Simultaneous network configuration of multiple headless machines

• US 6,732,165 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2000
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jennings, Raymond B. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US09/652,199
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/220, 709/227, 709/238, 709/250, 370/351, 370/354, 370/401, 370/471
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication

Abstract

The present invention provides methods for configuring network addresses on multiple machines, such that each machine obtains its own unique network address and other network parameters. These parameters may include network mask, default gateway and DNS servers, etc. The invention further provides apparatus, a computer product and an article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a computer process to be capable of participating in the network configuration and address assignment process. In an example embodiment multiple unconfigured servers are attached to a network together with one or more configured servers. The process is started by one of the configured servers which triggers the unconfigured machines to participate in a distributed protocol whereby the unconfigured servers mutually agree on unique network addresses for themselves.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a plurality of non-configure network interfaces, the method comprising:

providing a trigger packet which includes a range of usable addresses for network interfaces;

broadcasting a trigger packet to said plurality of non-configured network interfaces;

assigning a unique network address to each of said plurality of non-configured network interfaces; and

at least one interface of said plurality of non-configured interfaces committing said unique network address so as to complete the configuring of said at least one interface.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of broadcasting is performed by a management processor.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of assigning includes employing a distributed broadcast protocol;

to assign network addresses.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of assigning is implemented on a single machine controlled by a network administrator operating at a single network point.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said single machine is running a management processor.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said interfaces is an interface on a machine, and said method further comprises:

providing each said machine with a starting script to start a process that listens to said trigger packet;

each said machine;

parsing said trigger packet and finding said network address range;

waiting a random amount of time;

selecting and broadcasting an address within said range;

monitoring broadcasts of at least one other machine verifying that said address selected in the step of selecting is not used by said at least one other machine; and

employing said address selected in the step of selecting if said other machine did not employ said address selected in the step of selecting, otherwise repeating said steps of selecting, monitoring and employing.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said network interfaces are included in equipment of an ISP.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of broadcasting includes providing at least one network attribute selected from a list of attributes, including attributes of a DNS server, default gateway, mail gateway and any combination of these.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said non-configured network interfaces is an interface of a headless machine.

10. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing the configuring of a plurality of non-conformed network interfaces, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of claim 1.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing the configuration of a plurality of non-conformed network interfaces, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of claim 1.

12. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for causing configuration of a plurality of non-configured network interfaces, said method steps comprising the steps of claim 1.

13. A program storage device computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing the addressing of a plurality of non-configured network interfaces, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect performing the steps of claim 1.

14. A network interface configuration system comprising:

a management processor for implementing a network configuration process to configure network addresses of a plurality of network interfaces, each network interface having a unique MAC address for interfacing said system with a network computer and an underlying network; and

a plurality of configuration processors, each configuration processor being associated with a particular interface of said network interface; and

wherein each of said configuration processors includes;

a main execution unit for awaiting a trigger packet broadcast from the management processor, and for receiving said trigger packet for use in obtaining a unique network address for each of said network interfaces;

a distributed algorithm used by each of said network interfaces in obtaining a unique network address;

said system further comprising a message receiver started by the main execution unit when said main execution unit receives said trigger packet,

said message receiver having a request receiver,

said message receiver maintaining a queue of request messages received by the request receiver,

said main execution unit waiting a random time delay in selecting a next network address obtained from the request queue and broadcasting said next network address on the network to inform other configuration processors of the assignment and use of said next network address.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein said trigger packet includes a base network address and a range of network addresses.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein a particular execution unit selects said base network address for the network interface address, provided no broadcast message was yet received which uses said base network address.

17. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein said message receiver includes an acknowledge receiver, said message receiver maintaining a queue of acknowledge messages received by said acknowledge receiver, wherein each of said other configuration processors sends an acknowledge message to acknowledge use of said network address.

18. The system as recited in claim 14, further comprising a timer for timing at least one particular condition, said condition used by said configuration processor for starting and stopping said main execution unit and/or said message receiver.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein said at least one particular condition is a duration during which no request or acknowledge message has been received.

20. A method comprising:

simultaneously configuring network addresses for a plurality of network interfaces by causing each network interface to perform the steps of;

receiving a trigger packet;

starting a thread of execution upon receiving said trigger packet;

selecting an unused network address following expiration of a random time duration;

broadcasting said unused network address; and

receiving acknowledgments allowing use of said unused network address;

assigning said network address; and

committing said network address.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein said step of selecting includes selecting a next address from a request queue, said next address forming said unused network address.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein said next address is a base address if said base address is not yet known to be used.

23. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising determining if a conflict of network address selection of two or more network interfaces occurs;

if a conflict is determined to have occurred, assigning said unused network address to one of said two or more network interfaces in accordance with a conflict resolution rule.

24. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein said step of assigning includes employing MAC addresses of said two or more network interfaces to resolve said conflict.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein said step of assigning includes giving the unused network address to the network interface having a MAC address with a highest value.

26. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising committing said unused network address to said network interface only upon receiving acknowledgment messages from all other network interfaces.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein said step of committing includes sensing that a message has not been received for a particular duration in accordance with a committing rule.

28. The method as recited in claim 27, wherein said particular duration is greater than a maximum allowable time for said random time duration.

29. A method for addressing a plurality of network interfaces, said method comprising:

receiving a network trigger packet;

starting a thread of execution upon receiving said trigger packet;

selecting an unused network address following expiration of a random time duration;

broadcasting said unused network address; and

receiving acknowledgments allowing use of said unused network address;

committing said unused network address to a particular network interface only upon receiving acknowledgment messages from all other network interfaces that said unused network address is not being used.

30. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising sending and receiving network packets to participate in a distributed algorithm.

31. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for causing configuration of a plurality of non-configured network interfaces, said method steps comprising the steps of claim 29.

32. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing the addressing a plurality of non-configured network interfaces, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of claim 29.