CONFIGURING DEVICES IN A NETWORK
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- providing a configuration file having a filename specified by convention to be associated with one or more devices in a network, wherein the configuration file comprises application-specific configuration parameters for configuring one of the one or more devices;
performing a first network query over the network from the one device to obtain one or more network communication parameters;
in response to the first network query, receiving the one or more network communication parameters and configuring the one device to communicate over the network based on the one or more network communication parameters;
performing a second network query over the network from the one device to retrieve the configuration file based on the filename; and
in response to the second network query, receiving the configuration file and configuring the one device to operate according to the application-specific configuration parameters contained in the configuration file.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system, method, and computer readable medium are provided for configuring devices in a network, such as an Industrial Ethernet network. An application program includes application-specific configuration data intended to configure one or more devices in the network. The configuration data may be exported from the application and saved in one or more files. When each device boots up, it performs a network query to obtain its configuration data from a corresponding one of the files. Each device may perform a standardized network query, such as a DHCP query, to obtain preliminary network configuration data. Thereafter, the device may use another standard networking protocol, such as FTP or TFTP, to query its application-specific configuration data from a configuration file. Thereafter, the device and the application program may communicate according to the configuration parameters.
21 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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providing a configuration file having a filename specified by convention to be associated with one or more devices in a network, wherein the configuration file comprises application-specific configuration parameters for configuring one of the one or more devices; performing a first network query over the network from the one device to obtain one or more network communication parameters; in response to the first network query, receiving the one or more network communication parameters and configuring the one device to communicate over the network based on the one or more network communication parameters; performing a second network query over the network from the one device to retrieve the configuration file based on the filename; and in response to the second network query, receiving the configuration file and configuring the one device to operate according to the application-specific configuration parameters contained in the configuration file. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Apparatus comprising:
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a processor; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to; store a configuration file having a filename specified by convention to be associated with one or more devices in a network, wherein the configuration file comprises application-specific configuration parameters for configuring one of the one or more devices in the network; in response to receiving a first network query over the network from the one device, provide one or more network communication parameters to configure the one device to communicate over the network based on the one or more network communication parameters; in response to receiving a second network query over the network from the one device, retrieve the configuration file based on the filename and provide the retrieved configuration file to the one device, wherein the one device configures itself to operate according to the application-specific configuration parameters in the configuration file. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause an apparatus containing the processor to:
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store a configuration file having a filename specified by convention to be associated with one or more devices in a network, wherein the configuration file comprises application-specific configuration parameters for configuring one of the one or more devices in the network; in response to receiving a first network query over the network from the one device, provide one or more network communication parameters to configure the one device to communicate over the network based on the one or more network communication parameters; in response to receiving a second network query over the network from the one device, retrieve the configuration file based on the filename and provide the retrieved configuration file to the one device, wherein the one device configures itself to operate according to the application-specific configuration parameters in the configuration file.
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Specification