Methods and systems for remote device configuration

• US 9,928,082 B1
• Filed: 03/19/2014
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gluware IP LLC
• Original Assignee: Gluware, Inc.
• Inventors: Huynh Van, Olivier, Wright, Mark Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Choudhury, Zahid
• Application Number:
  US14/219,654
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• 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 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Systems and methods described herein may perform processing associated with loading, with a boot agent injection module in communication with a processor; a boot agent into a memory of a network device comprising a processor; and perform processing associated with using the boot agent to configure, with the network device, the network device to connect to a remote computer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

performing processing associated with loading, with a boot agent injection module in communication with a processor;

a boot agent into a memory of a network device comprising the processor, the boot agent comprising executable code, and the network device not currently configured to connect a remote computer; and

performing processing associated with a using a the boot agent to configure, with the network device, the network device to connect to the remote computer, wherein once configured, the network device is configured to connect to the remote computer after a future remote device restart without reconfiguring,

wherein performing processing associated with loading, with the boot agent injection module, the boot agent into the memory of the network device further comprises;

performing processing associated with transferring, with the boot agent injection module the boot agent to the network device via a network connection,

wherein performing processing associated with loading, with the boot agent injection module, the boot agent into the memory of the network device further comprises;

performing processing associated with sending, with the boot agent injection module, an HTML link to a computer in communicating with the network device via a network connection, the HTML link comprising a link to the boot agent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing processing associated with loading, with a boot agent injection module, a boot agent into a memory of a network device further comprises:

performing processing associated with transferring, with the booth agent injection module, the boot agent to the network device via a USB connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing processing associated with using the boot agent to configure, with the network device, the network device to connect to a remote computer comprises:

performing processing associated with using the boot agent to analyze, with the network device, a property of the network device; and

performing processing associated with using the boot agent to configure, with the network device, the network device according to the property of the network device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein performing processing associated with using the boot agent to configure, with the network device, the network device to connect to a remote computer comprises:

performing processing associated with sending, with the network device, a test message to the remote computer via network connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing processing associated with using the boot agent to configure, with the network device, the network device to connect to a remote computer comprises:

performing processing associated with storing, with the network device, configuration data into the memory of the network device, the configuration data enabling the network device to connect to the remote computer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein performing processing associated with using the boot agent to configure, with the network device, the network device to connect to a remote computer comprises:

performing processing associated with using the boot agent to determine, with the network device, whether the network device is connected to the remote computer via a direct connection or an indirect connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing processing associated with using the boot agent to configure, with the network device, the network device to connect to a remote computer comprises:

performing processing associated with using the boot agent to configure, with the network device, the network device to communicate with the remote computer using a scripts library.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing processing associated with loading, with the boot agent injection module;

a boot agent update into the memory of the network device; and

performing processing associated with using the boot agent update to configure, with the network device, the network device to connect to the remote computer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network device is configured to connect to the remote computer through ha local area network or wide area network.

10. A system comprising:

a network device comprising a processor and a memory, the network device not currently configured to connect to a remote computer; and

a boot agent injection module in communication with a processor, the boot agent injection module comprising executable code and configured to perform processing associated with loading a boot agent into the memory of the network device;

wherein the network device is configured to perform processing associated with using the boot agent to configure the network device to connect to the remote computer, and wherein once configured, the network device is configured to connect to the remote computer after a future remote device restart without reconfiguring,

wherein the boot agent injection module is configured to perform processing associated with loading the boot agent into the memory of the network device by;

performing processing associated with transferring the boot agent to the network device via a network connection,

wherein the boot agent injection module is further configured to perform processing associated with loading the boot agent into the memory of a network device by;

performing processing associated with sending an HTML link to a computer in communication with the network device via a network connection, the HTML link comprising a link to the boot agent.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the boot agent injection module is configured to perform processing associated with loading the boot agent into a memory of a network device by:

performing processing associated with transferring the boot agent to the network device via a USB connection.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein performing processing associated with using the boot agent to configure, with the network device, the network device to connect to a remote computer comprises:

performing processing associated with using the boot agent to analyze, with the network device, a property of the network device; and

performing processing associated with using the boot agent to configure, with the network device, the network device according to the property of the network device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein performing processing associated with using the boot agent to configure, with the network device, the network device to connect to a remote computer comprises:

performing processing associated with sending, with the network device, a test message to the remote computer via a network connection.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the network device is configured to perform processing associated with using the boot agent to configure the network device to connect to a remote computer by:

performing processing associated with storing configuration data into the memory of the network device, the configuration data enabling the network device to connect to the remote computer.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the network device is configured to perform processing associated with using the boot agent to configure the network device to connect to a remote computer by:

performing processing associated with using the boot agent to determine whether the network device is connected to the remote computer via a direct connection or an indirect connection.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the network device is configured to perform processing associated with using the boot agent to configure the network device to connect to a remote computer by:

performing processing associated with using the boot agent to configure the network device to communicate with the remote computer using a scripts library.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the boot agent injection module is further configured to perform processing associated with loading a boot agent update into the memory of the network device; and

the network device is further configured to perform processing associated with using the boot agent update to configure the network device to connect to the remote computer.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the network device is configured to connect to the remote computer through a local area network or wide area network.