Address Provisioning

• US 20080177868A1
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Spector, Pesah, Zilbershtein, Itai Ephraim, Gluskin, Dan
• Application Number:
  US11/625,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20080177868A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5053 Lease time; Renewal aspects

Abstract

A method of self-configuring a network device. The method includes transmitting a first request for a network address in a configuration protocol packet, receiving a first response including a first network address assigned to the network device and additional information, responsive to the first request, transmitting a second request for a specific network address using at least some of the additional information from the first response and receiving a second response including the specific second network address, responsive to the second request.

Claims

1. A method of self-configuring a network device, comprising:

transmitting a first request for a network address in a configuration protocol packet;

receiving a first response including a first network address assigned to the network device and additional information, responsive to the first request;

transmitting a second request for a specific network address using at least some of the additional information from the first response; and

receiving a second response including the specific second network address, responsive to the second request.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the network device does not use the first network address for transmission of packets beyond configuration protocol packets.

3. A method according to claim 1, comprising transmitting data packets using the second network address in a source address field of the data packets.

4. A method according to claim 1, comprising transmitting a configuration protocol packet releasing the first network address before transmitting the second request.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second request is transmitted within less than 10 minutes from receiving the first response.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the second request is transmitted within less than 30 seconds from receiving the first response.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the additional information comprises receiving a client ID uniquely associated with the specific network address.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the additional information comprises receiving a list of a plurality of client IDs from which a single client ID is selected to identify the network device.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the list of the plurality of client IDs comprises for each client ID a respective device description and wherein transmitting the second request comprises transmitting with a client ID whose respective device description best matches the network device.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the respective device description for each client ID comprises a location description.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting the first request comprises transmitting a DHCP request.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein transmitting the DHCP request comprises transmitting with a vendor ID invoking transmission of the additional information by a DHCP server.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting a second request for a specific network address comprises transmitting a request for a static address.

14. A network device, comprising:

a network interface adapted to transmit and receive packets according to a configuration protocol; and

a processor adapted to transmit a request for a network address in a configuration protocol packet, to extract from a response to the request a client ID and to transmit a second request for a specific network address corresponding to the client ID.

15. A device according to claim 14, wherein the processor is adapted to extract the client ID from an optional vendor field of the response.

16. A device according to claim 14, wherein the configuration protocol comprises DHCP.

17. A configuration server, comprising:

a network interface adapted to transmit and receive packets according to a configuration protocol;

a memory storing a table which correlates between client IDs and specific IP addresses; and

a processor adapted to receive requests for a network address in a configuration protocol packet and to transmit responsive to some of the received requests a response including a client ID from the table.

18. A server according to claim 17, wherein the processor is adapted to select the client ID to be transmitted responsive to a vendor ID received in a request from a client.

19. A server according to claim 17, wherein the processor is adapted to place the client ID in the response in a field not meant for the client ID in the configuration protocol.