Method and system for re-establishing communication link in a network by using viral communication

• US 7,151,884 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2005
• Issued: 12/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rayes, Mark Ammar, Cheung, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John D.
• Application Number:
  US11/254,591
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 370/216, 370/221, 370/241, 370/248, 370/252, 370254-258, 398 1- 3, 398/9, 398/10, 710/104, 710/105, 385/147
• US Class Current: 385/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/34 Modification of an existing route
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment

Abstract

A method and a system for re-establishing the connection of a network device with a network, using viral communication, are provided. According to the various embodiments, a disconnected network device acts as a simple wireless device and contacts a neighboring network device to obtain configuration information. The request can be forwarded to a network management station (NMS) through one or more neighbors of the disconnected network device. Connectivity is obtained by executing the configuration instructions obtained from the NMS.

Claims

1. A method for re-establishing connection of a disconnected network device with a network using viral communication, the network comprising a plurality of network devices, the method comprising

determining that a connection between the disconnected network device and the network has been broken;

sending a viral communication request, the viral communication request being sent for re-establishing connection between the disconnected network device and the network;

establishing a wireless connection corresponding to a connection request between a neighbor device and the disconnected network device, the neighbor device being one of the plurality of network devices neighboring the disconnected network device;

receiving at least one configuration instruction in response to the connection request; and

executing the received configuration instructions, whereby the execution of the configuration instructions re-establishes connection of the disconnected network device with the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the viral communication request comprises broadcasting the viral communication request to the plurality of network devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one configuration instruction is generated by the neighbor device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one configuration instruction is generated by a network management server.

5. A system for re-establishing connection of a disconnected network device with a network using viral communication, the network comprising a plurality of network devices, the system comprising

a connection module for establishing a wireless connection between one of the plurality of network devices and the disconnected network device, the one of the plurality of network devices neighboring the disconnected network device;

a viral communication module for sending a request for configuration instructions and for receiving at least one configuration instruction in response to the request, the request being sent to a plurality of network devices; and

a configuration module for executing the received configuration instructions, whereby the execution of the configuration instructions re-establishes connection of the disconnected network device with the network.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the disconnected network device and the neighboring network device is a wireless access point.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of network devices can be at least one of a wireless access point, an access router, point of presence (PoP), and a network management station.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the request module sends the request to the plurality of network devices, the plurality of network devices storing at least one configuration instruction.

9. A system for re-establishing connection of a disconnected network device with a network using viral communication, the network comprising a plurality of network devices, the system comprising

means for determining that a connection between the disconnected network device and the network has been broken;

means for sending a viral communication request, the viral communication request being sent for re-establishing connection between the disconnected network device and the network;

means for establishing a wireless connection corresponding to a connection request between a neighbor device and the disconnected network device, the neighbor device being one of the plurality of network devices neighboring the disconnected network device;

means for receiving at least one configuration instruction in response to a connection request; and

means for executing the received configuration instructions, whereby the execution of the configuration instructions re-establishes connection of the disconnected network device with the network.

10. A machine-readable medium including instructions executable by the processor comprising

one or more instructions for determining that a connection between a disconnected network device and a network has been broken;

one or more instructions for sending a viral communication request, the viral communication request being sent for re-establishing connection between the disconnected network device and the network;

one or more instructions for establishing a wireless connection corresponding to a connection request between a neighbor device and the disconnected network device, the neighbor device being one of the plurality of network devices neighboring the disconnected network device;

one or more instructions for receiving at least one configuration instruction in response to a connection request; and

one or more instructions for executing the received configuration instructions, whereby the execution of the configuration instructions re-establishes connection of the disconnected network device with the network.