Method and system for network switch configuration
First Claim
1. An information handling system for communicating information with a network, the information handling system comprising:
- a rack;
plural chassis supported by the rack;
plural server blades supported by each chassis, each server blade operable to process network information;
plural switches supported by each chassis, each switch interfaced with the server blades associated with the chassis and with the network, each switch having a configuration; and
a configuration agent associated with each switch and operable to request a configuration image from the network and to configure its associated switch with the configuration image.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Network switches of an information handling system are automatically configured by a PXE agent associated with each network switch, such as a PXE agent embedded in firmware of each network switch. The PXE agent automatically requests a configuration image during boot of the network switch and re-configures the network switch with the configuration image. For instance, the PXE agent requests configuration service from a PXE server, which directs a TFTP server to download the configuration image to the network switch. In one embodiment, a blade server has plural server blades supported in plural chassis with each chassis having one or more switches. Each switch has a PXE agent so that the switches of the blade server are automatically configured with the same configuration image. Alternatively, selected configuration factors, such as a static IP address, are individually configured by reference to a unique identification, such as a universal unique identifier.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An information handling system for communicating information with a network, the information handling system comprising:
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a rack;
plural chassis supported by the rack;
plural server blades supported by each chassis, each server blade operable to process network information;
plural switches supported by each chassis, each switch interfaced with the server blades associated with the chassis and with the network, each switch having a configuration; and
a configuration agent associated with each switch and operable to request a configuration image from the network and to configure its associated switch with the configuration image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for configuring network switches associated with an information handling system, the method comprising:
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defining a network switch configuration;
loading the defined configuration onto a configuration server as a configuration image;
booting the switches;
requesting, during the boot of each switch, a copy of the configuration image from the configuration server; and
automatically reconfiguring each switch with the configuration image. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for automatically configuring plural network switches, the network switches associated with an information handling system for handling network information of a network, the system comprising:
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a configuration server interfaced with the network switches through the network;
one or more configuration images associated with the configuration server; and
a PXE agent associated with each network switch of the information handling system, the PXE agent operable to automatically request the configuration image through the network and to reconfigure the associated network switch. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification