Server manager

• US 6,564,216 B2
• Filed: 10/29/1998
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Infoblox Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Waters, Glenn
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly, Anh
• Application Number:
  US09/182,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20020052876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/10, 707/103, 707/104, 707/104.1, 709/222, 709/238-245, 379/114, 705/27
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing IP addressing in a network and effectively synchronizing communication between a central database and one or more servers (such as DNS and DHCP).

Claims

1. A server manager configured to receive a plurality of requests for network protocol address information from one or more network protocol address management servers to prioritized said plurality of requests, and to access the requested network protocol address information from a database based on said priority, and configured to automatically and periodically poll the database for updates to said network protocol address information, and to transmit said updates to at least one of said network protocol address management servers.

2. The server manager as recited by claim 1 further configured to synchronize all communication to and from the one or more network protocol address management servers and act as a single pipeline to the database.

3. The server manager as recited by claim 1 further configured to receive updated information from the one or more network protocol management servers and communicate the updated information to the database.

4. The server manager as recited by claim 1 further configured to processes multiple requests at one time and queue up any further requests based on priority.

5. A server manager configured to periodically poll for updates of network protocol address information from a database, and to communicate said updates to one or more network protocol address servers requiring said updates, and in between consecutive polling for updates, to transmit network protocol address information to a requesting network protocol address server.

6. The server manager as recited by claim 5 wherein the server manager enables dynamic updates and dynamic reconfiguration of the one or more network protocol management servers.

7. The server manager as recited by claim 5 wherein the server manager enables incremental synchronization of the one or more network protocol address management servers through updates of changes in network protocol address information.

8. A method of communicating information between a database and one or more network protocol address management servers through a server manager comprising:

receiving at the server manager a plurality of requests for network protocol address information stored in the database and updates thereof from the one or more network protocol address management servers;

prioritizing said plurality of requests for the network protocol address information;

communicating by the server manager the requests for the network protocol address information stored in the database and the updates thereof from the one or more network protocol address management servers to the database based on said priority;

automatically and periodically polling said database for updates to said network protocol address information;

receiving at the server manager the requested information and the updates from the database; and

transmitting by the server manager the requested information to the requesting one or more network protocol address management servers and transmitting the updates to one or more network protocol address management servers is affected by said updates.

9. A widely-distributed IP network comprising

a database accessible by one or more DNS and DHCP servers;

and

a server manager;

to receive requests for network protocol address information stored in said database from said one or more DNS and DHCP servers;

prioritize said requests for said network protocol address information;

access the requested network protocol address information from said database based on said priority; and

automatically and periodically poll said database for updates to said database.

10. The widely-distributed IP network as recited by claim 9 wherein the server manager monitors and controls the database and the one or more DNS and DHCP servers.

11. The widely-distributed IP network as recited by claim 9 wherein the server manager controls the database and the DNS and DHCP servers in dynamic configuration of the IP addresses.

12. A server manager:

to receive requests for network protocol address information stored in said database from the one or more DNS and DHCP servers;

prioritize said requests for said network protocol address information;

access the requested network protocol address information from said database based on said priority; and

automatically and periodically poll said database for updates to said database.

13. The server manager as recited by claim 12 further configured to monitor and control the one or more DNS and DHCP servers.

14. The server manager as recited by claim 12 further configured to manage IP services in dynamic configuration of IP addresses.