Method and arrangement for configuring a device in a data network

• US 20100125650A1
• Filed: 01/22/2010
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Scheering, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 8,769,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0809 Plug-and-play configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Methods for the configuration of a device in a data network are provided. According to one method, a domain name is first stored in the device. The device then transfers an inquiry message comprising the domain name to an addressing server that serves for the conversion between the domain name and the associated internet addresses. In a further step, the addressing server transmits an address information of a parameter server associated with said device to the device as a response to said inquiry message. The device establishes a link to the parameter server on the basis of said address information. The parameter server transmits via this link parameters to the device which serve to configure the device.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a device in a data network, the data network comprising an address server, the device requiring the configuration, and a parameter server, the method comprising:

storing, in the device, a domain name of the device and an address information for the address server;

transmitting a request message from the device to the address server using the stored address information, the request message includes the domain name of the device;

ascertaining, by the address server, a data record that is associated with the domain name in the request message;

receiving, by the device, a response message from the address server, the response message comprising an IP address contained in a data record, the IP address being the IP address of the parameter server;

setting up, by the device, a connection to the parameter server, the device using the IP address of the parameter; and

receiving, by the device, parameters sent from the parameter server, the parameters are used to configure the device.

2. The method as claimed in patent claim 1, wherein the domain name is a fictitious domain name which does not belong to a real network domain.

3. The method as claimed in patent claim 2, wherein the fictitious domain name is stored in the device by the manufacturer and wherein the fictitious domain name is stored in the address server and associated with the parameter server.

4. The method as claimed in patent claim 2, wherein the stored domain name is a fully-qualified domain name.

5. The method as claimed in patent claim 1, wherein the data network is a voice data network in which voice information is sent in data packets on the basis of Internet protocol.

6. The method as claimed in patent claim 5, wherein parameters used to configure the device include a compression protocol parameter specific to voice transmission.

7. The method as claimed in patent claim 1, wherein

the address server is a domain name server,

the data record comprises a text field containing the IP address of the parameter server,

the data record is stored in the domain name server, and

the text field is sent to the device in the response.

8. The method as claimed in patent claim 1, wherein a fictitious domain name comprising the generally known domain name of the device is stored by the manufacturer in the device and wherein the fictitious domain name is also stored in the address server and associated with a particular parameter server.

9. The method as claimed in patent claim 1, wherein

both a fictitious domain name and a real domain name are stored in the device.

the device first transmits in the request message the real domain name to the address server and when the device receives a negative acknowledgement because no data record was associated with the real domain name, the device thereafter sends in the request message the fictitious domain name, thereby increasing the probability that the IP address of a particular parameter server will be sent to the device.

10. A method for configuring a device in a data network, the data network comprising an address server, the device requiring the configuration, and a parameter server, the method comprising:

storing, in the device, a first domain name of the device and an address information for the address server;

transmitting a first request message from the device to the address server using the stored address information, the first request message includes the first domain name of the device;

ascertaining, by the address server, a first data record that is associated with the first domain name in the first request message;

receiving, by the device, a first response message from the address server, the first response message comprising a second domain name contained in the first data record, the second domain name being a domain name of the parameter server;

transmitting a second request message from the device to the address server using the stored address information, the second request message includes the second domain name of the parameter server;

ascertaining, by the address server, a second data record that is associated with the second domain name in the second request message;

receiving, by the device, a second response message from the address server, the second response message comprising a IP address contained in the second data record, the IP address being the IP address of the parameter server;

setting up, by the device, a connection to the parameter server, the device using the IP address of the parameter server extracted from the second response message; and

receiving, by the device, parameters sent from the parameter server, the parameters are used to configure the device.

11. The method as claimed in patent claim 10, wherein the first domain name is a real domain name which belongs to a real network domain.

12. The method as claimed in patent claim 10, wherein the first domain name is a fictitious domain name which does not belong to a real network domain.

13. The method as claimed in patent claim 12, wherein the fictitious domain name is stored in the device by the manufacturer and wherein the fictitious domain name is stored in the address server and associated with the parameter server.

14. The method as claimed in patent claim 10, wherein the stored domain name is a fully-qualified domain name.

15. The method as claimed in patent claim 10, wherein the data network is a voice data network in which voice information is sent in data packets on the basis of Internet protocol.

16. The method as claimed in patent claim 10, wherein

the address server is a domain name server,

the data record comprises a text field containing the IP address of the parameter server,

the data record is stored in the domain name server, and

the text field is sent to the device in the response.

17. The method as claimed in patent claim 10, wherein a fictitious domain name comprising the generally known domain name of the device is stored by the manufacturer in the device and wherein the fictitious domain name is also stored in the address server and associated with a particular parameter server.

18. The method as claimed in patent claim 10, wherein the stored domain name is a fully-qualified domain name.

19. The method as claimed in patent claim claim 10, wherein the data network is a voice data network in which voice information is sent in data packets on the basis of Internet protocol.

20. The method as claimed in patent claim 19, wherein parameters used to configure the device include a compression protocol parameter specific to voice transmission.

21. The method as claimed in patent claim 19, wherein the address server is a domain name server.