Configuring a network device

• US 20070133567A1
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuze, Inc. (8X8, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Communications Acquisitions Corp.
• Inventors: Martin, Eric, Mishra, Rajesh, West, Julian
• Granted Patent: US 8,130,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.540
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• 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 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]

Abstract

A method performed by a device adapted for communication over a network includes establishing a presence on the network, obtaining default configuration information for the device via the network, the default configuration information identifying a service on the network, receiving a request for validation information from the service, providing the validation information to the service, the service generating device-specific information in response to the validation information, and obtaining the device-specific information.

Claims

1. A method performed by a device adapted for communication over a network, the method comprising:

obtaining default configuration information for the device via the network, the default configuration information identifying a service on the network;

receiving a request for identification information from the service;

providing the identification information to the service, the service providing device-specific information following receipt of the identification information; and

obtaining the device-specific information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for identification information comprises a prompt that is generated in response to a communication from the service.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the prompt comprises at least one of an audio prompt, a video prompt, a text prompt, and an electronic query;

and

wherein the identification information is provided via at least one of a keypad input, a keyboard input, a key input, and an electronic response.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the device using the device-specific information, the device-specific information configuring the device so that the device is distinguishable from other like devices on the network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a presence on the network by;

sending a communication to a first network node; and

receiving, from the first network node, a network address and an identity of a second network node from which to obtain the device-specific information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein obtaining the default configuration information comprises checking the second network node for the device-specific information;

and

wherein, if the second network node does not contain the device-specific information, the default configuration information is obtained from the second network node.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

connecting to the service, wherein connecting is effected by sending data to the service, the service generating the device-specific information using the data and storing the configuration information in the second network node;

receiving an instruction to re-boot from the service; and

re-booting in response to the instruction.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, following re-booting:

sending a communication to the first network node;

receiving, from the first network node, the identity of the second network node from which to obtain the device-specific information;

wherein the device-specific information is obtained from the second network node; and

configuring the device using the device-specific information.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the data comprises an address corresponding to the device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a telephone.

11. A method of configuring a device adapted for communication over a network, the method comprising:

storing configuration information for the device, the configuration information comprising first data that corresponds to the device;

receiving a communication from the device;

obtaining second data that corresponds to the device using the communication;

retrieving the configuration information using the first data and the second data;

generating a configuration file for the device using the configuration information; and

storing the configuration file on the network so that the configuration file is accessible to the device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving the configuration information from an administrative computer, the configuration information corresponding, at least in part, to a type of the device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the second data comprises an Internet protocol (IP) address, a media access control address (MAC), a serial number, or any other unique identifier.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

instructing the device to re-boot after generating the configuration file.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

requesting a response from the device, the response comprising the communication, the communication comprising an address of the device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the address comprises an Internet protocol (IP) address;

and

wherein obtaining the second data comprises using reverse address resolution protocol to obtain a media access control (MAC) address of the device using an IP address of the device.

17. A system comprising:

a telephone adapted for use with voice over Internet protocol (VoIP); and

a central server configured to execute a service that is adapted to control configuring the telephone over a network;

wherein the telephone is adapted to;

establish a presence on the network;

obtain default configuration information via the network, the default configuration information identifying the service;

receive a request for validation information from the service;

provide the validation information to the service, the service generating device-specific information in response to the validation information; and

obtain the device-specific information.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a first server adapted to identify services on the network; and

a second server adapted to provide the device-specific information to the telephone;

wherein the telephone obtains an address of the second server from the first server, and requests the device-specific information from the second server using the address.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein,

wherein, if the second server does not contain the device-specific information, the telephone is adapted to:

obtain the default configuration information from the second server; and

use the default configuration information to obtain the device-specific information.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

an administrative computer adapted to provide at least some of the device-specific information to the central server.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the validation information comprises identification information.

22. One or more machine-readable media comprising instructions that are executable to configure a communication device adapted for communication over a network, the instructions for causing one or more processing devices to:

store configuration information for the communication device, the configuration information comprising first data that corresponds to the communication device;

receive a communication from the communication device;

obtain second data that corresponds to the communication device using the communication;

retrieve the configuration information using the first data and the second data;

generate a configuration file for the communication device using the configuration information; and

store the configuration file on the network so that the configuration file is accessible to the communication device.