System and Method for Controlling and Configuring a Router

• US 20090323555A1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Affinegy, Inc. (National Information Solutions Cooperative Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Affinegy, Inc. (National Information Solutions Cooperative Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lancaster, Arthur, Simpler, Melissa, Greer, Todd
• Application Number:
  US12/492,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20090323555A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/085 Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Methods and systems for configuring a network are provided. A method may include monitoring properties of a connection between a network device and a network. The method may also include detecting a change in the properties of the connection. The method may also include verifying the connection to the network is provided by a service provider when the change in the properties is detected and providing network configuration options based on the change.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a first network device in communication with a computer via a network;

searching a library of network device commands at the computer for commands that are associated with the first network device;

determining at the computer a set of commands that are executable by the first network device; and

sending at least one control command from the computer that is executable by the first network device to configure the first network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one control command is executable by the first network device to configure at least one of a network setting and a security setting.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network device is one of a computer, a server, a router, a printer, a modem, a switch, a gateway, and a portable device coupled to the network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the library includes a first set of commands that are specific to a first type of network device of a first vendor, and wherein the library includes a second set of commands that are specific to a second type of network device of a second vendor.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the library does not include commands that are associated with the first network device, and further comprising:

querying the first network device to determine the at least one control command; and

adding the at least one control command to the library at the computer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the querying includes sending at least one message to the first network device to probe a network management interface;

and further comprising;

detecting a response of the first network device to the at least one message; and

determining the set of commands that are executable by the first network device based on the response.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the adding does not include a recompilation of the library of network device commands.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

sending the at least one control command to a server that maintains the library of network device commands.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of commands that are executable by the first network device are determined by user input at the computer, and further comprising:

recording the user input; and

adding the set of commands to the library of network device commands at the computer.

10. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that is accessible to the processor, wherein the memory includes instructions that are executable by the processor to;

detect a network device that is accessible to the computer via a network;

probe a network management interface of the network device via the network;

determine a set of commands that are executable by the network device to configure the network device; and

store the set of commands in a library of network device commands.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the memory includes instructions that are executable by the processor to automatically probe the network management interface, determine the set of commands that are executable by the network device, and store the set of commands, without requiring user input.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the memory includes instructions that are executable by the processor to send at least one command to the network device to configure the network device based on at least one network policy.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the network policy is at least one of a security policy and a configuration policy.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the set of commands that are stored in the library of network device commands are indexed and retrievable by the processor without first operating on the library with a compiler.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the probing includes sending a request to the network device for information corresponding to the network management interface.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the probing includes performing at least one iteration of:

determining a trial configuration command to send to the network device;

sending the trial configuration command to the network device; and

determining a response of the trial configuration command at the network device.

17. A computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions, wherein the computer readable instructions are executable by a processor to:

record user input at a computer, the user input corresponding to configuration commands that are executable by a network device that is in communication with the computer via a network;

generate a set of the configuration commands; and

store the set of configuration commands to a library of network device commands.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the computer readable instructions are further executable by the processor to:

retrieve at least one configuration command of the set of configuration commands from the library; and

send the at least one configuration command to the network device, wherein the library is not recompiled by a compiler before the at least one configuration command is retrieved.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the computer readable instructions are further executable by the processor to:

receive a network configuration policy;

determine that the network device does not comply with the network configuration policy; and

generate a prompt for the user input, wherein the network policy is at least one of a security policy and a configuration policy.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the network policy is a wireless network security policy.