System and method of network independent remote configuration of internet server appliance
First Claim
1. A device coupleable to a communications network supporting self-adaptive initial configuration to the parameters of said communications network to enable remote configuration control of said device exclusively via said communications network, said device comprising:
- a) a host computer system including a network interface for coupling to the communications network;
b) an operating system, executable by said host computer system, that is configurable by a defined set of network values for transmitting and receiving messages through said network interface controller without network configuration conflicts and that supports broadcast transmissions of messages through said network interface controller; and
c) a control program, executable by said host computer system in conjunction with said operating system, that responds to receipt over the communications network of a first broadcast message by determining therefrom, specifically with respect to said communications network, and applying an initial set of network values to configure said operating system for the communications network, and by using the initial set of network values to transmit a second message over the communications network conveying an identifier of the device, said control program being subsequently responsive to receipt over the communications network of a third broadcast message directed to the device by means of the identifier and containing network configuration parameters for said device by using said network configuration parameters to determine and apply network values of the defined set of network values to configure said operating system for the communications network.
13 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A server appliance self-adaptively configures to the operating parameters of a communications network to enable remote configuration control exclusively via the communications network. The server appliance includes a host computer system including a network interface controller and an operating system, executable by the host computer system, that is configurable by a defined set of network values for transmitting and receiving data packets through the network interface controller without network configuration conflicts. A control program, executable by the host computer system in conjunction with the operating system, determines, on initial start-up and specifically with respect to the communications network, an initial set of network values to configure the operating system. The control program is subsequently responsive to a first broadcast data packet containing network configuration parameters that are used to determine and apply a second set of network values to configure the operating system, which are then applied as the operating configuration of the operating system with respect to the network.
82 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A device coupleable to a communications network supporting self-adaptive initial configuration to the parameters of said communications network to enable remote configuration control of said device exclusively via said communications network, said device comprising:
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a) a host computer system including a network interface for coupling to the communications network;
b) an operating system, executable by said host computer system, that is configurable by a defined set of network values for transmitting and receiving messages through said network interface controller without network configuration conflicts and that supports broadcast transmissions of messages through said network interface controller; and
c) a control program, executable by said host computer system in conjunction with said operating system, that responds to receipt over the communications network of a first broadcast message by determining therefrom, specifically with respect to said communications network, and applying an initial set of network values to configure said operating system for the communications network, and by using the initial set of network values to transmit a second message over the communications network conveying an identifier of the device, said control program being subsequently responsive to receipt over the communications network of a third broadcast message directed to the device by means of the identifier and containing network configuration parameters for said device by using said network configuration parameters to determine and apply network values of the defined set of network values to configure said operating system for the communications network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10)
the first broadcast message is an unrestricted broadcast message;
the second message is a broadcast message carrying a unique said identifier of the device; and
the third broadcast message is a restricted broadcast message that is restricted to the device by the unique identifier.
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4. The device of claim 3 wherein:
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the identifier comprises a media access control (MAC) address of a network interface card (NIC) of the network interface.
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5. The device of claim 1 wherein:
the device is a server appliance.
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6. The device of claim 1 wherein:
the device comprises a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server for the communications network.
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8. The device of claim 3 wherein:
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the first broadcast network message is an unrestricted broadcast message; and
the third broadcast network message is a restricted broadcast message that is restricted to the device by the unique identifier of the device.
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9. The device of claim 8 wherein:
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the unique identifier comprises a media access control (MAC) address of a network interface card (NIC) of the network interface.
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10. The device of claim 3 wherein:
the device is a server appliance.
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7. A device coupleable to a communications network and capable of adapting to the operating network environment of said communications network subject to network protocol configuration requirements communicated through said communications network, said device comprising:
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a) a host computer system including a network interface coupleable to said communications network;
b) an operating system, executable by said host computer system, that is configurable by a defined set of network values for transmitting and receiving messages through said network interface without network configuration conflicts, the operating system including a network protocol stack supporting the sending and receiving of network messages, including broadcast network messages; and
c) a control program, responsive to a first broadcast network message received by said host computer system from said communications network by determining from the first message information sufficient to enable the device to transmit a message on the network and by causing the host computer system to transmit on the network a second broadcast network message that includes a predetermined unique identifier of said device, the control program further responsive to a third broadcast network message received by said host computer system from said communications network and directed to the device by the identifier and containing network configuration parameters, by using the contained network parameters to configure the device for communicating on the network. - View Dependent Claims (11)
the device comprises a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server for the communications network.
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12. A method of communicating between computers is over a network independent of conflicts and omissions in the network protocol configuration of said computers systems with respect to said network, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) providing for establishment of a unique identifier for a first one of the computers by determining identifiers of others of the computers to enable transmitting and receiving of messages through said network without network configuration conflicts;
b) the a first computer receiving on the network a first network message broadcast onto said network by a second computer;
c) the first computer using information conveyed by the first message to enable the first computer to transmit a message on the network;
d) the first computer broadcasting a second network is message onto said network, wherein said second network message includes a unique identifier of the first computer within a predefined data portion of said second network message;
e) the first computer receiving on the network a third network message broadcast by the second computer and determining whether said predefined data portion of said third network message includes said unique identifier, wherein the presence of said unique identifier signifies that said third network message is intended for said first computer; and
f) in response to said determining, the first computer using information conveyed by the third network message to configure the first computer for communicating on the network. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
a) the second computer encrypting said third network message with the unique identifier prior to the broadcasting of said third network message; and
b) the first computer decrypting said second network message after receiving the broadcast of said third network message.
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14. The method of claim 12 wherein said third network message includes network configuration parameters determined by a network configuration controller, the method further comprising
the first computer sending to the second computer a fourth network message which includes network configuration information reflective of said network configuration parameters as adapted by said first computer. -
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of using comprises:
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a) determining, from said network configuration parameters, a derived network protocol configuration compatible with said network; and
b) applying said derived network protocol configuration to said first computer to permit communications between said computers subject to the applied network protocol configuration of said a computers.
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16. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of sending a fourth network message comprises:
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the first computer broadcasting the fourth network message onto said network, wherein said fourth network message includes said unique identifier and said derived network protocol configuration within said predefined data portion; and
the method further comprises the first computer receiving a broadcast of a fifth network message from said network, determining whether said predefined data portion of said fifth network message includes said unique identifier, and determining from the fifth network message whether said network configuration controller has accepted said derived network protocol configuration.
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17. The method of claim 16 wherein said method further comprises the steps of:
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a) encrypting said predefined data portion of said fourth network message prior to broadcasting of said fourth network message; and
b) decrypting said predefined data portion of said fifth network message after receiving the broadcast of fifth network message.
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18. The method of claim 12 wherein:
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the first network message is an unrestricted broadcast message; and
the third network message is a restricted broadcast message that is restricted to the first computer by the unique identifier.
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19. The method of claim 18 wherein:
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the unique identifier comprises a media access control (MAC) address of a network interface card (NIC) of the first computer.
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20. The method of claim 12 wherein:
the first computer is a server and the second computer is a client of the server.
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21. The method of claim 20 wherein:
the first computer comprises a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server of the communications network.
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22. A device coupleable to a communications network and capable of initially adapting to the operating network environment of said communications network subject to network protocol configuration requirements communicated exclusively through said communications network, said device comprising:
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a) a host computer system including a network interface controller coupleable to said communications network;
b) an operating system, executable by said host computer system, that is configurable by a defined set of network values for transmitting and receiving messages through said network interface without network configuration conflicts, the operating system including a network protocol stack supporting the sending and receiving of network messages, including broadcast network messages, said network protocol stack being responsive to a predetermined set of types of unique identifiers for determining the source and destination of network messages; and
c) a control program responsive to a first broadcast network message received by said host computer from said communications network by determining from identifiers of the predetermined set that are included in the first message information sufficient to enable the device to transmit a message on the network, and causing the host computer to transmit on the network a second broadcast message that includes a predetermined unique identifier of said device that is of a type exclusive of said predetermined set of types, the control program further responsive to a third broadcast network message received by said host computer from said communications network, wherein said third broadcast message is uniquely identified to said device by inclusion of the unique identifier and wherein said third broadcast network message includes network protocol configuration parameters from which said control program determines and implements a derived network protocol configuration compatible with the operating network environment of said communications network. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
the first broadcast network message in an unrestricted broadcast message; and
the third broadcast message is a restricted broadcast message that is restricted to the device by the unique identifier.
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24. The device of claim 23 wherein:
the unique identifier comprises a media access control (MAC) address of a network interface card (NIC) of the network interface controller.
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25. The device of claim 22 wherein:
the device is a server appliance.
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26. The device of claim 22 wherein:
the device comprises a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server for the communications network.
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27. A first device coupleable to a communications network supporting selfdaptive initial configuration to the parameters of said communications network to enable remote configuration control exclusively via said communications network of a second device coupleable to the network, said first device comprising:
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a) a network interface for coupling to the communications network;
b) means configured by a defined set of network values for transmitting and receiving messages through said network interface without network configuration conflicts and that supports broadcast transmissions of messages through said network interface; and
c) means for transmitting over the communications network a first unrestricted broadcast message whose receipt enables the second device to determine therefrom, specifically with respect to said communications network, and to apply to the second device an initial set of network values to configure the second device for broadcasting a message on the communications network; and
d) means responsive to receipt of a second message sent over the communications network by the second device and conveying an identifier of the second device, for transmitting over the communications network a third broadcast message and restricting the third broadcast message to the second device by means of the identifier, the third message containing network configuration parameters that enable the second device upon receiving the third message to determine and apply to the second device network values for transmitting and receiving messages through said communications network without network configuration conflicts. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
the second message is a broadcast message carrying a unique said identifier of the second device.
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29. The first device of claim 28 wherein:
the unique identifier comprises a media access control (MAC) address of a network interface card (NIC) of the second device.
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30. The first device of claim 27 wherein.
the second device is a server device; - and
the first device is a client device of the server device.
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31. The first device of claim 27 wherein:
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the second device comprises a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server for the communications network; and
the first device comprises a client of the DHCP server.
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32. A method of communicating between computers over a network independent of conflicts and omissions in the network protocol configuration of said computers with respect to said network, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) a first one of the computers determining identifiers of others of the computers to establish a unique identifier for the first computer to enable transmitting and receiving of messages through said network without network configuration conflicts;
b) the first computer broadcasting on the network an unrestricted first network broadcast message, the first message including information sufficient to enable a second computer that receives the first message to transmit a message on the network;
c) the first computer receiving a second message transmitted on said network by the second computer, wherein said second is message includes a unique identifier of the second computer;
d) in response to receiving the second message, the first computer broadcasting on the network a restricted third network broadcast message that is restricted to the second computer by the unique identifier, the third message conveying information to configure the second computer for communicating on the network. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
the second message is a network broadcast message broadcast on the network by the second computer.
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34. The method of claim 32 wherein:
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the unique identifier comprises a media access control (MAC) address of a network interface card (NIC) of the second computer.
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35. The method of claim 32 wherein:
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the second computer is a server; and
the first computer is a client of the server.
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36. The method of claim 32 wherein:
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the second computer comprises a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server of the communications network; and
the first computer comprises a client of the DHCP server.
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Specification