Multi-entity management

• US 9,407,506 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Narang, Nitin, Narayanan, Mahesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUBIN, BLAKE J
• Application Number:
  US13/230,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20130067048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,786 Days
• Field of Search: 709/221
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0889 Techniques to speed-up the configuration process
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5048 Automatic or semi-automatic definitions, e.g. definition templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5061 Pools of addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS

Abstract

In embodiments of multi-entity management, a multi-entity system can include an infrastructure service (DHCP) that services client devices configured for network connectivity on a network. The multi-entity system also includes server devices configured for network configuration settings control and management of the client devices on the network. A multi-entity manager instantiates a configuration dialog for display with user-selectable controls that are selectable to initiate a single-step configuration operation of one or more of the network configuration settings at the server devices.

Claims

1. A multi-entity system, comprising:

a plurality of server devices configured for control and management of network configuration settings for a plurality of client devices on a network; and

a multi-entity manager configured to instantiate a configuration dialog for display with user-selectable controls for;

selecting a single-step configuration operation, wherein the single-step configuration operation comprises at least one of;

an overwrite operation to change a value of a DHCP server scope at the plurality of the server devices, an append operation to append a value to an array of values of a DHCP server scope at the plurality of the server devices, and a find-and-replace operation to find a value and replace the value of a DHCP server scope at the plurality of the server devices; and

editing one or more of the DHCP server scopes, wherein the selected single-step configuration operation is executed at each of the plurality of the server devices to configure the one or more DHCP server scopes at the plurality of the server devices.

2. A multi-entity system as recited in claim 1, wherein the single-step configuration operation comprises a delete operation to delete a value of a network configuration setting at the server devices.

3. A multi-entity system as recited in claim 1, wherein the configuration dialog is configured for selection of multiple network entities having multiple configured objects, and selection of the single-step configuration operation to one of overwrite, append, delete, or find-and-replace a value of the multiple configured objects.

4. A multi-entity system as recited in claim 1, wherein the configuration dialog is configured for:

selection of the single-step configuration operation to one of overwrite, append, delete, or find-and-replace an option value of a network configuration setting;

selection of a server device scope;

selection of a scope option; and

selection of the option value to configure the network configuration setting at the server devices.

10. A multi-entity system as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting the overwrite single-step configuration operation further comprises receiving, by the multi-entity manager, a customized value for changing a value of a network configuration setting at the plurality of server devices.

11. A multi-entity system as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting the append single-step configuration operation further comprises receiving, by the multi-entity manager, a customized value for appending to an array of values of a network configuration setting at the plurality of server devices.

12. A multi-entity system as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting the find-and-replace configuration operation further comprises receiving, by the multi-entity manager, a customized value for finding and replacing the value of a network setting at the plurality of the server devices.

5. A method, comprising:

displaying a configuration dialog user interface with user-selectable controls that are selectable to edit one or more DHCP server scopes for a plurality of server devices in a network;

receiving a selection of a single-step configuration operation, wherein the single-step configuration operation comprises at least one of;

an overwrite operation to change a value of a DHCP server scope at the plurality of the server devices, an append operation to append a value to an array of values of a DHCP server scope at the plurality of the server devices, and a find-and-replace operation to find a value and replace the value of a DHCP server scope at the plurality of the server devices;

receiving a selection of one of the one or more DHCP server scopes;

receiving an input value to configure one of the one or more DHCP server scopes; and

applying the selected single-step configuration operation, wherein, upon applying the single-step configuration operation, the input value is applied at each of the plurality of server devices.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the single-step configuration operation comprises a delete operation to delete the selected values of the one or more network configuration settings at the server devices.

13. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein receiving the selection of the overwrite single-step configuration operation further comprises receiving a customized value for changing a value of a network configuration setting at the plurality of server devices.

14. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein receiving the selection of the append single-step configuration operation further comprises receiving a customized value for appending to an array of values of a network configuration setting at the plurality of server devices.

15. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein receiving the selection of the find-and-replace single-step configuration operation further comprises receiving a customized value for finding and replacing the value of a network setting at the plurality of the server devices.

7. A multi-entity manager for multi-entity management, the multi-entity manager comprising:

a user-selectable scope control configured for selection of one or more server scopes to be edited; and

a configuration dialog user interface comprising;

a user-selectable operation control configured for selection of a single-step configuration operation for one or more network configuration settings at a plurality of DHCP server devices in a network, wherein the single-step configuration operation comprises at least one of;

an overwrite operation to change a value of a network configuration setting at the plurality of the server devices, an append operation to append a value to an array of values of a network configuration setting at the plurality of the server devices, and a find-and-replace operation to find a value and replace the value of a network setting at the plurality of the server devices;

a user-selectable option control configured for receiving a selection of one or more scope options of the one or more server scopes; and

a value input field configured for receiving one or more option value inputs of the one or more scope options, wherein, upon receiving a selection of a scope option and an option value, the option value is applied to each of the plurality of DHCP server devices.

8. A multi-entity manager as recited in claim 7, wherein the single-step configuration operation is applied to the selected one or more server scopes.

9. A multi-entity manager as recited in claim 7, wherein the user-selectable operation control is configured for selection of a delete configuration operation to delete the one or more selected option values of the one or more selected option values of the one or more selected scope options of the one or more selected server scopes.

16. A multi-entity manager as recited in claim 7, wherein the user-selectable operation control is configured for receiving a customized value for changing a value of a network configuration setting at the plurality of server devices.

17. A multi-entity manager as recited in claim 7, wherein the user-selectable operation control is configured for receiving a customized value for appending to an array of values of a network configuration setting at the plurality of server devices.

18. A multi-entity manager as recited in claim 7, wherein the user-selectable operation control is configured for receiving a customized value for finding and replacing the value of a network setting at the plurality of server devices.