Provisioning and redundancy for RFID middleware servers

• US 7,953,826 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howarth, Arthur G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw; Peling A
• Application Number:
  US11/182,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20070013518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,147 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-222, 709/223, 709/226, 709/245, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

The present invention provides for the provisioning and redundancy of RFID middleware servers. Middleware servers can be automatically provisioned and RFID device/middleware server associations can be automatically updated. Some implementations of the invention provide for automatic detection of middleware server malfunctions. Some such implementations provide for automated provisioning and automated updating of RFID device/middleware server associations, whether a middleware server is automatically brought online or is manually replaced. Changes and reassignments of the RFID device populations may be accommodated.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a DHCPDISCOVER request from a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) middleware server, wherein the DHCPDISCOVER request includes identification (“

ID”

) information and location information;

determining, based at least in part upon the ID information and location information, whether the RFID middleware server has been moved or replaced;

obtaining appropriate provisioning data for the RFID middleware server based upon whether the RFID middleware server has been moved or replaced; and

providing the RFID middleware server with at least some of the appropriate provisioning data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises determining at least one of (a) whether the RFID middleware server has been moved;

(b) whether the RFID middleware server has been replaced;

or (c) whether the RFID middleware server is requesting a complete configuration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises inspecting DHCP Option data in the DHCPDISCOVER request to obtain the ID information and the location information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein it is determined in the determining step that there has been a change in at least one of the RFID middleware server ID or the location information such that the RFID middleware server has been moved or replaced, and wherein the provisioning step comprises providing a complete set of provisioning data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises:

determining a first ID and first location information from the DHCPDISCOVER request; and

comparing the first ID and first location information with stored second ID and second location information for a known RFID middleware server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second ID comprise at least one of an EPC code or a MAC address.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the first location information is provided in one or more DHCP options of the DHCPDISCOVER request.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information comprises an Electronic Product Code for the middleware server.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information comprises a Media Access Control address for the middleware server.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises switch and port identifiers.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising re-allocating an RFID device from another RFID middleware server to the RFID middleware server.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning data further includes a personality configuration of the RFID middleware server.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning data further includes enabling the RFID middleware server with software.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein provisioning data further includes a network configuration.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning data is provided in one or more DHCP options.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the location information and the ID information are provided in one or more DHCP options of the DHCPDISCOVER request.

26. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the first location information includes a switch identifier and a port identifier, and wherein the second location information includes a switch identifier and a port identifier.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein it is determined in the determining step that there has not been a change in at least one of the RFID middleware server ID or the location information such that the RFID middleware server has not been moved or replaced, and wherein the provisioning step comprises providing a partial set of provisioning data.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the middleware server has been moved or replaced based upon whether there has been a change in at least one of the RFID middleware server ID or the location information;

wherein the providing the RFID middleware server is performed according to whether it is determined that the middleware has been moved or replaced.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the RFID middleware server is provisioned with a partial set of provisioning data when it is determined that the middleware server has not been moved or replaced.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the RFID middleware server is provided with a complete set of provisioning data when it is determined that the middleware server has been moved or replaced.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the RFID middleware server is provided with a complete set of provisioning data when it is determined that the middleware server has been moved or replaced.

8. A network device, comprising:

means for receiving a DHCPDISCOVER request from an RFID middleware server, wherein the DHCPDISCOVER request includes location information and an Electronic Product Code for the middleware server;

means for determining, based at least in part upon the location information and the Electronic Product Code for the middleware server, whether the RFID middleware server has been moved or replaced;

means for obtaining appropriate provisioning data for the RFID middleware server based upon whether the RFID middleware server has been moved or replaced; and

means for providing the RFID middleware server with at least some of the appropriate provisioning data.

9. The network device of claim 8, wherein the determining means comprises means for determining at least one of (a) whether the RFID middleware server has been moved;

(b) whether the RFID middleware server has been replaced;

or (c) whether the RFID middleware server is requesting a complete configuration.

10. The network device of claim 8, wherein the determining means comprises means for inspecting DHCP Option data in the DHCPDISCOVER request to obtain the location information and the Electronic Product Code for the middleware server.

11. The network device of claim 8, wherein the determining means determines that there has been a change in at least one of the RFID middleware server ID or the location information such that the RFID middleware server has been moved or replaced, and wherein the provisioning means provides a complete set of provisioning data.

16. The network device of claim 8, wherein the location information comprises switch and port identifiers.

17. The network device of claim 8, further comprising means for re-allocating an RFID device from another RFID middleware server to the RFID middleware server.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a network interface configured for receiving a DHCPDISCOVER request from an RFID middleware server, wherein the DHCPDISCOVER request includes location information and an Electronic Product Code for the middleware server; and

a central processing unit configured to do the following;

determining, based at least in part upon the location information and the Electronic Product Code for the middleware server, whether the RFID middleware server has been moved or replaced;

obtaining appropriate provisioning data for the RFID middleware server based upon whether the RFID middleware server has been moved or replaced; and

providing the RFID middleware server, via the network interface, with the appropriate provisioning data.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the location information comprises switch and port identifiers.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the central processing unit is further configured to re-allocate an RFID device from another RFID middleware server to the RFID middleware server.