Configuration file caching

• US 20030070063A1
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bigband Networks Bas Inc (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Nair, Ajit, Li, Huimin, Boyle, Craig, Legault, Benoit, Ma, Donghai
• Application Number:
  US09/972,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20030070063A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• 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 and apparatus for providing access to configuration files even if a remote server containing configuration profile information is unavailable includes caching known configuration files locally, and using the known configuration files in the event of a remote server failure or overload.

Claims

1. A method of booting a communications access device, comprising:

contacting a central server for a configuration profile for the communications access device;

retrieving a new configuration profile from the central server if the central server is available;

creating a new configuration file for the access device if a new configuration profile is retrieved;

retrieving a known configuration file from a secondary location if the central server is unavailable; and

booting the device using the new configuration file if the central server is available and using the known configuration file if the central server is not available.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary location mirrors the central server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary location is a distributed server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving a known configuration file comprises:

checking if the device is a registered device with the secondary location; and

retrieving a stored configuration file for the device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein retrieving a stored configuration file comprises retrieving an older configuration file stored locally on a provisioning server.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein retrieving a stored configuration file comprises retrieving an older configuration file stored locally on an external mass storage device.

7. A method for providing boot access to a network, comprising:

storing a known configuration file for an access device locally;

attempting to retrieve a new configuration profile from a remote server upon receiving a boot request at a local server;

retrieving the new configuration profile if the remote server is available;

creating a new configuration file from the retrieved configuration profile if the remote server is available; and

retrieving the stored known configuration file if the remote server is not available.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein storing a known configuration file comprises storing on a local server.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein storing a known configuration file comprises storing on a local external disk.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein retrieving the stored known configuration file comprises:

accessing a storage file on the local server, the storage file containing a table of known configuration files for access devices.

11. The method of claim 7, and further comprising:

providing the new configuration file to the access device if the central server is available; and

providing the stored configuration file to the access device if the central server is unavailable.

12. A boot access configuration method, comprising:

retrieving a configuration profile from a central server;

creating a configuration file from the configuration profile;

storing a copy of the configuration file on a local server;

providing the configuration file to an access device; and

retrieving the copy if the central server is unavailable during a subsequent access.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein retrieving the copy comprises:

retrieving a known configuration file from the local server.

14. A method of re-registering a communications access device, comprising:

determining whether a predetermined failure condition of a central server connection has occurred; and

retrieving a cached configuration file from a local storage device if the predetermined failure condition is met.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein retrieving a cached configuration file comprises retrieving from a local provisioning server.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein retrieving a cached configuration comprises retrieving from a local external mass storage device.

17. The method of claim 14, and further comprising:

retrieving a configuration profile from the central server if the predetermined failure condition is not met; and

creating a new configuration file from the retrieved configuration profile.

18. A boot method for a communications device, comprising:

receiving a bootup request at a local server;

retrieving a new configuration profile for the access device from a remote server if the remote server is available;

creating a new configuration file from the retrieved configuration profile if the remote server is available; and

retrieving a copy of a known configuration file from the local server if the remote server is unavailable.

19. The boot method of claim 18, and further comprising:

providing the new configuration file to the communications device if the remote server is available; and

providing the known configuration file to the communications device if the remote server is unavailable.

20. The boot method of claim 18, wherein retrieving a copy comprises:

determining if the remote server is unavailable;

accessing a storage file containing known configuration files for communications devices; and

retrieving the known configuration file corresponding to the communications device requesting a configuration file.

21. A method of providing configuration files to an access device, comprising:

receiving a configuration file request from an access device at an access device termination system;

inserting a gateway interface address into the configuration file request at the access device termination system;

forwarding the configuration file request to a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server;

determining availability of a remote directory server;

retrieving an access device configuration profile from the directory server to the DHCP server if the directory server is available;

creating a new configuration file from the retrieved configuration profile if the directory server is available;

caching the new configuration file at the DHCP server;

retrieving an appropriate cached access device configuration file from the DHCP server if the directory server is unavailable;

making a DHCP offer containing configuration file name and retrieval information to the access device;

receiving a DHCP request containing the retrieval information from the access device;

acknowledging the DHCP request if the retrieval information is correct; and

transferring the configuration file to the access device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein transferring is accomplished via trivial file transfer protocol.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein transferring the configuration file comprises:

transferring the new configuration file created from the new configuration profile if the directory server is available; and

transferring the cached access device configuration pro retrieved from the local server if the directory server is unavailable.

24. The method of claim 21, and further comprising:

determining whether a predetermined failure condition of the directory server connection has occurred; and

retrieving an appropriate cached access device configuration file from the DHCP server if the predetermined failure condition has occurred.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the predetermined failure condition is selected from a group consisting of directory server power outage, DHCP server power outage, network power outage, access pipeline failure, and overtaxed directory server.

26. A computer readable medium for causing a computer to execute a method, the method comprising:

receiving a bootup request from an access device at the computer;

retrieving a new configuration profile for the access device from a remote server if the remote server is available;

creating a new configuration file from the retrieved configuration profile if the remote server is available; and

retrieving a copy of a known configuration file for the access device from the computer if the remote server is unavailable.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein retrieving a copy comprises:

determining availability of the remote server;

accessing a storage table containing a plurality of cached known configuration files; and

retrieving a cached known configuration file corresponding to the access device.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises:

caching a copy of the new configuration file on the computer.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether a predetermined failure condition of the remote server has occurred; and

retrieving the appropriate cached known configuration file from the computer if the predetermined failure condition has occurred.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the predetermined failure condition is selected from a group consisting of directory server power outage, DHCP server power outage, network power outage, access pipeline failure, and overtaxed directory server.

31. A communications system, comprising:

a provisioning server connected to a central server, the central server storing configuration profile information for access devices connected to the provisioning server;

a data structure on the provisioning server storing configuration files corresponding to the configuration profile information for the access devices connected to the provisioning server; and

a computer readable medium for performing a method comprising;

retrieving a new configuration profile from the central server for an access device requesting access;

creating a new configuration file from the retrieved configuration profile if the central server is available;

retrieving a known configuration file from the provisioning server if the central server is unavailable; and

booting the device using the known configuration file if the central server is unavailable, and with the new configuration file if the central server is available.

32. The communications system of claim 31, wherein the provisioning server is a DHCP server.

33. The communications system of claim 31, wherein the data structure is stored on an external disk connected to the provisioning server.

34. The communications system of claim 31, wherein the method further comprises caching the new configuration file on the provisioning server.

35. A backup communications access system, comprising:

a secondary server storing configuration information for access devices also stored on a remote central server;

a data file stored on the secondary server, the data file containing configuration files compiled from the configuration information stored on the central server; and

a computer readable medium for performing a method comprising;

checking for availability of the central server upon receiving a request for access by a communications device connected to the secondary server;

retrieving configuration information for the device if the central server is available;

creating a new configuration file from the retrieved configuration information;

storing the new configuration file on the secondary server; and

retrieving a stored configuration file for the access device from the data file if the central server is unavailable.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the secondary server is a provisioning server

37. The system of claim 35, and further comprising:

an external mass storage device, the external mass storage device containing the storage file.