System and method for provisioning network access devices

• US 20040010569A1
• Filed: 07/09/2002
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ADTRAN Incorporated (ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADTRAN Incorporated (ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Albright, Douglas T., Thomas, H. Keith
• Granted Patent: US 7,152,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration

Abstract

A system for provisioning a network access device based on control settings received from a remote location utilizes logic and memory for storing a set of operational control settings and a set of default control settings for the network access device. The logic is configured to store, in the memory, the operational control settings based on data received from a remote device via a network. The logic is configured to control the network access device based on the operational control settings and to begin controlling the network access device based on the default control settings in lieu of the operational control settings in response to a determination that the network access device is unable to communicate over the network based on the operational control settings, thereby enabling the network access device to be remotely re-provisioned.

Claims

1. A network access device for use in a communication system, comprising:

memory for storing default control settings for the network access device;

a timer; and

logic configured to receive operational control settings from a remote device thereby establishing an operational configuration for the network access device, the logic configured to control operation of the network access device according to the operational configuration and to transition, based on the timer, to controlling the operation of the device according to a default configuration that is based on the default control settings.

2. The network access device of claim 1, wherein the logic is configured to control the operation of the device according to the default configuration while the logic is receiving the operational control settings from the remote device.

3. The network access device of claim 1, wherein the timer is configured to notify the logic of expiration of a specified time period provided that the timer is not deactivated prior to the expiration of the specified timer period, and wherein the logic is configured to transition to controlling the operation of the device according to the default configuration in response to a notification from the timer that the specified timer period has expired.

4. A communication system, comprising:

a communication network;

a network access device communicatively coupled to the communication network; and

a configuration manager located remotely from the network access device, the configuration manager configured to provision the network access device via communication with the network access device over the communication network thereby establishing an operational configuration for the network access device,

wherein the network access device is configured to automatically implement a predefined configuration if the network access device is unable to communicate over the network while operating pursuant to the operational configuration thereby enabling the network access device to be remotely re-provisioned.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the network access device is configured to automatically implement the predefined configuration based on a timer.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the network access device is configured to automatically establish a default route and to communicate with the configuration manager via the default route.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the network access device comprises a timer, the timer configured to cause the network access device to implement the predefined configuration once a specified amount of time has elapsed since activation of the timer unless the timer is deactivated prior to the end of the specified amount of time.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the configuration manager is configured to activate the timer during a communication session with the network access device.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the timer is activated based on whether the configuration manager has provisioned the network access device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the configuration manager is configured to set the specified amount of time.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the specified amount of time is sufficient for allowing a remote device to deactivate the timer between the end of the communication session and the end of the specified amount of time.

12. A communication system, comprising:

a communication network;

a network access device communicatively coupled to the communication network; and

a configuration manager located remotely from the network access device, the configuration manager configured to provision the network access device during a communication session with the network access device over the communication network thereby establishing an operational configuration for the network access device,

wherein the network access device comprises a timer, the timer configured to cause the network access device to automatically implement a predefined configuration if a specified time period expires before the timer is deactivated, the specified time period including a sufficient amount of time, subsequent to the communication session, for enabling a remote device to contact the network access device and to cause deactivation of the timer.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the network access device is configured to communicate with the configuration manager during the communication session pursuant to the predefined configuration.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the time period is specified by the configuration manager.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the configuration manager is configured to activate the timer during the communication session.

16. A network access device, comprising:

memory for storing a set of operational control settings and a set of default control settings for the network access device; and

logic configured to store, in the memory, the operational control settings based on data received from a remote device via a network, the logic configured to control the network access device based on the operational control settings during a specified time period, the logic further configured to begin controlling the network access device based on the default control settings if the specified time period expires without the network access device receiving, from the network, an indication that communication with the network is enabled during the specified time period when the logic is controlling the network access device based on the operational control settings.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the logic is configured to control the network access device based on the default control settings while the network access device is receiving the data from the network.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the device further comprises a timer configured to notify the logic when the specified time period expires, wherein the timer is deactivated in response to the indication.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the logic is configured to automatically establish a default route and to communicate with the remote device via the default route.

20. A network access device, comprising:

memory for storing a set of operational control settings and a set of default control settings for the network access device; and

logic configured to store, in the memory, the operational control settings based on data received from a remote device via a network, the logic configured to control the network access device based on the operational control settings and to begin controlling the network access device based on the default control settings in lieu of the operational control settings in response to a determination that the network access device is unable to communicate over the network based on the operational control settings, thereby enabling the network access device to be remotely re-provisioned.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the device comprises a timer configured to determine when a specified time period expires, the logic configured to make the determination, based on the timer, if the specified time period expires without the network access device receiving, from the network, an indication that communication with the network is enabled during the specified time period when the logic is controlling the network access device based on the operational control settings.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the timer is deactivated in response to the indication.

23. A method, comprising the steps of:

provisioning a network access device based on data communicated to the network access device via communication between the network access device and a remote device over a network thereby establishing an operational configuration for the network access device;

attempting to establish communication between the network access device and a remote device over the network according to the operational configuration established in the provisioning step;

automatically implementing a predefined configuration for the network access device if the attempted communication is unsuccessful;

establishing communication between the network access device and a remote device over the network according to the predefined configuration implemented in the implementing step; and

re-provisioning the network access device based on data communicated to the network access device via the communication established in the establishing step.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the implementing step is based on a timer.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

activating a timer; and

determining whether a specified amount of time has elapsed since the activating step,

wherein the implementing step is performed in response to a determination that the specified amount of time since the activating step has elapsed without the timer being deactivated.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the activating step is performed during the provisioning step.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of:

deactivating the timer if the attempted communication according to the operational configuration of the network access device is successful.

28. A method, comprising the steps of:

communicating, via a network access device, with a remote device via a network;

receiving, at the network access device, operational control settings from the remote device;

provisioning the network access device based on the received operational control settings thereby establishing an operational configuration for the network access device;

controlling the network access device according to the operational configuration;

implementing, subsequent to the controlling step, a default configuration for the network access device based on a timer; and

controlling the network access device according to the default configuration implemented in the implementing step.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of:

controlling the network access device during the communicating step according to the default configuration.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of:

activating the timer;

determining whether a specified amount of time has expired since the activating step; and

determining whether the timer has been deactivated since the activating step,

wherein the implementing step is performed based on the determining steps.