Automatic determination of correct IP address for network-connected devices
First Claim
1. A method for determining a correct logical address to assign to a target network device on a network, comprising:
- maintaining a list of assignments of logical addresses for a plurality of networked devices, said list associating said logical addresses with a network physical address and a canonical location;
receiving a request for said correct logical address from the target network device, wherein said request includes a target network device physical address;
searching the list of assignments for a target network device physical address match, and providing the correct logical address to the target network device upon finding said target network device physical address match;
if no said target network device physical address match is found from said searching, the method further comprising;
interrogating at least one managed network switch on the network for a logical address and a port number associated with said target network device physical address and deriving a canonical location from said logical address and port number; and
searching the list of assignments for a canonical location match and providing said correct logical address upon said canonical location match.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic reconfiguration system for industrial networked devices. The system facilitates use of TCP/IP networks, such as Ethernet, as an alternative for industrial fieldbus or device buses by removing the need to perform significant reconfiguration of devices such as I/O modules, sensors, or transducers under field replacement situations. In one embodiment the invention uses a monitor agent to track the IP and MAC addresses of networked devices as well as port information. If a device fails, maintenance personnel make an in-field replacement of the failed device and the monitor agent automatically reassigns the correct IP address to the replacement device.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for determining a correct logical address to assign to a target network device on a network, comprising:
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maintaining a list of assignments of logical addresses for a plurality of networked devices, said list associating said logical addresses with a network physical address and a canonical location;
receiving a request for said correct logical address from the target network device, wherein said request includes a target network device physical address;
searching the list of assignments for a target network device physical address match, and providing the correct logical address to the target network device upon finding said target network device physical address match;
if no said target network device physical address match is found from said searching, the method further comprising;
interrogating at least one managed network switch on the network for a logical address and a port number associated with said target network device physical address and deriving a canonical location from said logical address and port number; and
searching the list of assignments for a canonical location match and providing said correct logical address upon said canonical location match. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for determining a canonical location for a plurality of networked devices, comprising:
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maintaining a list of logical addresses for each of said plurality of networked devices on a monitor agent;
processing a network device physical address for each of said plurality of networked devices;
maintaining a list of said network device physical address for each of said plurality of networked devices on said monitor agent;
receiving a port number on a switching device for each said network device physical address;
maintaining a list of port numbers for each of said plurality of networked devices on said monitor agent; and
processing said canonical location for each of said plurality of networked devices. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification