Automated configuration of network device ports
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, comprising:
- receiving a DHCPDISCOVER request from a device;
examining at least one DHCP option of the DHCPDISCOVER request; and
determining, based on information in the at least one DHCP option of the DHCPDISCOVER request, whether an appropriate macro is available to configure a port of a network device on which the DHCPDISCOVER request was received;
if the appropriate macro is determined to be available, causing the port of the network device to be configured by the appropriate macro such that the port of the network device on which the DHCPDISCOVER request was received is automatically configured;
wherein the macro includes a set of instructions.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and devices are provided for identifying end devices and automatically configuring associated network settings. Preferred implementations of the invention do not require users to manually identify connection types (e.g., RFID, IPphone, manufacturing device, etc.) or to manually configure the network device. Accordingly, such implementations allow automatic switch configuration, even for devices that use inconsistent protocols and/or protocols that are not well known. Some methods of the invention employ DHCP options combined with traffic snooping to identify devices and automatically apply appropriate switch port configuration.
323 Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A method, comprising:
-
receiving a DHCPDISCOVER request from a device; examining at least one DHCP option of the DHCPDISCOVER request; and determining, based on information in the at least one DHCP option of the DHCPDISCOVER request, whether an appropriate macro is available to configure a port of a network device on which the DHCPDISCOVER request was received; if the appropriate macro is determined to be available, causing the port of the network device to be configured by the appropriate macro such that the port of the network device on which the DHCPDISCOVER request was received is automatically configured; wherein the macro includes a set of instructions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. An apparatus for establishing network device port settings, the apparatus comprising:
-
a port for receiving a DHCPDISCOVER request from a device; a memory; and at least one logic device configured for determining, based on information in at least one DHCP option in the DHCPDISCOVER request, whether an appropriate macro is available to configure the port of the apparatus and, if the appropriate macro is determined to be available, causing the port of the apparatus to be configured by the appropriate macro such that the port of the apparatus on which the DHCPDISCOVER request was received is automatically configured, wherein the macro includes a set of instructions. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method, comprising:
-
receiving a DHCPDISCOVER request from a first device; examining at least one DHCP option of the DHCPDISCOVER request; determining, based on information in the DHCPDISCOVER request, a personality of the first device; determining whether an appropriate macro for a device having the personality of the first device is available to configure a port of a second device on which the DHCPDISCOVER request was received; and causing the port of the second device to be configured by the appropriate macro such that the port of the second device on which the DHCPDISCOVER request was received is automatically configured. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
-
-
16. A network device, comprising:
-
a plurality of ports; a storage device; and a logic device configured to receive a DHCPDISCOVER request from a first device via a first port of the plurality of ports of the network device, determine, based on information in the DHCPDISCOVER request, a personality of the first device, determine whether configuration parameters for a device having the personality of the first device are available to configure the first port of the network device on which the DHCPDISCOVER request was received and configure the first port of the network device with the configuration parameters such that the first port of the network device on which the DHCPDISCOVER request was received is automatically configured. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
Specification