Method and system for remote configuration of a device

• US 8,812,628 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2010
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Vermoesen, Luc
• Primary Examiner(s): Barry, Lance L
• Application Number:
  US13/146,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20110314137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-223, 709/226, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/022 Multivendor or multi-standard integration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/028 for synchronisation between service call and response
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration

Abstract

Method for remote configuration of a device via a network by means of a remote autoconfiguration server (ACS), wherein the configuration includes creating new data, or modifying or deleting writeable data of the device. The TR-069 CPE WAN management protocol may be used for communicating between the ACS and the device. The remote management protocol uses sessions consisting of transactions, where a transaction is a single request followed by a single response. Within a session, when writeable data has to be created, modified or deleted by the ACS, at least the writeable data to be created, deleted or modified are write-locked for other management agents at the transaction level. The write-lock is released within the session, after a successful configuration and/or after a failure.

Claims

1. A method for a remote configuration of a device via a network by means of a remote auto configuration server (ACS), comprising:

at least one of creating new data, modifying writeable data and deleting writeable data of the device, by the ACS, via a TR-069 CPE WAN management protocol using a plurality of sessions, each of the plurality of sessions consisting of a plurality of transactions, each of the plurality of transactions being a single request followed by a single response;

at a level of the plurality of transactions, write-locking, by the ACS, at least the writeable data to be created, deleted or modified within each of the plurality of sessions, when writeable data has to be created, modified or deleted by the ACS, the write-locking preventing creation, deletion or modification of the writeable data by at least one other ACS;

sending a call, by the ACS to the device, for setting current values of the writeable data upon the ACS obtaining the current values of the writeable data; and

releasing the write-locked data, at the level of the plurality of transactions within each of the plurality of sessions, after at least one of a successful configuration and a failure.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein within one of the plurality of sessions a begin transaction call is sent by the ACS to the device causing the device to write-lock the writeable data for the at least one other ACS, whereupon a call for creating new data, or for deleting or modifying writeable data is performed.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein within one of the plurality of sessions a call for creating new data, or for deleting or modifying writeable data is sent from the ACS to the device, causing the device to write-lock the writeable data for the at least one other ACS, whereupon the new data is created or the writeable data is deleted or modified.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein releasing the write lock is coupled with the sending of a call from the device to the ACS to indicate an end of a transaction.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ACS further sends a set of new values to the device, whereupon the device performs the write-locking and proceeds with the setting if the device allows the setting.

6. The method according to claim 5, whereupon the device performs the write-locking and proceeds with the setting upon the current values corresponding with actual values of the writeable data.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein upon the device proceeding with the setting and the setting being successful, the ACS is informed of a successful setting and the device immediately releases the write-lock.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein upon the device not proceeding with the setting, the ACS is informed accordingly, a rollback is performed, and the device releases the write-lock.

9. An auto configuration server for remote configuration of a device, in particular for use in the method of claim 1, said ACS being configured to instruct the device within a session, upon new data having to be created in the device or writeable data of the device having to be modified or deleted by the ACS, to write-lock at least the writeable data to be created, modified or deleted for the at least one other ACS, at the transaction level.

10. The auto configuration server according to claim 9, wherein the ACS is configured to send a call to the device to indicate a begin of a transaction causing the write locking of the writeable data for the at least one other ACS.

11. The auto configuration server according to claim 9, wherein the ACS is further configured to send a set of new values to the device.

12. A device having writeable data, and configured to be remotely configurable via a network by means of an ACS, in particular for use in the method of claim 1, said device being further configured to:

write lock writeable data within a session with the ACS, upon writeable data having to be created, modified or deleted; and

release a write-lock within a session, at the transaction level, after at least one of a successful configuration of writeable data or a failure.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the device is configured to use the TR-069 CPE WAN management protocol for communicating between the ACS and the device.