UNIFIED INTERFACE FOR CONFIGURING MULTIPLE NETWORKING TECHNOLOGIES

• US 20100131652A1
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Madhana, Taroon, Teh, PehKeong, Brewis, Deon C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,683,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0879 Manual configuration through operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

A network and connection provisioning framework for configuring and provisioning multiple aspects of network connectivity (e.g., multiple networks, media types, and/or connections). The framework may comprise a unified configuration interface that enables an administrator to configure multiple different types of network connectivity. A single configuration file comprising settings for multiple aspects of network connectivity may be generated based on preferences entered by a system administrator, or by exporting current settings from a particular computing device. Global configuration policies or other configuration settings that span multiple types of network connectivity may be also created and stored in one or more configuration files. Stand-alone media managers and/or plug-in modules may implement one or more standardized application programming interface functions so that they may interoperate with the network and connection provisioning framework. The standardized API may be used to ensure that configuration information is handled and stored in a standardized manner by different media managers and/or plug-in modules.

Claims

1. A method for use in a computer system comprising at least one computer, the at least one computer comprising at least a first media manager that enables the at least one computer to communicate using a first network connection technology and a second media manager that enables the at least one computer to communicate using a second network connection technology that is different than the first network connection technology, the method comprising an act of:

(A) providing a common management interface that enables an administrator to establish a first set of one or more network connection settings for the first media manager to use in configuring the at least one computer to communicate using the first network connection technology and a second set of one or more network connection settings for the second media manager to use in configuring the at least one computer to communicate using the second network connection technology.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act (A) comprises providing the common management interface via a single application program that provides a common application user interface through which the administrator may establish the first and second sets of network connection settings.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the single application program comprises a framework and at least first and second plug-ins incorporated into the framework, wherein the first plug-in is specially adapted to provide the single application program with functionality that enables the single application program to be used to establish the first set of network connection settings for the first media manager, and wherein the second plug-in is specially adapted to provide the single application program with functionality that enables the single application program to be used to establish the second set of network connection settings for the second media manager.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer comprises a plurality of media managers comprising the first and second media managers, wherein each of the plurality of media managers enables the computer to communicate using a respective network connection technology and is configurable using a respective set of one or more network connection settings;

and

wherein the act (A) comprises providing a common management interface that enables an administrator to establish the network connection settings for each of the plurality of media managers.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the act (A) comprises providing the common management interface via a single application program that provides a common application user interface through which the administrator may establish the plurality of network connection settings;

and

wherein the single application program comprises a framework and a plurality of plug-ins incorporated into the framework, each of the plug-ins being specially adapted to provide the single application program with functionality that enables the single application program to be used to establish the network connection settings for a corresponding one of the plurality of media managers.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising acts of:

(B) in response to input received from the administrator via the common management interface, creating a first network connection profile for the first media manager and a second network connection profile for the second network media manager; and

(C) providing the first and second network connection profiles to the at least one computer in a same configuration file.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising acts of:

receiving the network configuration file at the at least one computer;

accessing the first and second network connection profiles from the network configuration file;

using the first set of network connection settings to configure the first media manager to enable the computer to communicate using the first network connection technology according to the first set of network connection settings; and

using the second set of network connection settings to configure the second media manager to enable the computer to communicate using the second network connection technology according to the second set of network connection settings.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of network connection settings comprises a first plurality of network settings and the second set of network connection settings comprises a second plurality of network settings.

9. At least one computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, perform a method for use in a computer system comprising at least one computer, the at least one computer comprising a plurality of media managers comprising first and second media managers, the method comprising an act of:

(A) providing a common management interface via a single application program that provides a common application user interface that enables an administrator to establish a respective set of one or more network connection settings for each of the plurality of media managers to use in configuring the at least one computer to communicate using a respective network connection technology, wherein the single application program comprises a framework and a plurality of plug-ins incorporated into the framework, each of the plug-ins being specially adapted to provide the single application program with functionality that enables the single application program to be used to establish the network connection settings for a corresponding one of the plurality of media managers.

10. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises acts of:

(B) in response to input received from the administrator via the common management interface, creating a first network connection profile for the first media manager comprising a first set of network connection settings and a second network connection profile for the second network media manager comprising a second set of network connection settings; and

(C) providing the first and second network connection profiles to the at least one computer in a same configuration file.

11. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises acts of:

receiving the network configuration file at the at least one computer;

accessing the first and second network connection profiles from the network configuration file;

using the first set of network connection settings to configure the first media manager to enable the computer to communicate using the first network connection technology according to the first set of network connection settings; and

using the second set of network connection settings to configure the second media manager to enable the computer to communicate using the second network connection technology according to the second set of network connection settings.

12. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first set of network connection settings comprises a first plurality of network settings and the second set of network connection settings comprises a second plurality of network settings.

13. An apparatus for use in a computer system comprising at least one computer, the at least one computer comprising at least a first media manager that enables the at least one computer to communicate using a first network connection technology and a second media manager that enables the at least one computer to communicate using a second network connection technology that is different than the first network connection technology, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor programmed to perform an act of;

(A) providing a common management interface that enables an administrator to establish a first set of one or more network connection settings for the first media manager to use in configuring the at least one computer to communicate using the first network connection technology and a second set of one or more network connection settings for the second media manager to use in configuring the at least one computer to communicate using the second network connection technology.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to provide the common management interface via a single application program that provides a common application user interface through which the administrator may establish the first and second sets of network connection settings, wherein the single application program comprises a framework and at least first and second plug-ins incorporated into the framework, wherein the first plug-in is specially adapted to provide the single application program with functionality that enables the single application program to be used to establish the first set of network connection settings for the first media manager, and wherein the second plug-in is specially adapted to provide the single application program with functionality that enables the single application program to be used to establish the second set of network connection settings for the second media manager.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one computer comprises a plurality of media managers comprising the first and second media managers, wherein each of the plurality of media managers enables the computer to communicate using a respective network connection technology and is configurable using a respective set of one or more network connection settings;

and

wherein the act (A) comprises providing a common management interface that enables an administrator to establish the network connection settings for each of the plurality of media managers.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the act (A) comprises providing the common management interface via a single application program that provides a common application user interface through which the administrator may establish the plurality of network connection settings;

and

wherein the single application program comprises a framework and a plurality of plug-ins incorporated into the framework, each of the plug-ins being specially adapted to provide the single application program with functionality that enables the single application program to be used to establish the network connection settings for a corresponding one of the plurality of media managers.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first set of network connection settings comprises a first plurality of network settings and the second set of network connection settings comprises a second plurality of network settings.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:

in response to input received from the administrator via the common management interface, create a first network connection profile for the first media manager and a second network connection profile for the second network media manager; and

provide the first and second network connection profiles to the at least one computer in a same configuration file.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least computer comprises a second processor programmed to:

receive the network configuration file at the at least one computer;

access the first and second network connection profiles from the network configuration file;

use the first set of network connection settings to configure the first media manager to enable the computer to communicate using the first network connection technology according to the first set of network connection settings; and

use the second set of network connection settings to configure the second media manager to enable the computer to communicate using the second network connection technology according to the second set of network connection settings.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor is separate from the second processor.