Generically provisioning an appliance

• US 20030018758A1
• Filed: 07/13/2001
• Published: 01/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Fan, Changguan, Desikamani, Meera, Haug, Brian R.
• Application Number:
  US09/905,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20030018758A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus for provisioning a generically pre-provisioned client device such as a web appliance upon an initial connection to a server system such as an ISP. The web appliance is pre-provisioned with enough data to enable it to connect to any of a plurality of ISPs. ISP-specific data are provisioned upon initial connection, to customize the client for use in that ISP'"'"'s environment.

Claims

1. A method of a server system custom provisioning a generically pre-provisioned client device, the method comprising:

receiving a connection from the client device; and

downloading provisioning data to the generically pre-provisioned client device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

authenticating the generically pre-provisioned client device; and

the downloading being conditioned upon the authenticating.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

sending out-of-band data to a user of the generically pre-provisioned client device prior to receiving the connection.

6. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-accessible medium including instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the method of claim 1.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 6 wherein the machine-accessible medium further includes instructions that, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform the method of claim 2.

4. A system comprising:

a network;

a server system coupled to the network and including,

a provisioning server,

a provisioning database having stored therein provisioning data for at least one generically pre-provisioned client device; and

a generically pre-provisioned client device coupled to the server system via the network.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the generically pre-provisioned client device comprises:

generically pre-provisioned data which have been provisioned prior to an initial connection of the generically pre-provisioned client device to the server system via the network;

out-of-band data which have been stored into the generically pre-provisioned client device by a user; and

provisioning data which have been provisioned by the provisioning server after an initial connection of the generically pre-provisioned client device to the server system via the network.