Method for automatically configuring devices including a network adapter without manual intervention and without prior configuration information
First Claim
1. In a computer characterized by resources and devices connected to at least one of a plurality of system busses, said devices including at least one network adapter, each network adapter comprising a plurality of layers associated with interfaces, a method for automatically configuring said devices of said computer without manual intervention and without prior configuration information, comprising the steps of:
- (a) collecting device information for each of said devices connected to a selected one of said system busses, said device information uniquely identifying a corresponding one of said devices, said device information further describing characteristics of said corresponding device;
(b) allocating said resources for each of said devices in response to said device information to prevent a conflicting use of said resources by said devices, wherein said resources comprise memory addresses, direct memory access channels, interrupts, and input/output ports;
(c) loading a device driver for each of said devices in response to said allocation of said resources, each device driver operative to enable said devices to communicate with said computer;
(d) repeating steps (a)-(c) for each remaining one of said system busses;
and in response to loading said device driver for each network adapter,(e) identifying each layer associated with a particular one of said interfaces for a corresponding network adapter, wherein said layers comprise protocols, redirectors, and servers;
(f) loading each identified layer; and
(g) repeating steps (e)-(f) for each remaining one of said interfaces for said corresponding network adapter.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for configuring a network adapter of a computer without user intervention. Device information for the devices of the computer, including each network adapter, is collected to uniquely identify the devices and to describe the device characteristics associated with the operation of those devices with the computer. Computer resources, which support the functions of the devices within the computer, are allocated based upon this device information. This allocation process prevents a potential conflicting use of computer resources by the installed devices. A device driver, which enables communications between a corresponding device and the computer, is also identified and loaded for each of the devices in response to the allocation of computer resources. In response to loading the driver for each network adapter, each network configuration routine or layer for a particular interface of the corresponding network adapter is identified. In response to the identification of these layers, each identified layer for the particular interface is loaded. In turn, layers are identified and loaded for each of the remaining interfaces of the corresponding network adapter.
477 Citations
5 Claims
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1. In a computer characterized by resources and devices connected to at least one of a plurality of system busses, said devices including at least one network adapter, each network adapter comprising a plurality of layers associated with interfaces, a method for automatically configuring said devices of said computer without manual intervention and without prior configuration information, comprising the steps of:
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(a) collecting device information for each of said devices connected to a selected one of said system busses, said device information uniquely identifying a corresponding one of said devices, said device information further describing characteristics of said corresponding device; (b) allocating said resources for each of said devices in response to said device information to prevent a conflicting use of said resources by said devices, wherein said resources comprise memory addresses, direct memory access channels, interrupts, and input/output ports; (c) loading a device driver for each of said devices in response to said allocation of said resources, each device driver operative to enable said devices to communicate with said computer; (d) repeating steps (a)-(c) for each remaining one of said system busses; and in response to loading said device driver for each network adapter, (e) identifying each layer associated with a particular one of said interfaces for a corresponding network adapter, wherein said layers comprise protocols, redirectors, and servers; (f) loading each identified layer; and (g) repeating steps (e)-(f) for each remaining one of said interfaces for said corresponding network adapter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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Specification