System and method for communicating with console ports

• US 7,689,675 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2005
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Inventors: Tucker, Ben
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US11/200,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20070038739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/220
• 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 41/344 Out-of-band transfers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

In a console server having a user interface and one or more ports, a system and method of accessing devices connected to the ports. A device connected to one of the ports is recognized, wherein recognizing includes recording in a port log information received through a port on a console server from a device that is communicatively coupled to the port and executing instructions that read the information in the port log and determine an operating system that is running on the device from the information in the port log. An application for communicating with the recognized device is selected and the console server communicates with the device using the selected application.

Claims

1. In a console server having a user interface and one or more ports, a method of out-of-band access to devices connected to the ports for control and configuration of the devices, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of applications for execution on the console server, wherein the applications are for communicating with devices connected to the console server and wherein the plurality of applications include a first and a second application, wherein the first application is used by the console server to communicate with a first device when the first device is executing a first operating system and the second application is used by the console server to communicate with the first device when the first device is executing a second operating system;

recognizing a device communicatively connected to one of the ports, wherein recognizing includes;

recording in a port log information received from the device through a port on the console server that is connected to a console port of the device, wherein the console port is handled by the operating system of the device; and

executing instructions that read the information in the port log and determine an operating system that is running on the device as a result of processing the information in the port log;

automatically selecting an application from the plurality of applications as a function of the operating system of the recognized device, wherein automatically selecting an application includes selecting the first application when the console server determines that the operating system of the recognized device is the first operating system and selecting the second application when the console server determines that the operating system of the recognized device is the second operating system; and

communicating with the operating system of the recognized device using the selected application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the port log information includes an address associated with the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the port log information includes a name associated with the device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein executing instructions includes executing instructions that:

send a probing transmission through the port;

receive a response to the probing transmission; and

determine information about the operating system of the device from the response to the probing transmission.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein executing instructions that send a probing transmission through the port includes executing instructions that encrypt the probing transmission.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the console server includes one or more remote ports, wherein executing instructions includes executing instructions that:

send a probing transmission through the remote port;

receive a response to the probing transmission; and

determine information about the operating system of the device from the response to the probing transmission.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein executing instructions that send a probing transmission through the port includes executing instructions that encrypt the probing transmission.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein executing instructions includes executing instructions that analyze a boot sequence in the port log.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically selecting an application from the plurality of applications as a function of the operating system of the recognized device includes differentiating between operating system instances when selecting the application for communicating with the recognized device.

9. A console server out-of-band access to devices having console ports for control and configuration of the devices, the console server comprising:

a processor circuit;

a network connection communicatively coupled to the processor circuit;

a plurality of ports, where each port is communicatively coupled to the processor circuit and wherein each port is capable of reading and writing information from a console port; and

memory connected to the processor circuit, wherein the memory includes instructions which, when executed by the processor circuit, cause the processor circuit to access a device connected to one of the console ports, access a port log recording information communicated from the device through one of the console ports, determine an operating system running on the device as a result of processing the information in the port log and automatically select, as a function of the operating system of the device, an application for communicating with the operating system of the device.

10. The console server of claim 9, wherein the memory further includes instructions which, when executed by the processor circuit, cause the processor circuit to send a probing transmission through the port, receive a response to the probing transmission and determine information about the operating system of the device from the response to the probing transmission.

11. The console server of claim 9, wherein the console server further comprises means for encrypting data prior to transmitting the data through one or more of the ports.

13. The console server of claim 11, wherein the means for recognizing a device further includes:

means for sending a probing transmission through a port connected to the device;

means for receiving a response to the probing transmission; and

means for determining information about the operating system of the device from the response to the probing transmission.

14. The console server of claim 9, wherein the console server further comprises means for encrypting data prior to transmitting the data through one or more of the ports.

16. The console server of claim 9, wherein the instructions allow the processor circuit to differentiate between operating system instances when selecting the application for communicating with the recognized device.

12. A console server for out-of-band access to devices having console ports for control and configuration of the devices, the console server comprising:

a processor circuit;

memory connected to the processor circuit;

a network connection communicatively coupled to the processor circuit;

a plurality of ports, where each port is communicatively coupled to the processor circuit and wherein each port is capable of reading and writing information from a console port;

means for recognizing a device, wherein the means for recognizing includes means for determining an operating system that is running on the device as a result of processing the information in a port log, wherein the information includes information communicated from the device through one of the console ports;

means for automatically selecting, as a function of the operating system of the recognized device, an application for communicating with the recognized device; and

means for communicating with the operating system of the recognized device using the selected application.