Method and system for dynamic device address management

• US 20060047803A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bangar, Reema, Sai, Gollapudi, Pallaprolu, Raviteja, Rao, Muntha K., Satyanarayana, Vummidi, Shaik, Ibrahim S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,065,408 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS

Abstract

Maintaining a current network address between a network device and a network management system (NMS) that enables central configuration control over a number of network devices. Network devices with dynamically changeable network addresses provide address updates to a listener system, which maintains a database of current IP addresses relative to device names. The network devices communicate with the listener system via a listener network address and a first predefined port. The NMS submits a device name to the listener system in a request for a current network address via a second predefined port. The listener system optionally checks a local hosts file and/or DNS server before resolving a current network address from the device name associated with a unique MAC address. The listener system provides the NMS with the current network address when requested by the NMS or immediately if the NMS registers for immediate notification of an address change.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining communication with a device in a network comprising:

associating a first network address with a device name of a device who'"'"'s network address can change dynamically;

replacing the first network address with a second network address such that the second network address is associated with the device name; and

enabling a network management system to access the second network address based on the device name, wherein the network management system is configured to communicate with a plurality of devices via a network to enable a user to set communication parameters of the plurality of devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network management system is accessible from a remote location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the device name is associated with a media access control (MAC) address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to communicate with the NMS via a predefined port and the device comprises one of a firewall, a virtual private network gateway, a router, and a load balancer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein replacing the first network address occurs dynamically without first informing the NMS.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering the NMS to automatically receive notice of the second network address being associated with the device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving the second network address from the device; and

automatically notifying the NMS of the second network address being associated with the device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for the second network address from the NMS;

attempting to determine the second network address with at least one of a hosts file and a domain name system; and

resolving the second network address based on the device name if the second network address can not be determined with the at least one of the hosts file and the domain name system.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the device a message comprising the second network address; and

validating the message for at least one of;

a successful decryption of the message,

a valid device name,

a match between a MAC address in a message header and in a message body; and

no duplicate association of the MAC address with another device.

10. A computer readable medium storing instructions that enable a computer to perform the operations of:

associating a first network address with a device name of a device who'"'"'s network address can change dynamically;

replacing the first network address with a second network address such that the second network address is associated with the device name; and

enabling a network management system to access the second network address based on the device name, wherein the network management system is configured to communicate with a plurality of network devices to enable a user to set communication parameters of the plurality of network devices.

11. A system for maintaining communication with a device in a network comprising:

a processor;

a communication interface in communication with the processor and enabling communication with a plurality of devices via a network; and

a memory storing data and instructions that cause the processor to perform a plurality of operations including;

associating a first network address with a device name of a device who'"'"'s network address can change dynamically;

replacing the first network address with a second network address such that the second network address is associated with the device name; and

enabling a network management system to access the second network address based on the device name, wherein the network management system is configured to communicate with the plurality of devices via the network to enable a user to set communication parameters of the plurality of devices.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the device name is associated with a media access control (MAC) address.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the device is configured to communicate with the NMS via a predefined port and the device comprises one of a firewall, a virtual private network gateway, a router, and a load balancer.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the device name is associated with a media access control (MAC) address.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein replacing the first network address occurs dynamically without first informing the NMS.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform the operation of registering the NMS to automatically receive notice of the second network address being associated with the device.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform the operations of:

receiving a request for the second network address from the NMS;

attempting to determine the second network address with at least one of a hosts file and a domain name system; and

resolving the second network address based on the device name if the second network address can not be determined with the at least one of the hosts file and the domain name system.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform the operations of:

receiving from the device a message comprising the second network address; and

validating the message for at least one of;

a successful decryption of the message,

a valid device name,

a match between a MAC address in a message header and in a message body; and

no duplicate association of the MAC address with another device.

19. A method for maintaining a current network address of a computing device controlled by a network management system (NMS), comprising:

configuring the computing device to communicate with a listener system at a predefined network address associated with the listener system, wherein a device name associated with the computing device remains fixed and a network address associated with the computing device can change dynamically;

determining a change in network address of the computing device from a first network address to a second network address; and

providing the listener system with the second network address via the predefined network address, wherein the second network address is used by the NMS to communicate with the computing device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the computing device communicates with the listener system via a transmission control protocol agent.