METHOD & SYSTEM FOR NETWORK ENTITY CONFIGURATION

• US 20090201830A1
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aastra Technologies Limited (Mitel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Angelot, Stephane, Sayson, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,089,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0246 Exchanging or transporting network management information using the Internet; Embedding network management web servers in network elements; Web-services-based protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play

Abstract

A system for configuring a plurality of network entities by a central server, each of the network entities being associated with a unique identifier, and each of the network entities being associated with at least one service provider having configuration settings data therefor.

Claims

1. A method for automatically configuring at least one network entity for participation in a network, said at least one network entity being associated with at least one service provider, said method comprising the steps of:

assigning an identifier to said at least one network entity;

associating said identifier with at least one service provider;

providing a central server having a reference table for mapping said identifiers to at least one of said service providers,

providing a configuration server associated with each of said service providers, said configuration server having configuration settings data for said at least one network entity;

including in a computer-readable medium of said at least one network entity instructions for communicating with said central server or said configuration server;

causing said at least one network entity to automatically request configuration settings data from said central server when coupled to said network, said request including said network entity'"'"'s identifier;

receiving said request at said central server and determining which of said at least one of said service providers is associated with said identifier;

said central server redirecting said request to an appropriate configuration server having said configuration settings data specific to said identifier;

said configuration server providing said configuration settings data to said at least one network entity; and

whereby said at least one network entity is automatically configured without user intervention except to power-on and connect said at least one network entity to said network in order to contact said central server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said identifier includes any of a unique identifier or a class identifier.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said unique identifier is a MAC address.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said class identifier is any of an OUI, device type, user identifier, vendor-specified identifier, or a geographic identifier.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said central server is coupled at least one redundant central server having a reference table for mapping said identifiers to at least one of said service providers.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein said computer-readable medium includes factory-set default configuration data having at least DHCP settings enabled and at least one URI associated with said central server.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said communication between said network entity and said central server and/or said configuration is conducted via suitable protocols including any of FTP, TFTP, HTTP, HTTP(s), or TCP.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein said configuration settings data includes device specific configuration information, and platform specific configuration information, including any of type of device, carrier, service, or enterprise system information, central server(s) URI(s), configuration server(s) URI, port assignments, registration information, dial plan, NTP time settings, soft-keys, XML services and applications, SIP registration information, usernames and passwords, phone book directory, speaker volume settings.

9. A system for configuring a plurality of network entities for implementation in a network, each of said network entities being associated with an identifier, and each of said network entities being associated with at least one service provider, said system having:

a computer-readable medium of each of said network entities having a program for executing instructions to communicatively couple each of said network entities to a central server to request configuration settings data matching said network entity'"'"'s identifier, said central server including a first mapping table comprising a list of said identifiers associated with each of said service providers, said first mapping table being used to redirect said request to a appropriate configuration server associated with each of said service providers, said configuration server including a second mapping table comprising a list of said identifiers and said configuration settings data associated therewith.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said identifier includes any of a unique identifier or a class identifier.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said central server is coupled at least one redundant central server having a reference table for mapping said identifiers to at least one of said service providers.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein said communication between said network entity and said central server and/or said configuration is conducted via suitable protocols including any of FTP, TFTP, HTTP, HTTP(s), or TCP.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein said central server serves as a proxy or intermediary, by communicating with one of said configuration servers to directly request and acquire said configuration settings data associated with said identifier, and then passing said configuration setting data to said network entity having said identifier.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein said network entity is programmed to contact said central server to request configuration information, and said central server being coded to respond to said network entity with said URI to a suitable configuration server for said network entity to contact directly to request said configuration settings data.

15. A network entity for participating in a packet switched network, said network entity having a identifier and being configured automatically via a central server, said network entity being associated with at least one service provider, said network entity having:

a computer-readable medium comprising URI data for said central server and a program for executing instructions to communicatively couple said network entity to said central server via said network, and to request configuration settings data matching said network entity'"'"'s identifier;

said request being redirected to an appropriate configuration server based on said identifier, said configuration server having configuration settings data associated with said identifier and specific to said network entity.

16. The network entity of claim 15 wherein said computer-readable medium comprises includes factory-set default configuration data having at least DHCP settings enabled.

17. The network entity of claim 16 wherein said factory-set default configuration data includes a default URI accessible via a portal on said network entity display means, wherein said portal presents information related to at least one network provider.

18. A machine-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for processing by a central server, said computer program for providing instructions to configure a plurality of network devices associated with a plurality of service providers, each network device having an identifier, said instructions being provided in response to requests for configuration settings data from said network devices, said request including said identifier, said machine-readable medium comprising:

a first sub-program coded to associate said identifier to at least one of said service providers to form a first mapping table for each service provider, said first sub-program coded to analyze said requests from each of said network devices, and to determine whether said first mapping table comprises said identifier;

a second sub-program coded to redirect each of said requests to an appropriate service provider based on said identifier;

said configuration server including a second mapping table comprising a list of said identifiers and said configuration settings data associated therewith.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 18 wherein said identifier includes any of a unique identifier or a class identifier.

20. A redirect server to be implemented within a network having at least one network device, said redirect server for auto-configuring said at least one network device network device, said network devices being associated with different service providers, and at least one of said service providers requiring specific configuration settings data for each of said network devices, each of said network devices having an identifier, said redirect server comprising:

a first machine-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for processing by said redirect server, said computer program coded to provide instructions for configuring said network devices, said instructions being provided in response to requests for configuration settings data from said network devices, each of said requests including said identifier, said machine-readable medium comprising;

a first sub-program coded to associate said identifier with at least one of said service providers to form a first mapping table;

said first sub-program coded to analyze each of said requests from said network devices, and to determine whether said first mapping table comprises said identifier;

a second sub-program coded to redirect each of said requests to an appropriate service provider based on said identifier;

said configuration server including a second mapping table comprising a list of said identifiers and said configuration settings data associated therewith.

21. The redirect server of claim 20 wherein said identifier includes any of a unique identifier or a class identifier.

22. The redirect server of claim 21 wherein said unique identifier is a MAC address.

23. The redirect server of claim 20 wherein said redirect server serves as a proxy or intermediary, by communicating with one of said configuration servers to directly request and acquire said configuration settings data associated with said identifier, and then passing said configuration setting data to said network device having said identifier.

24. The redirect server of claim 20 wherein said network device is programmed to contact said redirect server to request configuration information, and said redirect server being coded to respond to said network device with said URI to a suitable configuration server for said network device to contact directly to request said configuration settings data.

25. The redirect server of claim 20 wherein said redirect server is coupled at least one redundant redirect server comprising a second machine-readable medium, said second machine-readable medium having at least said computer program and corresponding said first-sub program, said second sub-program of said first machine-readable medium.