Generating globally unique device identification

• US 7,428,587 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Issued: 09/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Balakrishnan, Shobana, Rowland, Craig, Sandford, Adam, McCasey, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong; Thomas
• Application Number:
  US10/462,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20040122931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,929 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]

Abstract

A globally unique device identification is created. Initially, for a device, polling is performed for information regarding certain hardware components, such as hard disks, network cards, sound cards, video cards, etc. A device identifier is assigned to the device, which in one embodiment, is based on the hardware component information. The device identifier and the current information regarding the hardware components of the system are stored in a repository. Periodically, a new poll is performed of the hardware components of the system, and the current hardware component information in the repository is updated. A device is identified by the identity or similarity of the hardware component information read from the device with the stored current hardware component information.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining device identity of a particular device in a network, comprising:

receiving, from a device over a network connection, identification information stored in firmware of a main board of the device, and a plurality of serial numbers for a plurality of hardware components currently attached to the main board of the device, wherein the firmware includes a unique identifier for the main board;

generating a first hash value and a second hash value, wherein the first hash value is generated from the information stored in the firmware of the main board and the second hash value is generated from the plurality of serial numbers for the plurality of hardware components currently attached to the main board of the device;

searching a repository for a record that includes the first hash value, wherein the record includes a previously obtained plurality of serial numbers of hardware components that were previously attached to the main board of the device;

determining, when a record that includes the first hash value is found, that a serial number of a specific component does not match a serial number of a previously attached component of the same type; and

updating the record to include the serial number of the specific component.

2. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

searching, when a record that includes the first hash value is not found, the repository for a record that includes the second hash value; and

updating, when a record that includes the second hash value is found, the record to include the identification information stored in firmware of a main board of the device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

searching, when a record that includes the second hash value is not found, the repository for a record that includes a machine name associated with the device; and

updating, when a record that includes the second hash value is not found, the record that includes the machine name associated with the device to include the plurality of serial numbers for the plurality of hardware components currently attached to the main board of the device, and a hash value of the plurality of serial numbers for the plurality of hardware components currently attached to the main board of the device.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

searching, when a record that includes the second hash value is not found, the repository for a record that includes a serial number of a hardware component attached to the main board of the device; and

updating, when the record that includes the second hash value is not found, the record that includes the serial number of the hardware component attached to the main board of the device to include the plurality of serial numbers for the plurality of hardware components currently attached to the main board of the device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the device over the network connection, a first Ethernet MAC address, a second Ethernet MAC address, a boot hard disk drive serial number, and a machine name, and

generating the second hash value, wherein the second hash value is generated from the first Ethernet MAC address, the second Ethernet MAC address, the boot hard disk drive serial number, and the machine name.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the device over the network connection;

a model number for the specific component attached to the main board manufacturer information for the specific component attached to the main board;

a size of physical RAM attached to the main board;

the clock speed of the RAM;

an accelerated graphics port memory size of an accelerated graphics component attached to the main board; and

a vendor ID of a hard disk drive attached to the main board; and

generating the second hash value from the model number for the specific component attached to the main board, the manufacturer information for the specific component attached to the main board, the size of the physical RAM attached to the main board, the clock speed of the RAM, the accelerated graphics port memory size of the accelerated graphics component attached to the main board, and the vendor ID of the hard disk drive attached to the main board.

7. A method for determining an identity of a particular device, where a repository comprises at least one record, where each record is associated with an associated device, said record further comprising identification data and a unique device identification generated using said identification data from a plurality of hardware components from said associated device, said method comprising:

gathering identification data identifying a plurality of hardware components currently attached to said particular device;

generating a second hash value from the gathered identification data that identified the plurality of hardware components currently attached to said particular device;

comparing said second hash value generated from the gathered identification data that identified the plurality of hardware components currently attached to said particular device to data stored in a repository, the data stored in the repository identifying hardware components previously attached to the particular device to determine if a record from among said at least one record matching said particular device is found; and

if a matching record from said repository is found, wherein said matching can be determined when a portion of the identification data identifying the hardware components currently attached to the device is inconsistent with the data stored in the repository identifying hardware components previously attached to the particular device by searching the repository for a first hash value generated from information stored in firmware of the main board of the device, associating said unique device identification from said matching record with said particular device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

if a matching record from among said at least one record is found, updating said stored identification data in said matching record using said gathered identification data.

9. The method of claim 7, said method further comprising:

if a matching record is not found, indicating that no matching record was found.

10. The method of claim 7, said method further comprising:

if a matching record is not found, adding a record to said repository comprising a new unique device identification for said device and said gathered identification data identifying the hardware components currently attached to the particular device.

11. The method of claim 7, where said step of gathering identification data identifying the hardware components currently attached to the particular device comprises gathering at least one item of identification data selected from the group consisting of:

UUID on said device;

model information on said device;

manufacturer information on said device;

serial number information on said device;

a serial number of the boot hard disk drive on said device;

a MAC address of a first Ethernet card on said device;

a MAC address of a second Ethernet card on said device;

an asset number on said device;

machine name on said device;

size of physical RAM on said device;

RAM clock speed on said device;

accelerated graphics port memory size on said device;

vendor ID of the boot hard disk drive on said device; and

product ID of the boot hard disk drive on said device.

12. The method of claim 7, where said step of gathering identification data comprising hardware component data from one of said devices comprises:

determining a gathering mode; and

gathering certain items of identification data based on said mode.

13. A system for maintaining device identities for at least one device, the system including a processor and a computer readable storage medium that comprises computer readable instructions configured to to effectuate:

a repository for storing at least one record, where each record is associated with one of said at least one devices, and where each record includes identification data identifying hardware components attached to a device at a first instance of time, a second hash value generated from the information identifying the hardware components attached to the device at the first instance of time, and a first hash value generated from information stored in firmware of a main board of the device;

a gatherer for requesting identification data from a device via a network connection;

a comparator for comparing identification data identifying hardware components currently attached to the device at a second instance of time to the identification data identifying the hardware components of the device at the first instance of time to determine if a matching record from said repository is found, wherein said matching can be determined when a portion of said identification data identifying the hardware components currently attached to the device at the second instance of time is inconsistent with the identification data identifying the hardware components attached to the device at the first instance of time; and

an updater, for, if a matching record from among said at least one record is found, updating said identification data identifying the hardware components of the device at the first instance of time-with the identification data identifying hardware components currently attached to the device at the second instance of time.

14. The system of claim 13, said system further comprising instructions to effectuate:

a repository updater for, if a matching record is not found, adding a record to said repository comprising a new unique device identification for said device and the identification data identifying hardware components currently attached to the device at the second instance of time.

15. The system of claim 13, where said gatherer determines a gathering mode and

gathers certain items of identification data based on said mode.

16. A system for determining the identity of a specific device with a record stored in a repository, the system including a processor and a computer readable storage medium that comprises computer readable instructions to effectuate:

a repository for storing at least one record, where each record is associated with a device from among a network comprising at least one devices, and where each record includes identification data identifying hardware components attached to a device at a first instance of time, a second hash value generated from the information identifying the hardware components attached to the device at the first instance of time, and a first hash value generated from information stored in firmware of a main board of the device;

a gatherer for requesting identification data from a device via a network connection;

a comparator for comparing identification data identifying hardware components currently attached to the device at a second instance of time to the identification data identifying the hardware components attached to the device at the first instance of time to determine if a matching record from said repository is found, wherein said matching can be determined when a portion of said identification data identifying the hardware components currently attached to the device at the second instance of time is inconsistent with the identification data identifying the hardware components attached to the device at the first instance of time; and

an identity responder, for returning said second hash value from said matching record as the identity of said device if a matching record from among at least one record has been found.

17. The system of claim 16, where said identity responder is additionally configured to update the identification data identifying the hardware components attached to the device at the first instance of time with the identification data identifying hardware components currently attached to the device at the second instance of time if a matching record from among said at least one record has been found.

18. The system of claim 16, where said identity responder, if a matching record is not found, indicates that no matching record was found.

19. The system of claim 18, where said identity responder, if a matching record is not found, indicates that no matching record was found, adds a record to said repository comprising a new unique device identification for said device and the identification data identifying hardware components currently attached to the device at the second instance of time.

20. The system of claim 16, where said gatherer determines a gathering mode and

gathers certain items of identification data based on said mode.