Providing address resolution information for self registration of clients on power-up or dial-in

• US 5,894,479 A
• Filed: 12/10/1996
• Issued: 04/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Mohammed, Mannan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): VANDERPUYE, KENNETH N
• Application Number:
  US08/763,613
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 348/12, 348/13, 348/7, 348/6, 348/10, 395/200.5, 395/200.57, 395/200.58, 395/200.33, 395/200.51, 395/200.52, 370/420, 370/390, 370/404, 370/402, 370/401, 370/453
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming

Abstract

In a system having a server and a client, the client having an upstream device capable of sending and receiving data from the server and a downstream device capable of receiving data from the server, and the server containing a set of network addresses and a set of hardware addresses, a method for forcing the server to send all downstream data to the client using the downstream device including the steps of: (1) establishing a connection between the server and the client using the upstream device; (2) constructing a start-up packet in the client; (3) transferring the start-up packet from the client to the server using a special port; and, (4) adding an entry for said client into the data structure in response to the start-up packet.

Claims

1. In a network having a server and a client, said client having an upstream device which sends and receives data from said server and a downstream device which receives data from said server, and said server containing a set of network addresses and a set of hardware addresses, a method for forcing said server to send all downstream data to said client using said downstream device comprising the steps of:

establishing a connection between said server and said client using said upstream device;

constructing a start-up packet in said client;

transferring said start-up packet from said client to said server using said upstream device and a predetermined port; and

,

adding a set of addresses into said server memory in response to said start-up packet to configure said server to transfer all data for said client using said downstream device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said start-up packet contains a data field, and said start-up packet constructing step comprises the steps of:

determining a network address of said upstream device of said client;

determining a hardware address of said downstream device of said client; and

,

placing said network address and said hardware address into said data field along with an ADD command.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said adding step comprises the steps of:

extracting a network address of said upstream device of said client;

extracting a hardware address of said downstream device of said client; and

,

executing a command to insert said network address and said hardware address into said server memory.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said command is an application programming interface command.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

constructing a shut-down packet in said client;

transferring said shut-down packet from said client to said server using said predetermined port; and

,

deleting said set of addresses from said data structure in response to said shut-down packet.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said shut-down packet contains a data field, and said shut-down packet constructing step comprises the steps of:

determining a network address of said upstream device of said client;

placing said network address into said data field along with a DELETE command.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said deleting step comprises the steps of:

extracting a network address of said upstream device of said client;

executing a command to delete said set of addresses from said server memory.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said command is an application programming interface command.

9. A system comprising:

a server including;

a server processor; and

,

server memory coupled to said server processor for storing a set of network addresses and a set of hardware addresses; and

,

a client including;

a client processor;

an upstream device coupled to said client processor, said upstream device for sending and receiving data from said server;

a downstream device coupled to said client processor, said downstream device for receiving data from said server; and

,

client memory coupled to said client processor;

wherein said client memory is configured to enable said client processor to;

establish a connection between said server and said client using said upstream device;

construct a start-up packet in said client; and

,

transfer said start-up packet from said client to said server using said upstream device and a predetermined port;

wherein said server memory is configured to allow said server processor to add a set of addresses into said server memory in response to said start-up packet to configure said server to transfer all data for said client using said downstream device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said start-up packet contains a data field, and said client memory is further configured to enable said client processor to:

determine a network address of said upstream device of said client;

determine a hardware address of said downstream device of said client; and

,

place said network address and said hardware address into said data field along with an ADD command.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said server memory is further configured to allow said server processor to:

extract a network address of said upstream device of said client;

extract a hardware address of said downstream device of said client; and

,

executing a command to insert said network address and said hardware address into said server memory.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said command is an application programming interface command.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein:

said client memory is further configured to allow said client processor to;

construct a shut-down packet in said client; and

,

transfer said shut-down packet from said client to said server using said special port; and

,

said server memory is configured to allow said server processor to;

delete said set of addresses from said server memory in response to said shut-down packet.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said shut-down packet contains a data field, said client memory is further configured to allow said client processor to:

determine a network address of said upstream device of said client;

place said network address into said data field along with a DELETE command.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said server memory is further configured to allow said server processor to:

extract a network address of said upstream device of said client;

execute a command to delete said set of addresses from said server memory.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said command is an application programming interface command.