Multi-Entity Management

• US 20130067048A1
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Narang, Nitin, Narayanan, Mahesh
• Granted Patent: US 9,407,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0889 Techniques to speed-up the configuration process
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5048 Automatic or semi-automatic definitions, e.g. definition templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5061 Pools of addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS

Abstract

In embodiments of multi-entity management, a multi-entity system can include an infrastructure service (DHCP) that services client devices configured for network connectivity on a network. The multi-entity system also includes server devices configured for network configuration settings control and management of the client devices on the network. A multi-entity manager instantiates a configuration dialog for display with user-selectable controls that are selectable to initiate a single-step configuration operation of one or more of the network configuration settings at the server devices.

Claims

1. A multi-entity system, comprising:

server devices configured for control and management of network configuration settings for the client devices on the network; and

a multi-entity manager configured to instantiate a configuration dialog for display with user-selectable controls that are selectable to initiate a single-step configuration operation of one or more of the network configuration settings at the server devices.

2. A multi-entity system as recited in claim 1, wherein the single-step configuration operation comprises an overwrite operation to change a value of a network configuration setting at the server devices.

3. A multi-entity system as recited in claim 1, wherein the single-step configuration operation comprises an append operation to append a value to an array of values of a network configuration setting at the server devices.

4. A multi-entity system as recited in claim 1, wherein the single-step configuration operation comprises a find-and-replace operation to find a value and replace the value of a network configuration setting at the server devices.

5. A multi-entity system as recited in claim 1, wherein the single-step configuration operation comprises a delete operation to delete a value of a network configuration setting at the server devices.

6. A multi-entity system as recited in claim 1, wherein a network configuration setting includes a value of a DHCP server scope that is configured at the server devices.

7. A multi-entity system as recited in claim 1, wherein the configuration dialog is configured for selection of multiple network entities having multiple configured objects, and selection of the single-step configuration operation to one of overwrite, append, delete, or find-and-replace a value of the multiple configured objects.

8. A multi-entity system as recited in claim 1, wherein the configuration dialog is configured for:

selection of the single-step configuration operation to one of overwrite, append, delete, or find-and-replace an option value of a network configuration setting;

selection of a server device scope;

selection of a scope option; and

selection of the option value to configure the network configuration setting at the server devices.

9. A method, comprising:

displaying a configuration dialog user interface with user-selectable controls that are selectable to initiate a single-step configuration operation for one or more network configuration settings at server devices in a network;

receiving a selection of the single-step configuration operation;

receiving a selection of the one or more network configuration settings;

receiving an input of values to configure the one or more network configuration settings; and

applying the selected single-step configuration operation for the selected values to configure the one or more network configuration settings at the server devices.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the single-step configuration operation comprises an overwrite operation to change the selected values of the one or more network configuration settings at the server devices.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the single-step configuration operation comprises an append operation to append a value to a selected array of values of the one or more network configuration settings at the server devices.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the single-step configuration operation comprises a find-and-replace operation to find the selected values and replace the selected values of the one or more network configuration settings at the server devices.

13. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the single-step configuration operation comprises a delete operation to delete the selected values of the one or more network configuration settings at the server devices.

14. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the one or more network configuration settings include the selected values of a DHCP server scope that is configured at the server devices.

15. A multi-entity manager for multi-entity management, the multi-entity manager comprising:

a user-selectable scope control configured for selection of one or more server scopes to be edited;

a configuration dialog user interface comprising;

a user-selectable operation control configured for selection of a single-step configuration operation for one or more network configuration settings at entities of DHCP server devices in a network;

a user-selectable option control configured for selection of one or more scope options of the one or more server scopes; and

a value input field configured for one or more option value inputs of the one or more scope options.

16. A multi-entity manager as recited in claim 15, wherein the single-step configuration operation is applied to the selected one or more server scopes.

17. A multi-entity manager as recited in claim 15, wherein the user-selectable operation control is configured for selection of an overwrite configuration operation to change the one or more selected option values of the one or more selected scope options of the one or more selected server scopes.

18. A multi-entity manager as recited in claim 15, wherein the user-selectable operation control is configured for selection of an append configuration operation to append a value to the one or more selected option values of the one or more selected scope options of the one or more selected server scopes.

19. A multi-entity manager as recited in claim 15, wherein the user-selectable operation control is configured for selection of a find-and-replace configuration operation to find the one or more selected option values and replace the one or more selected option values of the one or more selected scope options of the one or more selected server scopes.

20. A multi-entity manager as recited in claim 15, wherein the user-selectable operation control is configured for selection of a delete configuration operation to delete the one or more selected option values of the one or more selected scope options of the one or more selected server scopes.