Method and apparatus for determining the configuration of hardware installed on remote equipment

• US 6,721,558 B1
• Filed: 05/04/1998
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Saad, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gantt, Alan T.
• Application Number:
  US09/072,532
• Time in Patent Office: 2,171 Days
• Field of Search: 455/517, 455/507, 455/422, 455/423, 455/424, 455/425, 701/35
• US Class Current: 455/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A technique is disclosed for automatically determining system configuration information, including the type and version of hardware installed on remote equipment. A modified central control station communicates with each remote cell station to perform an iterative system configuration process that progressively refines the system configuration information, until the actual installed system configuration is obtained, or until manual intervention is required. The system configuration process initially assumes a system configuration having the cell station fully installed with a default hardware component. The default “guess” is sent to the cell station which, in turn, communicates with each of the hardware components using a message protocol appropriate for the assumed configuration. In one embodiment, the cell station queries each of the hardware components for their associated type and version. The responses from the actual installed hardware components are collected by the cell station and returned to the central control station. The returned responses provide information that can be used by the central control station to ascertain the type and version of each hardware component actually installed. The assumed system configuration is refined over a number of iterations, until the system configuration is obtained, or until manual intervention is required.

Claims

1. A method for determining configuration information for remote equipment, said remote equipment having a plurality of installed hardware components, said method comprising the steps of:

assuming a system configuration for said remote equipment, said system configuration consisting of each of said installed hardware components embodied as a default hardware component device;

transmitting a message to said installed hardware components using a message protocol appropriate for a current assumed system configuration;

receiving responses from said installed hardware components, including at least one error message caused by using an improper message protocol for one of said installed hardware components;

refining said assumed system configuration based on said received responses, including said at least one error message; and

repeating said transmitting, receiving and refining steps until a final system configuration is determined.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said message is transmitted to a processor of said remote equipment and said processor queries said installed equipment for said identifying information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said message consists of a request to provide type and version information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said remote equipment is a cell station.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method is performed by a central configuration controller.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said refining step accesses a knowledge base of potential hardware component(s) for each possible received response.

7. A method for determining the configuration of installed hardware components, said method comprising the steps of:

obtaining an assumed system configuration for said installed hardware components, said assumed system configuration consisting of each of said installed hardware components embodied as a default hardware component device;

communicating with said installed hardware components using a message protocol appropriate for said assumed system configuration;

receiving responses from said installed hardware components, including at least one error message caused by using an improper message protocol for one of said installed hardware components;

refining said assumed system configuration based on said received responses, including said at least one error message; and

repeating said receiving and refining steps until a final system configuration is determined.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said communication consists of a request to provide type and version information.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said method is performed by a cell station.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein said refining step accesses a knowledge base of potential hardware component(s) for each possible response to the communication.

11. A central control station interconnected with remote equipment in a communication network, said remote equipment having a plurality of installed hardware components, comprising:

a processor to assume a system configuration for said remote equipment, said system configuration consisting of each of said installed hardware components embodied as a default hardware component device;

an output for transmitting a message to said installed hardware components using a message protocol appropriate for said assumed system configuration;

an input for receiving responses from said installed hardware components, including at least one error message caused by using an improper message protocol for one of said installed hardware components; and

a processor to iteratively refine said assumed system configuration based on said received responses including said at least one error message and repeat said transmission of said message and said receiving of responses until a final system configuration is determined.

12. The central control station according to claim 11, wherein said message is transmitted to a processor on said remote equipment and said processor queries said installed equipment for identifying information.

13. The central control station according to claim 11, wherein said message consists of a request to provide type and version information.

14. The central control station according to claim 11, wherein said remote equipment is a cell station.

15. The central control station according to claim 11, wherein said processor refines said assumed system configuration by accessing a knowledge base of potential hardware component(s) for each possible received response.

16. A self-configuring remote device, said remote device having a plurality of installed hardware components, comprising:

a processor configured to;

(i) assume a system configuration for said installed hardware components, said system configuration consisting of each of said installed hardware components embodied as a default hardware component device;

(ii) communicate with said installed hardware components using a message protocol appropriate for said assumed system configuration;

(iii) receive responses from said installed hardware components, including at least one error message caused by using an improper message protocol for one of said installed hardware components;

(iv) refine said assumed system configuration based on said received responses, including said at least one error message; and

(v) repeat said receiving and refining steps until a final system configuration is determined; and

a memory device for storing a knowledge base of potential hardware component(s) for each possible received response.

17. The remote device according to claim 16, wherein said communication consists of a request to provide type and version information.

18. The remote device according to claim 16, wherein said remote device is embodied as a cell station.