Method and apparatus for re-assigning network addresses to network servers by re-configuring a client host connected thereto
First Claim
1. A method of re-assigning a network address to a network server at a network client coupled to the network server, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) issuing a bootstrap protocol (BOOTP) request by the network client to the network server;
(b) upon receiving the BOOTP request by the network server, sending a BOOTP response by the network server to the network client to request a new network address; and
(c) upon receiving the BOOTP response by the network client, issuing a BOOTP reply by the network client to the network server, the BOOTP reply including a new network address of the network server;
wherein the network server is re-assigned with the new network address without rebooting the network server.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for re-assigning network addresses to a plurality of network servers by re-configuring a client host coupled to the network servers. According to the invention, when there are changes to network connections, the IP addresses (i.e., network addresses) of the individual network servers can be re-assigned automatically at the client host without powering off the network servers. According to the invention, in re-assigning a new network address to a port of the network server, a bootstrap protocol (BOOTP) request is first issued by the client host to the network server. The BOOTP request is received by the network server which then sends a BOOTP response to the client host to request a new network address. After the client host receives the BOOTP response, it sends a BOOTP reply to the network server. The BOOTP reply includes a new network address for the port of the network server. The above procedure is repeated for each port of the network server. Thus, each of the network server is re-assigned with a new network address. In this way, re-assignment of IP addresses of network servers is more efficiently performed. Furthermore, the work efforts are substantially reduced and are centralized.
48 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of re-assigning a network address to a network server at a network client coupled to the network server, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) issuing a bootstrap protocol (BOOTP) request by the network client to the network server; (b) upon receiving the BOOTP request by the network server, sending a BOOTP response by the network server to the network client to request a new network address; and (c) upon receiving the BOOTP response by the network client, issuing a BOOTP reply by the network client to the network server, the BOOTP reply including a new network address of the network server; wherein the network server is re-assigned with the new network address without rebooting the network server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of re-assigning network addresses to a plurality of wide area network (WAN) concentrators coupled to a client host, each WAN concentrator including an input interface, a bootstrap protocol (BOOTP) client process, a BOOTP server process and a manager process, the client host including a WAN booth process and a TCP/IP process, the WAN boot process including a BOOTP client process and a BOOTP sever process, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) issuing a BOOTP request by the BOOTP client process of the WAN boot process in the client host to one of the WAN concentrators; (b) receive the BOOTP request by the BOOTP server process of the WAN concentrator; (c) sending a BOOTP response by the BOOTP client process of the WAN concentrator to the client host; (d) receiving the BOOTP response by the BOOTP server process of the WAN boot process in the client host; (e) issuing a BOOTP reply by the BOOTP client process of the WAN boot process in the client host to the WAN concentrator, the BOOTP reply including a new network address of the WAN concentrator; (f) verifying the new network address by the manager process in the WAN concentrator; (g) resetting, by the manager process in the WAN concentrator, any data link control tasks that are waiting for receiving data; and (h) issuing an I/O control command to an input interface of the WAN concentrator to make the new network address effective for the WAN concentrator; wherein the WAN concentrator is re-assigned with the new network address without rebooting the WAN concentrator; wherein the steps (a) to (h) are performed for each of the plurality of WAN concentrators, so that all of the WAN concentrators are re-assigned with new network addresses without rebooting the WAN concentrators. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for re-assigning a network address to a network server coupled to a network client, the apparatus comprising:
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a first portion disposed in the network client and configured to issue a bootstrap protocol (BOOTP) request to the network server; a second portion disposed in the network server and configured to, upon receiving the BOOTP request from the network client, send a BOOTP response to the network client to request a new network address; and a third portion disposed in the network client and configured to, upon receiving the BOOTP response from the network server, issue a BOOTP reply to the network server, the BOOTP reply including a new network address of the network server; wherein the network sever is re-assigned with the new network address without rebooting the network server. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A computer program product having a computer-readable medium having computer program instructions recorded thereon for re-assigning a network address to a network server at a network client coupled to the network server, the computer program instructions comprising instructions for performing the method steps of:
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(a) issuing a bootstrap protocol (BOOTP) request by the network client to the network server; (b) upon receiving the BOOTP request by the network server, sending a BOOTP response by the network server to the network client to request a new network address; and (c) upon receiving the BOOTP response by the network client, issuing a BOOTP reply by the network client to the network server, the BOOTP reply including a new network address of the network server; wherein the network server is re-assigned with the new network address without rebooting the network server. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification