Identifier assignment system, method, and program

• US 20050078681A1
• Filed: 03/19/2004
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kubota, Junichi, Sanuki, Yoshifumi, Takiyama, Shushi
• Application Number:
  US10/804,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20050078681A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.500
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming

Abstract

An IP address distribution system for distributing an IP address to a client device connected to an IP network based on distribution request information received from the client device, comprises: a lease condition storage unit that stores lease conditions corresponding to the client device indicating conditions relating to approval/prohibition of IP address distribution; an initial control unit that, when the distribution request information is received from the client device, approves the IP address distribution to the client device and stores initial lease conditions corresponding to the client device into lease condition storage unit, if the lease conditions corresponding to the client device are not stored in the lease condition storage unit; a condition modification unit that modifies the lease conditions corresponding to the client device stored in the lease condition storage unit; and an IP address distribution approval/prohibition control unit that controls approval/prohibition of IP address distribution to the client device as a transmission source of the distribution request information, based on the lease conditions corresponding to the client device stored in the lease condition storage unit.

Claims

1. An identifier assignment apparatus for assigning an identifier to a communication device which uses a unique identifier to perform communication, comprising:

a managing unit that manages the communication device; and

a control unit that receives a request from the communication device, and assigns an identifier to the communication device in response to the request if the request is within a predetermined duration of time from the assignment of the identifier to the communication device.

2. An identifier assignment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit always assigns the identifier in response to requests from an approved communication device.

9. An identifier assignment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the identifier is IP address.

3. An identifier assignment apparatus for assigning an identifier to a communication device which uses a unique identifier to perform communication, comprising:

a lease condition storage unit that stores lease conditions corresponding to the communication device indicating conditions relating to approval/prohibition of identifier distribution;

an initial control unit that, when the distribution request information is received from the communication device, approves the identifier distribution to the communication device and stores initial lease conditions corresponding to the communication device into lease condition storage unit, if the lease conditions corresponding to the communication device are not stored in the lease condition storage unit;

a condition modification unit that modifies the lease conditions corresponding to communication device stored in the lease condition storage unit; and

an identifier distribution approval/prohibition control unit that controls approval/prohibition of identifier distribution to the communication device as a transmission source of the distribution request information, based on the lease conditions corresponding to the communication device stored in the lease condition storage unit.

4. An identifier assignment apparatus according to claim 3, in which

the initial lease conditions include a term condition during which the identifier can be distributed, and

the condition modification unit includes:

a unit that determines whether or not the term condition in the initial lease conditions stored in the lease condition storage unit corresponding to the communication device is satisfied when the distribution request information is received from the communication device; and

a lease prohibition setting unit that modifies the initial lease conditions to lease conditions for prohibiting the identifier distribution when it is determined that the term condition is not satisfied.

5. An identifier assignment apparatus according to claim 3, in which the condition modification unit includes unit that modifies the initial lease conditions corresponding to the communication device to a set of normal lease conditions in which identifier distribution is determined in advance based on information relating to execution of specific processing from the communication device.

6. An identifier assignment apparatus according to claim 3, in which

the lease conditions include the term condition during which the identifier can be distributed, and

the condition modification unit includes a unit that extends for a predetermined duration of time the term condition stored in the lease condition storage unit corresponding to the communication device when the distribution request information is received from the communication device.

7. An identifier assignment apparatus according to claim 3, in which

the lease conditions include the term condition during which the identifier can be distributed, and

the condition modification unit includes:

a unit that determines whether or not the term condition in the lease conditions stored in the lease condition storage unit is satisfied; and

a unit that deletes from the lease condition storage unit those lease conditions for which it is determined that the term condition is not satisfied.

8. An identifier assignment apparatus according to claim 3, in which the condition modification unit includes unit that modifies the lease conditions corresponding to the communication device stored in the lease condition storage unit based on the information relating to the execution of the specific processing from a management device.

10. An identifier assignment method for assigning an identifier to a communication device which uses a unique identifier to perform communication, comprising:

a managing step of managing the communication device; and

a control step of receiving a request from the communication device, and assigning an identifier to the communication device in response to the request if the request is within a predetermined duration of time from the assignment of the identifier to the communication device.

11. An identifier assignment method according to claim 10, wherein the control step always assigns the identifier in response to requests from an approved communication device.

12. An identifier assignment method for assigning an identifier to a communication device which uses a unique identifier to perform communication, comprising:

a lease condition storage step of storing lease conditions corresponding to the communication device indicating conditions relating to approval/prohibition of identifier distribution;

an initial control step of, when the distribution request information is received from the communication device, approving the identifier distribution to the communication device and storing initial lease conditions corresponding to the communication device by lease condition storage step, if the lease conditions corresponding to the communication device are not stored by the lease condition storage step;

a condition modification step of modifying the lease conditions corresponding to communication device stored by the lease condition storage step; and

an identifier distribution approval/prohibition control step of controlling approval/prohibition of identifier distribution to the communication device as a transmission source of the distribution request information, based on the lease conditions corresponding to the communication device stored by the lease condition storage step.

13. An identifier assignment method according to claim 12, in which

the initial lease conditions include a term condition during which the identifier can be distributed, and

the condition modification step includes:

a step of determining whether or not the term condition in the initial lease conditions stored by the lease condition storage step corresponding to the communication device is satisfied when the distribution request information is received from the communication device; and

a lease prohibition setting step of modifying the initial lease conditions to lease conditions for prohibiting the identifier distribution when it is determined that the term condition is not satisfied.

14. An identifier assignment method according to claim 12, in which the condition modification step includes a step of modifying the initial lease conditions corresponding to the communication device to a set of normal lease conditions in which identifier distribution is determined in advance based on information relating to execution of specific processing from the communication device.

15. An identifier assignment method according to claim 12, in which

the lease conditions include the term condition during which the identifier can be distributed, and

the condition modification step includes a step of extending for a predetermined duration of time the term condition stored by the lease condition storage step corresponding to the communication device when the distribution request information is received from the communication device.

16. A storage medium storing a program for assigning an identifier to a communication device which uses a unique identifier to perform communication, the program comprising:

a managing step of managing the communication device; and

a control step of receiving a request from the communication device, and assigning an identifier to the communication device in response to the request if the request is within a predetermined duration of time from the assignment of the identifier to the communication device.

17. A storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the control step always assigns the identifier in response to requests from an approved communication device.

18. A storage medium storing a program for assigning an identifier to a communication device which uses a unique identifier to perform communication, the program comprising:

a lease condition storage step of storing lease conditions corresponding to the communication device indicating conditions relating to approval/prohibition of identifier distribution;

an initial control step of, when the distribution request information is received from the communication device, approving the identifier distribution to the communication device and storing initial lease conditions corresponding to the communication device by lease condition storage step, if the lease conditions corresponding to the communication device are not stored by the lease condition storage step;

a condition modification step of modifying the lease conditions corresponding to communication device stored by the lease condition storage step; and

an identifier distribution approval/prohibition control step of controlling approval/prohibition of identifier distribution to the communication device as a transmission source of the distribution request information, based on the lease conditions corresponding to the communication device stored by the lease condition storage step.

19. A storage medium according to claim 18, in which

the initial lease conditions include a term condition during which the identifier can be distributed, and

the condition modification step includes:

a step of determining whether or not the term condition in the initial lease conditions stored by the lease condition storage step corresponding to the communication device is satisfied when the distribution request information is received from the communication device; and

a lease prohibition setting step of modifying the initial lease conditions to lease conditions for prohibiting the identifier distribution when it is determined that the term condition is not satisfied.

20. A storage medium according to claim 18, in which the condition modification step includes a step of modifying the initial lease conditions corresponding to the communication device to a set of normal lease conditions in which identifier distribution is determined in advance based on information relating to execution of specific processing from the communication device.

21. A storage medium according to claim 18, in which

the lease conditions include the term condition during which the identifier can be distributed, and

the condition modification step includes a step of extending for a predetermined duration of time the term condition stored by the lease condition storage step corresponding to the communication device when the distribution request information is received from the communication device.