed IP network.