Method and system for remote management of equipment having duplicate network addresses

• US 6,343,064 B1
• Filed: 08/04/1998
• Issued: 01/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Electronic Data Systems Corporation (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jabbarnezhad, Javid
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US09/129,585
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/392, 370/395-402, 370/409, 370/410, 370/475, 370/254, 370/216, 370/217, 370/221, 370/225, 370/227, 370/228, 370/241, 370/242-245, 370/252-253, 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/202, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226
• US Class Current: 370/216
• 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 61/5046 Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A communications system for remotely managing equipment includes a first remote device and a second remote device having the same network address. A communications network includes a first link connecting the first remote device to a management station and a second, disparate link connecting the second remote device to the management station. The management station is operable to individually access the first remote device via the first link and to individually access the second remote device via the second link.

Claims

1. A communications system for remotely managing equipment, comprising:

a first remote device having a network address;

a second remote device having the same network address;

a management station operable to individually access the first remote device via a first link connecting the first remote device to the management station and to individually access the second remote device via a second, disparate link connecting the second remote device to the management station;

a switch including a first input connected to the first link and a second, disparate input connected to the second link; and

the management station operable to access the first link via the first input and to access the second link via the second input.

2. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the network address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

3. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the first and second links each include an embedded channel.

4. The communications system of claim 1, wherein data is transmitted on the embedded channels in accordance with a backward and forward congestion protocol.

5. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the first and second links each include private virtual channels.

6. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the communications network includes a frame relay network.

10. The communications system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first memory for storing data downloaded from the first remote device;

a second memory for storing data downloaded from the second remote device; and

the switch operable to direct data downloaded via the first input to the first memory and to direct data downloaded via the second input to the first memory.

11. The communications system of claim 10, further comprising a local area network connecting the switch to the management station, a first server including the first memory, and a second server including the second memory.

12. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the first and second remote devices are each customer premise equipment (CPE) and the network address accesses command and control functions of the customer premise equipment.

13. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the first and second remote devices are each customer premise equipment (CPE) and the network address accesses performance data for the customer premise equipment.

14. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the first and second remote devices are each customer premise equipment (CPE) having a network address for accessing command and control functions of the customer premise equipment and a disparate network address for accessing performance data for the customer premise equipment.

7. A communications system for remotely managing equipment, comprising:

a first remote device having a network address;

a second remote device having the same network address;

a management station operable to individually access the first remote device via a first link connecting the first remote device to the management station and to individually access the second remote device via a second, disparate link connecting the second remote device to the management station;

the first link including a first input of a switch;

the second link including a second, disparate input of the switch;

the management station operable to access the first remote device based on an address associated with the first input of the switch; and

the management station operable to access the second remote device based on a disparated address associated with the second input of the switch.

8. The communications system of claim 7, wherein the switch is a digital cross connect switch.

9. The communications system of claim 7, wherein the switch is a router operating statically.

15. A method for remotely managing equipment having duplicate network address, comprising:

accessing with a management station a first remote device having a network address and connected to the management station via a first link;

accessing with the management station a second remote device having the same network address and connected to the management station via a second, disparate link;

the first link including a first input of a switch;

the second link including a second, disparate input of the switch;

accessing with the management station the first remote device based on an address associated with the first input of the switch; and

accessing with the management station the second remote device based on a disparate address associated with the second input of the switch.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the network address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second links each include private virtual channels.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the switch is a router operating statically.