Common configuration application programming interface

• US 8,676,942 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Brewis, Deon C., Mandhana, Taroon, Teh, PehKeong
• Primary Examiner(s): GOODCHILD, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US12/276,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20100131618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• 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 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, the computer comprising at least a first media manager for execution on the computer that enables the computer to communicate using a first networking media type and a second media manager for execution on the computer that enables the computer to communicate using a second networking media type that is different from the first networking media type, the method comprising acts of:

providing, at the computer, a connection provisioning framework, the connection provisioning framework adapted to receive arbitrary implementations of a common software interface;

providing, at the computer, a first configuration software interface that when executing configures the first media manager, the first configuration software interface comprising a first implementation of the common software interface, wherein the first implementation is specific to the first networking media type, the first configuration software interface being adapted to receive, from the connection provisioning framework, a first set of one or more configuration settings of the first networking media type for the first media manager to use to configure a first network interface of the computer to control how the computer communicates using the first networking media type;

providing, at the computer, a second configuration software interface that when executing configures the second media manager, the second configuration software interface comprising a second implementation of the common software interface, wherein the second implementation is specific to the second media type, the second configuration software interface being adapted to receive, from the connection provisioning framework, a second set of one or more configuration settings of the second media type for the second media manager to use to configure a second network interface of the at least one computer to control how the computer communicates using the second networking media type, wherein the first and second configuration software interfaces both implement the common software interface, each implementation comprising at least one respective application programming interface (API) function for creating a configuration profile associated with a particular network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of one or more configuration settings comprises at least one setting that relates to both the first and second networking media types.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the common software interface specifies one or more application programming interface (API) functions for deleting a configuration profile.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the common software interface specifies one or more application programming interface (API) functions for modifying a configuration profile.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer comprises a plurality of media managers including the first and second media managers and one or more additional media managers;

and

wherein the method further comprises an act of providing an implementation of the common software interface for each of the one or more additional media managers.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more additional media managers comprises a third media manager that enables the computer to communicate using a plurality of different networks.

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

providing a first export interface for the first media manager that enables the first media manager to provide at least some of the first set of one or more configuration settings relating to the first networking media type; and

providing a second export interface for the second media manager that enables the second media manager to provide at least some of the second set of one or more configuration settings relating to the second networking media type, wherein

the first and second export interfaces conform to a common export interface format of the connection provisioning framework.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least some of the first set of one or more configuration settings comprises at least one setting that is provisioned on the computer.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising an act of:

creating a single export configuration file based, at least in part, on the at least some of the first set of one or more configuration settings and the at least some of the second set of one or more configuration settings.

10. At least one computer readable storage device encoded with a plurality of instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform a method of executing a first media manager and one or more additional media managers for use in the computer, wherein the first media manager and each of the one or more additional media managers enables the computer to communicate using respective networking media types, the method comprising:

providing the computer with a connection provisioning framework, the connection provisioning framework adapted to communicate with arbitrary media managers via respective implementations of a common application programming interface (API);

providing the first media manager and the one or more additional media managers with respective implementations of the common API for configuring the respective media managers, each implementation being adapted to receive a respective set of one or more configuration settings for the respective media manager to use to configure a respective network interface of the computer to control how the computer communicates using a respective networking media type, and wherein each implementation of the common API comprises, respectively, one or more API functions for adding, modifying, and deleting a configuration profile associated with a respective particular combination of a networking media type and a network.

11. The at least one computer readable storage device of claim 10, further comprising an act of:

providing a first export interface for the first media manager that enables the first media manager to provide a second set of one or more configuration settings relating to a first networking media type, wherein the first export interface conforms to a common export interface format shared by at least one of the one or more additional media managers.

12. The at least one computer readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the second set of one or more configuration settings comprises at least one setting that is provisioned on the computer.

13. A computer for provisioning configuration settings on the computer, the computer comprising:

at least one processor programmed to implement a provisioning component that is adapted to, when executing;

provide a common networking framework on the computer, the common networking framework adapted to communicate with arbitrary media managers that implement a software interface of the common networking framework;

receive at least one configuration file comprising a first profile relating to a first networking technology, receive a second profile relating to a second networking technology different from the first networking technology, and receive a third profile relating to at least one network;

provide a first set of configuration settings to a first media manager via a first corresponding implementation of the software interface, the first set of configuration settings for the first media manager to use to configure a first network interface of the computer to control how the computer communicates using the first networking technology, wherein the first set of configuration settings are obtained, at least partially, based on the first profile; and

provide a second set of configuration settings to a second media manager via a second corresponding implementation of the software interface, the second set of configuration settings for the second media manager to use to configure a second network interface of the computer to control how the computer communicates using the second networking technology, wherein the second set of configuration settings are obtained, at least partially, based on the second profile, and wherein the first and second configuration interfaces conform to a common configuration interface format, the first and second implementation of the software interface comprising respective application programming interface (API) functions for modifying the third profile relating to the at least one network.

14. The computer of claim 13, wherein the first and second implementations of the software interface further comprise, respectively, one or more application programming interface (API) functions for adding and/or deleting a configuration profile.

15. The computer of claim 13, wherein the third profile relates to a plurality of networks, and wherein the provisioning component is further adapted to provide a third set of configuration settings to a third media manager based, at least partially, on the third profile.

16. The computer of claim 13, wherein the at least one configuration file is an import configuration file, and wherein the provisioning component is further adapted to:

receive at least one configuration setting from the first media manager, wherein the at least one configuration setting is provisioned on the computer; and

provide an export configuration file comprising the at least one configuration setting.