Method and apparatus for remotely configuring a network device

• US 6,286,038 B1
• Filed: 08/03/1998
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Luciani, James Vincent, Reichmeyer, Francis X., Squire, Matthew B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FIELDS, KENNETH WAYNE
• Application Number:
  US09/128,243
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/220, 709/221, 709/225, 709/222, 709/223, 709/245
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/084 Configuration by using pre-existing information, e.g. using templates or copying from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system

Abstract

A method of remotely configuring a network device requires the generation of configuration information for the network device at a central configuration server, which is located remotely from the network device on a network. The configuration information includes a device configuration parameter. On receipt of identification information concerning the network device at the central configuration server, the central configuration server propagates the configuration information to the network device.

Claims

1. A method of remotely configuring a network device, the method including:

discovering identification information indicating a location of configuration information by utilizing a neighbor discovery process executed by the network device;

in response to receipt of the identification information from the network device at a location remote from the network device, propagating the configuration information to the network device;

automatically determining the location of the configuration information;

the network device initiating a file transfer procedure via a host configuration protocol to transfer the configuration information to the network device;

the network device utilizing the configuration information to generate a configuration file, wherein the configuration information for the network device is generated at the remote location using a topology database, and identifying a configuration domain to which the network device is assigned, the configuration information including a device configuration parameter, in accordance with the configuration domain, and a subnet identifier for each interface of the network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network device is a router and the device configuration parameter is a global router parameter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the device configuration parameter is a non-interface specific parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating configuration information comprises at least partially generating the configuration information in a manual manner.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating configuration information comprises at least partially generating the configuration information in an automatic manner.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising dynamically assigning a network address to the network device, and including the network address within the configuration information.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising including routing protocol information within the configuration information.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising including an IP address for each interface of the network device within the configuration information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information includes a pre-configured configuration parameter value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information includes a device-level MAC address.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the information discovered includes any one or more of routing protocol, local interface subnet connection or subnet mask information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information includes a plurality of configuration objects.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote location comprises a configuration server.

14. Apparatus for remotely configuring a network device, the apparatus including:

a central management system including a topology database and a central configuration server, which identifies a configuration domain to which the network device is assigned, to generate configuration information for the network device, the configuration server being remote from the network device, the configuration information including a device configuration parameter, in accordance with the configuration domain, and subnet information for each interface of the network device, and the configuration server upon receiving identification information, transfers to the network device the configuration information based on the identifier supplied within the identification information; and

a communications interface to propagate the configuration information from the configuration server to the network device in response to receipt of the identification information concerning the network device at the configuration server, wherein the identification information includes information discovered by a neighbor discovery procedure executed by the network device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the network device is a router and the device configuration parameter is a global router parameter.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the device configuration parameter is a non-interface specific parameter.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the configuration server at least partially generates the configuration information responsive to the identification information in an automatic manner.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the configuration server includes a dynamically assigned network address within the configuration information.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 further including a server for automatically assigning the network address to the network device.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the configuration server automatically includes routing protocol information within the configuration information.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the configuration server automatically includes IP address information for each interface of the network device within the configuration information.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the identification information includes a pre-configured configuration parameter value.

23. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the identification information includes a device-level MAC address.

24. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the information discovered includes any one or more of routing protocol, local interface subnet connection or subnet mask information.

25. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus comprises a switching system product.

26. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprises a transmission system product.

27. A machine-readable medium storing a sequence of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the steps of:

discovering identification information indicating a location of configuration information by utilizing a neighbor discovery process executed by a network device;

in response to receipt of the identification information from the network device at a location remote from the network device, propagating the configuration information to the network device;

automatically determining the location of the configuration information;

the network device initiating a file transfer procedure via a host configuration protocol to transfer the configuration information to the network device;

the network device utilizing the configuration information to generate a configuration file, wherein the configuration information for the network device is generated at the remote location using a topology database, and identifying a configuration domain to which the network device is assigned, the configuration information including a device configuration parameter, in accordance with the configuration domain, and a subnet identifier for each interface of the network device.