Method and system for remote configuration of network devices

• US 20040199611A1
• Filed: 11/25/2003
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Schmidt-Karaca, Markus, Smilek, Janusz, Fischer, Claudius, Stephan, Thorsten, Bernhard, Sven
• Granted Patent: US 7,831,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for remote configuration of heterogeneous network devices from a centralized location.

Claims

1. A method for remotely configuring at least one network device comprising:

storing at least one configuration parameter relating to a software application at a network node, wherein each of the configuration parameters specifies configuration information as a function of the application;

receiving a synchronization request from a first network device participating in a particular application at the network node;

determining an associated configuration parameter for the first network device as a function of the associated application;

initiating a process to configure the first network device as a function of the associated configuration parameter.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein initiating a process to configure the first network device as a function of the associated configuration parameter includes transmitting device specific configuration files to the first network device as a function of the associated configuration parameter.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device profile relates to at least one of a hardware profile and a software profile.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein initiating a process to configure the first network device further includes

receiving a device registry file from the first network device;

determining device specific files appropriate for the first device as a function of the associated configuration parameter and the device registry associated with the first network device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the configuration parameters associates the application with at least one configuration option.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one configuration option includes at least one of power settings, menu options and application settings.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network devices include at least one of a laptop computer, a PDA (“

Personal Digital Assistant”

) and a desktop computer.

8. A system for remotely configuring at least one network device comprising:

a network node, wherein the network node stores device specific configuration files and configuration parameters, the configuration parameters associating a network application with at least one configuration option;

a configuration module, wherein the configuration module;

receives a configuration request from a particular network device;

determines associated device specific configuration files appropriate for the particular network device;

initiates a deployment of the associated device specific configuration files for the particular network device.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the network application includes the collective behavior of a plurality of network devices and each network device is associated with a device profile including at least one of a hardware profile and a software profile.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein determining associated device specific configuration files further includes

determining a particular network application associated with the particular network device;

determining configuration options for the particular network device participating in the network application using the configuration parameters;

determining the device specific configuration files as a function of the device profile for the particular network device.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein network devices include at least one of a laptop computer, a PDA (“

Personal Digital Assistant”

) and a desktop computer.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one configuration option includes at least one of power settings, menu options and application settings.

13. A program storage device including instructions for remotely configuring at least one network device comprising:

storing at least one configuration parameter for each the at least one network device at a network node, wherein each of the configuration parameters specifies configuration information as a function of a device profile;

receiving a synchronization request from a first network device at the network node;

determining an associated configuration parameter for the first network device;

initiating a process to configure the first network device as a function of the associated configuration parameter.

14. The program storage device according to claim 13, wherein initiating a process to configure the first network device as a function of the associated configuration parameter includes transmitting device specific configuration files to the first network device as a function of the associated configuration parameter.

15. The program storage device according to claim 13, wherein the device profile relates to at least one of a hardware profile and a software profile.

16. The program storage device according to claim 14, wherein initiating a process to configure the first network device further includes

receiving a device registry file from the first network device;

determining device specific files appropriate for the first device as a function of the associated configuration parameter and the device registry associated with the first network device.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein each of the configuration parameters associates a network application with at least one configuration option.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the at least one configuration option includes at least one of power settings, menu options and application settings.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein the network devices include at least one of a laptop computer, a PDA (“

Personal Digital Assistant”

) and a desktop computer.