Automatic configuration system and method

• US 20040088402A1
• Filed: 11/01/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Boerger, Paul, Beeman, Edward S., Devlin, William L., Piepho, Allen J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

One aspect of the invention is an automatic configuration method. The method comprises monitoring a network for data sent by a server in response to a configuring notice, receiving the data, and automatically configuring a processing platform to the network based on the data. Another aspect of the invention is an automatic configuration system. The system comprises a processing platform and application logic operatively associated with the processing platform. The application is operable to monitor a network for data sent by a server in response to a configuring notice, receive the data, and automatically configure the processing platform to the network based on the data.

Claims

1. An automatic configuration method, comprising:

monitoring a network for data sent by a server in response to a configuring notice;

receiving the data; and

automatically configuring a processing platform to the network based on the data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring a network further comprises monitoring an Ethernet network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically configuring comprises at least one of the group consisting of identifying a domain name server for the processing platform and identifying a proxy server number for the processing platform.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving data over the network comprises receiving the data from a router electronically connected to a web site.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically configuring the processing platform comprises automatically configuring an appliance.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the processing platform sending the configuring notice to the server.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the configuring notice at a website.

8. An automatic configuration system, comprising:

a processing platform; and

application logic operatively associated with the processing platform and operable to;

monitor a network for data sent by a server in response to a configuring notice;

receive the data; and

automatically configure the processing platform to the network based on the data.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a computer operable to send the configuring notice to the server over the network.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic automatically configures by performing at least one of the group consisting of identifying a domain name server for the processing platform and identifying a proxy server number for the processing platform.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic is operable to receive data over the network from a router electronically connected to a website.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the application logic automatically configures the processing platform by automatically configuring an appliance.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processing platform is operable to send the configuring notice to the server over the network.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the configuring notice is received at a website.

15. An automatic configuration application, comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

a software application resident on the computer-readable medium and operable to;

monitor a network for data sent by a server in response to a configuring notice;

receive the data; and

automatically configure the processing platform to the network based on the data.

16. The application of claim 15, wherein the network is an Ethernet network.

17. The application of claim 15, wherein the software automatically configures by performing at least one of the group consisting of identifying a domain name server for the processing platform and identifying a proxy server number for the processing platform.

18. The application of claim 15, wherein the software receives data over the network by receiving the data from a router electronically connected to a web site.

19. The application of claim 15, wherein the processing platform comprises an appliance.

20. The application of claim 15, wherein the data comprises Domain Name Server (DNS) information.