Method and system for thin client configuration

• US 8,010,635 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2008
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Marketing Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wyse Technology Incorporated (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Richter, Bryan Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALL, EL HADJI MALICK
• Application Number:
  US12/206,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20090006587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/220, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]

Abstract

A method for configuring a thin client connected to a communications network includes the thin client sending a request for a network address to an address server. The address server sends an assigned network address back to the thin client together with a location of a configuration server. The thin client sends a request for configuration information to the configuration server. The request for configuration information includes information on the thin client. The configuration server generates a configuration file containing configuration information based on the received thin client information. The configuration file is then sent by the configuration server to the thin client, which uses the configuration file for configuration.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a thin client device, the method comprising:

facilitating sending a request for a network address via a communications network;

receiving an assigned network address and a location of a configuration server from an address server via the communications network;

facilitating sending a request for configuration information to the configuration server via the communications network, wherein the request for configuration information includes thin client information;

receiving a configuration file containing configuration information from the configuration server via the communications network, wherein the configuration server is configured to generate the configuration file based on the thin client information; and

configuring the thin client device using the configuration information contained in the configuration file,

wherein the configuration server is configured to dynamically construct the configuration file based on the thin client information using an application or script.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request for a network address is broadcast on the communications network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the address server is a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the location of the configuration server is included in a DHCP tag.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a protocol of the configuration server is received with the location of the configuration server.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration server is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) server.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration server is a Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS) server.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location of the configuration server is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the thin client information is included in a URL line of the request for configuration information.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the thin client information is separate from a URL line of the request for configuration information.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the thin client information is encrypted.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thin client information includes information on a hardware configuration of the thin client device.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thin client information includes information on a software configuration of the thin client device.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thin client information includes information on a peripheral device attached to the thin client device.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration file is generated by a script executed on the configuration server.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration file is generated by an application executed on the configuration server.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thin client information comprises identification information, current hardware configuration and current software configuration of the thin client device.

20. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, at boot up, current hardware configuration and any peripheral device connected to the thin client device; and

updating the thin client information based on the detecting,

wherein the request for configuration information comprises the updated thin client information,

wherein the configuration server is configured to dynamically construct the configuration file based on the updated thin client information received from the thin client device.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein the application or script is identified in a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

22. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the configuration server is configured to analyze the thin client information, and

wherein the configuration server is configured to generate the configuration file without selecting the configuration file from a database of configuration files.

23. The method according to claim 12, wherein the information on the hardware configuration comprises information on internal hardware components of the thin client device and peripheral devices connected to the thin client device.

24. The method according to claim 13, wherein the information on the software configuration comprises information on software modules currently installed on the thin client device.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration server comprises the address server, the address server comprises the configuration server, the configuration server is the address server, or the configuration server and the address server are combined into a server.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium or media containing computer-executable instructions for implementing a method for configuring a thin client device, the method comprising:

facilitating sending a request for a network address via a communications network;

receiving an assigned network address and a location of a configuration server from an address server via the communications network;

facilitating sending a request for configuration information to the configuration server via the communications network, wherein the request for configuration information includes thin client information;

receiving a configuration file containing configuration information from the configuration server via the communications network, wherein the configuration server is configured to generate the configuration file based on the thin client information; and

configuring the thin client device using the configuration information contained in the configuration file,

wherein the configuration server is configured to dynamically construct the configuration file based on the thin client information using an application or script.

18. A thin client device, comprising:

a processor-readable medium or media containing executable instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions contained in said processor-readable medium or media to implement a method for configuring the thin client device, the method comprising;

facilitating sending a request for a network address via a communications network;

receiving an assigned network address and a location of a configuration server from an address server via the communications network;

facilitating sending a request for configuration information to the configuration server via the communications network, wherein the request for configuration information includes thin client information;

receiving a configuration file containing configuration information from the configuration server via the communications network, wherein the configuration server is configured to generate the configuration file based on the thin client information; and

configuring the thin client device using the configuration information contained in the configuration file,

wherein the configuration server is configured to dynamically construct the configuration file based on the thin client information using an application or script.

26. A method for configuring a thin client device, the method comprising:

detecting current hardware configuration of the thin client device and any peripheral device connected to the thin client device;

updating thin client information of the thin client device based on the detecting;

facilitating sending a request for configuration information to a configuration server via a communications network, wherein the request for configuration information includes the updated thin client information;

receiving a configuration file containing configuration information from the configuration server via the communications network, wherein the configuration server is configured to generate the configuration file based on the updated thin client information received from the thin client device; and

configuring the thin client device using the configuration information contained in the configuration file,

wherein the configuration server is configured to dynamically construct the configuration file based on the updated thin client information using an application or script.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable medium or media containing computer-executable instructions for implementing the method according to claim 26.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium or media according to claim 27, wherein the updated thin client information comprises identification information, the current hardware configuration and current software configuration of the thin client device.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium or media according to claim 27, wherein the application or script is identified in a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium or media according to claim 27,

wherein the detecting is performed at boot up, and

wherein the configuration server is configured to generate the configuration file without selecting the configuration file from a database of configuration files.

31. The thin client device comprising a processor-readable medium or media containing executable instructions, and a processor configured to execute the instructions contained in said processor-readable medium or media to implement the method according to claim 26.