System and method for DHCP client-ID generation

• US 20040088463A1
• Filed: 10/23/2003
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Hyder, Mir J., Jain, Sunit, Krishnamurthy, Viswanath
• Application Number:
  US10/693,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20040088463A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/301
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A system and method is provided for a computer network system to allow a device associated with a client-ID to be replaced without requiring the network system to reconfigure the client-ID information. The client-ID configuration information can be associated or tied to a slot or holder for a network device, rather than the network device itself. For example, the client-ID configuration information may be tied to an FRU holder, such as a Compact Peripheral Component Interconnect (CPCI) slot, and not the FRU itself. The client-ID configuration information is managed by a central resource. Accordingly, when the network device is replaced with a new device, the client-ID can be assigned from this central resource. The central resource may be a service processor or an alarm card. The service processor may access a storage device to retrieve the client-ID and transmit it to an FRU. Thus, when the FRU is replaced, this client-ID information is downloaded from the service processor by the new FRU. As a result, the need to reconfigure the client-ID information in the event a network device is replaced can be avoided.

Claims

1. A computer network system, comprising:

a circuit board forming a backplane;

a field replaceable unit (FRU) slot located on said backplane;

a bus;

a central resource coupled with said FRU slot via said bus; and

a non-volatile memory coupled to said central resource;

wherein said central resource generates a client-ID; and

wherein said client-ID is associated with said FRU slot.

2. The computer network system of claim 1, wherein said FRU slot comprises a Compact Peripheral Component Interconnect (CPCI) slot.

3. The computer network system of claim 1, wherein said client-ID is associated with said slot by tying said client-ID with said FRU slot rather than with an FRU to be inserted into said FRU slot.

4. The computer network system of claim 1, wherein said client-ID comprises one of a serial number, part number, and a geographical address of said FRU slot.

5. The computer network system of claim 1, wherein said client-ID comprises a unique identifier and wherein said unique identifier prevents an FRU from clashing with other network devices.

6. The computer network system of claim 1, wherein said client-ID comprises a client-id utilized by an address protocol for assigning dynamic Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.

7. The computer network system of claim 6, wherein said address protocol comprises a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

8. The computer network system of claim 1, further comprises an FRU held by said FRU slot.

9. The computer network system of claim 8, wherein said client-ID is stored in said non-volatile memory.

10. The computer network system of claim 9, wherein said client-ID can be downloaded by said FRU via said bus.

11. The computer network system of claim 10, wherein said FRU uses an Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) protocol to download said client-ID from said non-volatile memory via said bus.

12. The computer network system of claim 10, wherein said FRU uses said client-id for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) booting.

13. The computer network system of claim 9, wherein said central resource retrieves and makes said client-id available to a new FRU and wherein said new FRU downloads said client-ID via said bus when said new FRU is held by said FRU slot.

14. The computer network system of claim 1, further comprising a second FRU slot located on said backplane and wherein said central resource generates a second client-ID.

15. The computer network system of claim 14, wherein said client-ID is uniquely generated by said central resource for said FRU slot and said second client-ID is uniquely generated by said central resource for said second FRU slot.

16. A method for client-ID generation on a computer network system, comprising:

generating a client-ID via a central resource;

associating said client-ID with a field replaceable unit (FRU) slot;

storing said associated client-ID in a non-volatile memory;

providing said stored client-ID to an FRU via an interface; and

utilizing said client-ID by said FRU.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said FRU is inserted into said FRU slot associated with said client-ID.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said utilizing said client-ID by said FRU comprises utilizing said client-ID as a client-ID field for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) booting.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining whether said FRU is to be replaced by a new FRU;

retrieving and making said client-ID available to said new FRU; and

downloading said client-id by said new FRU.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said associating said client-ID with said slot comprises tying said slot with said client-ID rather than with an FRU to be inserted into said slot.