Automated provisioning of computing networks using a network database data model

• US 8,019,835 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: LeVasseur, Joshua T., Suorsa, Raymond E.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOSSAIN, TANIM M
• Application Number:
  US09/838,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20020156831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,798 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/230, 709220-222, 709217-219, 717/168, 717/171
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A framework for automatically provisioning computing devices includes a central database system and a central file system. Information stored in the database comprises a model of the individual devices, as well as the interconnections of the devices. The central file system stores the software components to be installed on the devices. When provisioning is carried out, the database sends commands to agents located on each device which cause them to retrieve and install the software components from the file system, and to configure the components according to the stored model.

Claims

1. A method for automated provisioning of computer networks, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a network device to be provisioned, at least one unsolicited software retrieval command, sent by a secure provisioning network connected via a network to the network device, to be executed on said network device;

reading, by said provisioning network, parameters of said network device from a network database, said reading being responsive to an inquiry based on the at least one unsolicited software retrieval command and received from said network device;

determining, by said provisioning network, whether the at least one unsolicited software retrieval command can be properly executed on said network device based upon the parameters read; and

executing the at least one unsolicited software retrieval command on said network device only if it is determined that the at least one unsolicited software retrieval command can be properly executed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one unsolicited software retrieval command is executed by an agent on said network device, the agent being configured to manipulate all of the software on the network device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying the validity of the at least one unsolicited software retrieval command by requesting verification from the secure provisioning network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of verifying is accomplished by way of communicating with a communication gateway of the secure provisioning network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining is based on reading software packaging parameters.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the software packaging parameters comprise compatibility requirements.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the compatibility requirements comprise software roles compatibility requirements.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the software roles compatibility requirements comprise customer account software roles compatibility requirements.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the software roles comprise device roles.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the software roles compatibility requirements comprise application roles compatibility requirements.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the application roles compatibility requirements define a group of services.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the software roles compatibility requirements relate to an IP address of the network device.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the software roles compatibility requirements relate to IP address compatibility requirements.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the compatibility requirements comprise operating system (OS) compatibility requirements.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein the compatibility requirements comprise requirements regarding specific customer account compatibility.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein the compatibility requirements comprise device compatibility requirements.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the device compatibility requirements comprise interface compatibility requirements.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the interface compatibility requirements comprise IP compatibility requirements.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the interface compatibility requirements comprise interface type compatibility requirements.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the device compatibility requirements comprise interface components compatibility requirements.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the device compatibility requirements comprise memory components compatibility requirements.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the device compatibility requirements comprise storage components compatibility requirements.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the device compatibility requirements comprise central processing unit (CPU) components compatibility requirements.

24. The method of claim 6 wherein the compatibility requirements comprise application compatibility requirements.

25. The method of claim 6, wherein the compatibility requirements are defined according to a variety of network service tiers.

26. The method of claim 6, wherein the compatibility requirements comprise configuration compatibility requirements.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the configuration compatibility requirements comprise device configuration compatibility requirements.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the configuration compatibility requirements comprise interface configuration compatibility, requirements.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the configuration compatibility requirements comprise virtual IP address compatibility requirements.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the configuration compatibility requirements comprise component type configuration compatibility requirements.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the configuration compatibility requirements comprise role configuration compatibility requirements.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the role configuration compatibility requirements comprise device role configuration compatibility requirements.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the device role configuration compatibility requirements comprise device role history configuration compatibility requirements.

34. The method of claim 5, wherein the software packaging parameters comprise software roles.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the software roles comprise customer account software roles.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein software roles compatibility requirements comprise device roles compatibility requirements.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the software roles comprise application software roles.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the application software roles define a group of services.

39. The method of claim 5, wherein the software packaging parameters comprise operating system (OS) parameters.

40. The method of claim 5, wherein the software packaging parameters comprise parameters regarding specific customer account requirements.

41. The method of claim 5, wherein the software packaging parameters comprise device parameters.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the device parameters comprise device interface parameters.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the device interface parameters comprise device internet protocol (IP) address parameters.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the interface parameters comprise interface type parameters.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein the device parameters comprise interface components parameters.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein the device parameters comprise memory components parameters.

47. The method of claim 41, wherein the device parameters comprise storage components parameters.

48. The method of claim 41, wherein the device parameters comprise central processing unit (CPU) parameters.

49. The method of claim 5, wherein the software packaging parameters comprise application packaging parameters.

50. The method of claim 5, wherein the software packaging parameters relate to a variety of network service tiers.

51. The method of claim 5, wherein the software packaging parameters are defined by way of configuration parameters.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the configuration parameters comprise device configuration parameters.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein the configuration parameters comprise interface configuration parameters.

54. The method of claim 51, wherein the configuration parameters comprise virtual IP address parameters.

55. The method of claim 51, wherein the configuration parameters comprise component type parameters.

56. The method of claim 51, wherein the configuration parameters comprise role configuration parameters.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the role configuration parameters comprise device role configuration parameters.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein the device role configuration parameters comprise device role history configuration parameters.

59. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of executing the at least one unsolicited software retrieval command is limited to entities having an approved access level to execute the at least one unsolicited software retrieval command.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein the access to execute the at least one unsolicited software retrieval command is defined in an access control list (ACL).

61. The method of claim 59, wherein the access control list ACL is defined by domain name server (DNS) address of the network device.

62. The method of claim 59, wherein the entity executing the at least one unsolicited software retrieval command comprises an agent.

63. The method of claim 62 wherein the access to the agent is limited according to domain name server (DNS) address of the network device.

64. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining is based upon an identification of a virtual local area network (VLAN) with which said network device is associated.