Apparatus and method for automatic cluster network device address assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A group of network devices, such as Ethernet switches, are logically configured as a single cluster, with one commander device and one or more member devices. Each network device in the cluster contains an embedded HTML server that facilitates configuration and management of the network device via a management station running a Web browser. Each device in the cluster is identified by a unique Universal Resource Locator (“URL”). However, only the cluster commander is required to have a public IP address. The cluster commander automatically assigns private IP addresses to the other devices in the cluster. Network devices in the cluster constantly monitor network traffic on all their ports to detect conflicts between the automatically assigned IP addresses and the IP addresses of network devices outside of the cluster. When a conflict is detected, the cluster commander assigns a different private IP address to the cluster network device that caused the conflict. The process of detecting and correcting IP address conflicts continues continuously to enable the cluster network devices to react automatically to network configuration changes.
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Citations
56 Claims
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1-37. -37. (canceled)
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38. A member network device capable of interconnecting at least two network segments and forwarding data frames from one network segment to another, the member network device comprising:
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conflict detection logic configured to detect a conflict between a private network address automatically assigned to the member network device by a commander network device and a network address being used by a network device other than the member network device;
wherein the private network address automatically assigned to the member network device is a function of a hardware address of the member network device. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A commander network device operatively coupled to a member network device, the commander network device having a public network address and comprising:
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hardware address reading logic configured to read a hardware address of the member network device;
private network address generation logic operatively coupled to said hardware address reading logic and configured to generate a private IP address for the member network device as a function of the hardware address; and
private network address assigning logic operatively coupled to the private network address generation logic and configured to assign the private IP address to the member network device. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method for assigning network addresses to network devices in a cluster, each of the network devices being capable of interconnecting at least two network segments and forwarding data frames from one network segment to another, the method comprising:
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reading the hardware address of a first network device;
generating a private network address as a function of the hardware address;
assigning the private network address to the first network device; and
communicating with the first network device using the private network address in a manner such that the first network device can detect a conflict between the assigned private network address and a network address being used by a network device other than the first network device. - View Dependent Claims (54)
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55. An apparatus for assigning network addresses to network devices in a cluster, each of the network devices being capable of interconnecting at least two network segments and forwarding data frames from one network segment to another, the apparatus comprising:
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means for reading the hardware address of a first network device;
means for generating a private network address as a function of the hardware address;
means for assigning the private network address to the first network device; and
means for communicating with the first network device using the private network address in a manner such that the first network device can detect a conflict between the assigned private network address and a network address being used by a network device other than the first network device. - View Dependent Claims (56)
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Specification