Method and apparatus for performing configuration over a network
First Claim
1. A method of passing configuration information between a DHCP server and a DHCP client, the method comprising:
- forming a DHCP message having a vendor-specific portion including at least one parameter representing configuration information encoded as a triplet comprising a code field, a length field, and a value field, wherein said code field includes an indication of encryption of the value field, and said value field comprises a set of one or more name-value pairs encrypted in accordance with the code field; and
transmitting the DHCP message including the vendor-specific portion from the DHCP server to the DHCP client.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for passing configuration information over a network. In one embodiment, the configuration information is passed between a DHCP server and a DHCP client and includes parameters not formally defined within DHCP. The parameters are therefore encoded into a vendor-specific portion of a DHCP message using at least one triplet comprising a code field, a length field, and a value field. The value field comprises a set of one or more name-value pairs. The code field includes an indication of encryption of the value field. In another embodiment, a fixed-function appliance device is attached to a network, and is booted using boot code and a configuration stored locally to the device. The device then downloads a network configuration, which is compared to the locally stored configuration. If the network configuration is different from the locally stored configuration, the network configuration is stored locally to the device. The device is then rebooted using the stored network configuration.
195 Citations
52 Claims
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1. A method of passing configuration information between a DHCP server and a DHCP client, the method comprising:
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forming a DHCP message having a vendor-specific portion including at least one parameter representing configuration information encoded as a triplet comprising a code field, a length field, and a value field, wherein said code field includes an indication of encryption of the value field, and said value field comprises a set of one or more name-value pairs encrypted in accordance with the code field; and
transmitting the DHCP message including the vendor-specific portion from the DHCP server to the DHCP client. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server comprising:
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a store containing DHCP information for at least one DHCP client, said DHCP information including a vendor-specific portion containing at least one parameter representing configuration information for the DHCP client encoded within a triplet comprising a code field, a length field, and a value field, wherein said code field includes an indication of encryption of the value field, and said value field comprises a set of one or more name-value pairs encrypted in accordance with the code field; and
a network interface operable to transmit a DHCP message including the vendor-specific portion to the DHCP client. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A computer program product comprising program instructions on a medium, wherein said instructions when executed by a machine cause the machine to:
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form a DHCP message having a vendor-specific portion including at least one parameter representing configuration information encoded within a triplet comprising a code field, a length field, and a value field, wherein said code field includes an indication of encryption of the value field, and said value field comprises a set of one or more name-value pairs encrypted in accordance with the code field; and
transmit the DHCP message including the vendor-specific portion from the DHCP server to the DHCP client.
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26. A method of managing a DHCP server having a repository of DHCP client configuration data, the method comprising:
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receiving vendor-specific data representing configuration data for said client, wherein said vendor-specific data comprises at least one triplet of a code field, a length field, and a value field, wherein said code field includes an indication of encryption of the value field, and said value field comprises a set of one or more name-value pairs encrypted in accordance with the code field; and
storing in the repository the received vendor-specific configuration data for the client.
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27. A method of providing configuration information from a server to a client, the method comprising:
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forming a message containing a vendor-specific portion including;
at least one parameter representing configuration information encoded as a name-value pairs, wherein the name-value pair is encrypted; and
a code segment descriptive of the encryption applied to said name-value pair; and
transmitting the message including the vendor-specific portion from the server to the client.
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28. Means for passing configuration information between a DHCP server and a DHCP client comprising:
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means for forming a DHCP message having a vendor-specific portion including at least one parameter representing configuration information encoded within a triplet comprising a code field, a length field, and a value field, wherein said code field includes an indication of encryption of the value field, and said value field comprises a set of one or more name-value pairs encrypted in accordance with the code field; and
means for transmitting the DHCP message including the vendor-specific portion from the DHCP server to the DHCP client.
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29. A method for booting a fixed-function device attached to a network, said method comprising:
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storing boot code and a configuration locally to the device;
booting the device using the stored boot code and the stored configuration;
downloading a network configuration to the device;
comparing the stored configuration with the network configuration;
if the network configuration is different from the stored configuration, storing the network configuration locally to the device and rebooting the device using the stored network configuration, and otherwise starting using the device to perform said fixed function. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. Apparatus for booting a fixed-function device attached to a network, said apparatus comprising:
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means for storing boot code and a configuration locally to the device;
means for booting the device using the stored boot code and the stored configuration;
means for downloading a network configuration to the device;
means for comparing the stored configuration with the network configuration;
and means, responsive to the network configuration being different from the stored configuration, for storing the network configuration locally to the device and for rebooting the device using the stored network configuration, and otherwise for starting using the device to perform said fixed function.
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41. A fixed-function device comprising:
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non-volatile storage containing boot code and a stored configuration, wherein the device is operable to boot using the boot code and the stored configuration;
a network interface operable to download a network configuration to the device; and
a processing unit operable to compare the stored configuration with the downloaded network configuration, wherein if the network configuration is different from the stored configuration, the network configuration is saved to said non-volatile storage, and the device is rebooted using the stored network configuration. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A computer program product comprising program instructions on a medium, said instructions when loaded into a machine causing the machine to perform a method for booting a fixed-function device attached to a network, said method comprising:
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storing boot code and a configuration locally to the device;
booting the device using the stored boot code and the stored configuration;
downloading a network configuration to the device;
comparing the stored configuration with the network configuration;
if the network configuration is different from the stored configuration, storing the network configuration locally to the device and rebooting the device using the stored network configuration, and otherwise starting using the device to perform said fixed function.
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Specification