Methods, apparatuses and systems facilitating remote, automated deployment of network devices
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, comprising:
- monitoring, at a network device disposed on a communication path between a first network and a second network and operating in an unconfigured mode, messages transmitted from the first network to the second network;
upon detecting at the network device a message transmitted from the first network to the second network, determining whether the message is a configuration message based on whether the message is a null service type Resource ReSerVation Protocol (RSVP) message;
if the message is not a configuration message, then forwarding, at the network device, the message to the second network;
if the message is a configuration message that comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address for the network device and an IP address of a network management system disposed in the first network, then configuring, at the network device, the network device with the IP address for the network device; and
switching the network device to a configured mode.
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Abstract
Methods, apparatuses and systems facilitating remote deployment of network devices. Implementations of the present invention enable deployment workflows that reduce the costs associated with installing and configuring network devices on computer networks. Other implementations of the present invention enable an automated, remote deployment and configuration system for network devices.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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monitoring, at a network device disposed on a communication path between a first network and a second network and operating in an unconfigured mode, messages transmitted from the first network to the second network; upon detecting at the network device a message transmitted from the first network to the second network, determining whether the message is a configuration message based on whether the message is a null service type Resource ReSerVation Protocol (RSVP) message; if the message is not a configuration message, then forwarding, at the network device, the message to the second network; if the message is a configuration message that comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address for the network device and an IP address of a network management system disposed in the first network, then configuring, at the network device, the network device with the IP address for the network device; and switching the network device to a configured mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method, comprising:
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monitoring, at a network device disposed on a communication path between a first network and a second network and operating in an unconfigured mode, messages transmitted from the first network to the second network; upon detecting a message transmitted from the first network to the second network at the network device, determining whether the message is a configuration message based on whether the message is a null service type Resource ReSerVation Protocol (RSVP) message; if the message is not a configuration message, then forwarding, at the network device, the message to the second network; and if the message is a configuration message that comprises configuration information for the network device, then validating the configuration message, if the configuration message is valid, then configuring the network device using the configuration information, and if the configuration message is invalid, then forwarding, at the network device, the configuration message to the second network. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method, comprising:
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receiving, at a first network interface of a network device disposed on a communication path between a first network and a second network and operating in an unconfigured mode, a configuration message transmitted from the first network to the second network, wherein the network device comprises the first network interface and a second network interface, the network device is operably connected to the first network via the first network interface, the network device is operably connected to the second network via the second network interface, the network device is null-service-enabled, the configuration message is a null service type Resource ReSerVation Protocol (RSVP) message, and the configuration message comprises configuration information for the network device; validating, at the network device, the configuration message; if the configuration message is valid, then configuring the network device using the configuration information in the configuration message; and if the configuration message is not valid, then passing the configuration message to the second network interface for forwarding to the second network - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A network device, comprising:
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a first network interface; a second network interface; a processor; a configuration interface module comprising computer-readable instructions operative to cause the processor to configure the network device based on received configuration information; and a configuration daemon comprising computer-readable instructions operative to cause the processor, the first network interface, and the second network device to; receive, at the first network interface, a configuration message transmitted from a first network to a second network by a network management system disposed in the first network and addressed to a configured destination host having a network address disposed in the second network, wherein the network device is disposed on a communication path between the first network and the second network; validate the configuration message; if the configuration message is valid, then invoke the configuration interface module to configure the network device using configuration information in the configuration message; and if the configuration message is not valid, then pass the configuration message to the second network interface for forwarding to the destination host. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. In a network environment comprising a first network, a second network, and a network device disposed on a communication path between the first network and the second network, wherein the first network includes a gateway router allowing access to resources on at least the second network, and the network device, when operating in an unconfigured mode, is capable of intercepting messages transmitted from the second network to the first network, a method, comprising:
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identifying a destination host on the first network, wherein the destination host is configured, has a network address, and is accessible to the resources on at least the second network, and the network device is unconfigured and inaccessible to the resources on at least the second network; transmitting a configuration message from the second network to the first network, wherein the configuration message is addressed to the destination host, and is used for automatically configuring the network device after being intercepted by the network device. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification