Method for remotely updating software for devices in a broadband network

• US 20050034115A1
• Filed: 08/09/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carter, Wade E., Morris, Rickey L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,839,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable

Abstract

A device examines a configuration file having type, length variables that contain a plurality of file names referring to a corresponding plurality of software images to determine a vendor table having only TLV records containing information related to the device'"'"'s vendor. Predetermined matching criteria, including device model/revision number, and/or software revision number, for example, are used to determine which record from the vendor table corresponds to the device. A device-MIB referring to the model/revision number is compared to the vendor table TLV. When a matching record having a TLV value equal to the model/revision MIB is found, the filename contained in the record is sent in a request to a file server which downloads to the requesting device the file corresponding to the filename. The device installs the downloaded filename and reboots, loading the new software.

Claims

1. A method for updating a software load in a communication network device, comprising:

receiving a configuration file;

determining a vendor table from the configuration file based on a vendor identifier, the vendor table including data fields for storing values for predetermined matching criteria and software filenames;

comparing a predetermined matching criteria value from the device to the predetermined matching criteria data field;

determining from the vendor table a record having a value in the predetermined matching criteria data field that matches the predetermined matching criteria value from the device; and

downloading a file having a filename that matches the value in the filename field of the determined record that matches the predetermined matching criteria from the device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data fields of the vendor table are Type Length Variables.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the vendor identifier is part of the network device'"'"'s media access control address.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined matching criteria is the device'"'"'s hardware model number.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined matching criteria is the device'"'"'s hardware revision number.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined matching criteria is the device'"'"'s current software revision number.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined matching criteria value from the device is contained in an MIB object.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the MIB object is embedded in the device'"'"'s non-volatile memory.

9. A system for updating a software load in a communication network device, comprising:

means for storing and transmitting a configuration file to the device, the configuration file including information corresponding to a plurality of devices manufactured by a plurality of manufacturers;

means for storing a vendor identifier in the device, wherein the vendor identifier is used for determining a vendor table from the configuration file based on the vendor identifier, the vendor table including data fields for storing values for predetermined matching criteria and software filenames;

means for comparing a predetermined matching criteria value from the device to the predetermined matching criteria data field;

means for determining from the vendor table a record having a value in the predetermined matching criteria data field that matches the predetermined matching criteria value from the device; and

means for transmitting one of a plurality of software load image files, the transmitted file having a filename that matches the value in the filename field of the determined record that matches the predetermined matching criteria from the device.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the data fields of the vendor table are Type Length Variables.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the vendor identifier is part of the network device'"'"'s media access control address.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the predetermined matching criteria is the devices hardware model number.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the predetermined matching criteria is the devices hardware revision number.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the predetermined matching criteria is the devices current software revision number.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the predetermined matching criteria value from the device is an MIB object.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the MIB object is embedded in the device'"'"'s non-volatile memory.