ZERO TOUCH PROVISIONING

• US 20140122674A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Aruba Networks Incorporated (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Gray, Gordon Paul, Liu, Yan, Burke, Anthony, Munro, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,325,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/681 using addresses for wireless personal area networks or wireless sensor networks, e.g. Zigbee addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a method comprises automatically uploading device information from a first network device in a first operating state to a second network device in response to an event, such as an initial power up. The second network device is part of the cloud, and thus, providing cloud-based services. Subsequent to the uploading of the device information, the first network device receives information controlling the operation of the first network device based on the device information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in response to a first event, automatically uploading device information from a first network device in a first operating state to a second network device providing a cloud-based service;

receiving, by the first network device, information controlling the operation of the first network device based on the device information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is provisioning information subsequently used to obtain configuration setting information that controls operability of the first network device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first event includes performing an initial power up placing the first network device in the first operating state and connecting to a network associated with the second network device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the provisioning information comprises at least two of (1) a Media Access Control (MAC) address for the first network device, (2) a serial number for the first network device, and (3) storage location information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the configuration setting information includes at least two of (i) information associated with a security policy for the first network device, (ii) a Service Set Identifier (SSID), (iii) one or more transmit power levels to be utilized by the first network device, and (iv) one or more wireless channels to be utilized by the first network device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuration setting information is obtained by the first network device (i) using at least a portion of the provisioning information received from the second network device to establish communications with a third network device, (ii) providing information identifying the first network device, and (iii) receiving the configuration setting information based on the information identifying the first network device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second network device is different from the third network device.

8. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

placing the first network device into a second operating state upon receiving the configuration setting information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first network device being assigned to rules utilized by network devices operating in a first operating mode.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

resetting the first network device into the first operating state upon the first network device being re-assigned to rules utilized by network devices operating in a second operating mode; and

in response to a second event subsequent to the first event, automatically uploading, by the first network device, the device information to obtain second provisioning information different than the provisioning information, the second provisioning information being subsequently used to obtain second configuration setting information different from the configuration setting information to place the first network device in the second operating mode being different than the first operating mode.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first network device in the first operating mode operates as a controller-based network device and the first network device in the second operating mode operates as a controller-less network device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first network device in the second operating mode operates as a controller-based network device and the first network device in the first operating mode operates as a controller-less network device.

13. A non-transitory storage medium including software that, when executed by one or more hardware processors implemented within a first network device, performs operations comprising:

in response to a first event, automatically uploading device information to a second network device providing a cloud-based service;

receiving, by the first network device, information controlling the operation of the first network device based on the device information.

14. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 13, wherein the information is provisioning information subsequently used to obtain configuration setting information that controls operability of the first network device.

15. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 13, wherein the first event includes performing an initial power up of the first network device placed in the first operating state and connecting to a network to which the second network device is communicatively coupled.

16. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 14, wherein the provisioning information comprises at least one of (1) a Media Access Control (MAC) address for the first network device, (2) a serial number for the first network device, and (3) storage location information.

17. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 14, wherein the configuration setting information includes one or more of (i) information associated with a security policy for the first network device, (ii) a Service Set Identifier (SSID), (iii) one or more transmit power levels to be utilized by the first network device, and (iv) one or more wireless channels to be utilized by the first network device.

18. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 14, wherein the configuration setting information is obtained by the first network device (i) using at least a portion of the provisioning information received from the second network device to establish communications with a third network device, (ii) providing information identifying the first network device, and (iii) receiving the configuration setting information based on the information identifying the first network device.

19. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 18, wherein the second network device is different from the third network device.

20. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 14, wherein the software that, when executed by the one or more hardware processors implemented within the first network device, further performs an operation comprising:

placing the first network device into a second operating state upon receiving the configuration setting information.

21. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 18, wherein the second network device is different from the third network device.

22. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 14, wherein the first network device being assigned to rules utilized by network devices operating in a first operating mode.

23. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 22 further comprising:

resetting the first network device into the first operating state upon the first network device being re-assigned to rules utilized by network devices operating in a second operating mode; and

in response to a second event subsequent to the first event, automatically uploading, by the first network device, the device information to obtain second provisioning information different than the provisioning information, the second provisioning information being subsequently used to obtain second configuration setting information different from the configuration setting information to place the first network device in the second operating mode being different than the first operating mode.

24. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 23, wherein the first network device in the first operating mode operates as a controller-based network device and the first network device in the second operating mode operates as a controller-less network device.

25. A method for automatically provisioning a network device performed by a server including one or more hardware processors, comprising:

implementing a framework by the server that controls provisioning of a network device using a plurality of folders, each folder of the plurality of folders being associated with a particular set of rules for provisioning the network device;

assigning an object representative of the network device to a first folder of the plurality of folders;

applying a set of rules corresponding to the first folder of the plurality of folders on the network device upon provisioning being requested by the network device.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

generating a screen display that comprises (1) a total number of network devices provisioned;

(2) a plurality of entries, each entry including information associated with a particular network device, the information comprises at least two or more of the following;

a serial number, a Media Access Control (MAC) addresses, a location status of the particular network device, a part name for the particular network device, a device type, a firmware version utilized by the particular network device, a boot block version utilized by the particular network device, a shipping date for the particular network device.