Method and system for upgrading network device

• US 8,782,181 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): HOANG, HIEU T
• Application Number:
  US13/580,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20120324065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-222
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• 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

The disclosure discloses a method for upgrading a network device, which comprises: establishing, by a network management server, a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection with the network device (101); during an upgrade process, transmitting, by the network management server, a private protocol born on the TCP to the network device to notify the network device to be upgraded, then executing, by the network device, a corresponding upgrade operation after receiving the notification and returning an upgrade result to the network management server through the private protocol born on the TCP (102). The disclosure also discloses a system for upgrading a network device. With the method and the system, the purpose of implementing automatic upgrade for a network device can be achieved without a third party and the implementation is simple.

Claims

1. A method for upgrading a network device, comprising:

establishing, by a network management server, a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection with the network device;

during an upgrade process, transmitting, by the network management server, a private protocol born on the TCP to the network device to notify the network device to be upgraded;

executing, by the network device, a corresponding upgrade operation after receiving the notification and returning an upgrade result to the network management server through the private protocol born on the TCP;

wherein the process of the network management server and the network device performing an upgrade by using the private protocol born on the TCP comprises;

step A;

transmitting, by the network device, device information of the network device itself to the network management server;

step B;

judging, by the network management server, the device information transmitted from the network device and transmitting upgrade information corresponding to the judgment result to notify the network device to be upgraded;

step C;

executing, by the network device, a corresponding upgrade operation after receiving the upgrade information and feeding back an upgrade result to the network management server;

wherein the step B comprises;

judging, by the network management server, the device information transmitted from the network device, notifying the network device to interrupt the TCP connection when determining that the network device is illegal, notifying the network device to download version files when determining that both version and configuration of the network device need an upgrade, and notifying the network device to directly download profiles when determining that the version of the network device needs no upgrade but the configuration needs an upgrade;

the step C comprises;

when receiving the notification from the network management server of downloading version files, downloading, by the network device, the version files and returning a download result to the network management server;

notifying, by the network management server, the network device to restart, then executing, by the network device, a restart operation after receiving the notification and notifying the network management server after the restart;

when receiving the notification from the network management server of downloading profiles, downloading, by the network device, the profiles and returning a download result to the network management server;

notifying, by the network management server, the network device to upgrade the downloaded profiles, then upgrading, by the network device, the profiles after receiving the notification and returning an upgrade result to the network management server.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the upgrade mode of the network device upgrading profiles notified by the network management server comprises:

upgrade immediately and upgrade regularly;

when the upgrade mode is upgrade immediately, after the network device returns the upgrade result of the profiles to the network management server, the method further comprising;

notifying, by the network management server, the network device to upload log files, then uploading, by the network device, the log files after receiving the notification and transmitting an upload result to the network management server.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

after the network device completes the upgrade,

notifying, by the network management server, the network device to interrupt the TCP connection there-between through the private protocol born on the TCP;

executing, by the network device, a disconnection operation of the TCP connection after receiving the notification.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

during the upgrade process of the network device,

regularly reporting, by the network device, the upgrade progress of the network device itself to the network management server through the private protocol born on the TCP.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

after the network device completes the upgrade, notifying, by the network management server, the network device to interrupt the TCP connection there-between through the private protocol born on the TCP;

executing, by the network device, a disconnection operation of the TCP connection after receiving the notification.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

during the upgrade process of the network device, regularly reporting, by the network device, the upgrade progress of the network device itself to the network management server through the private protocol born on the TCP.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

during the upgrade process of the network device, regularly reporting, by the network device, the upgrade progress of the network device itself to the network management server through the private protocol born on the TCP.

8. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

during the upgrade process of the network device,

regularly reporting, by the network device, the upgrade progress of the network device itself to the network management server through the private protocol born on the TCP.

9. A system for upgrading a network device, comprising:

a network management server and a network device;

the network management server is configured to;

establish a TCP connection with the network device;

during an upgrade process, transmit a private protocol born on the TCP to the network device to notify the network device to be upgraded; and

receive an upgrade result of the execution of an upgrade operation returned by the network device through the private protocol born on the TCP;

the network device is configured to;

establish a TCP connection with the network management server;

during an upgrade process, after receiving an upgrade notification transmitted from the network management server through the private protocol born on the TCP, execute a corresponding upgrade operation and return an upgrade result to the network management server through the private protocol born on the TCP;

wherein the upgrade process in which the network management server performs communications with the network device by using the private protocol born on the TCP comprises;

the network management server receives and judges device information transmitted from the network device, transmits upgrade information corresponding to the judgment result to notify the network device to be upgraded, and receives an upgrade result fed back by the network device; and

the upgrade process in which the network device performs communications with the network management server by using the private protocol born on the TCP comprises;

the network device transmits device information of the network device itself to the network management server, executes a corresponding upgrade operation after receiving upgrade information transmitted from the network management server and feeds back an upgrade result to the network management server; and

wherein the network management server judging the device information transmitted from the network device, notifying the network device to be upgraded and receiving the upgrade result fed back by the network device comprises;

judging the device information transmitted from the network device, notifying the network device to interrupt the TCP connection when determining that the network device is illegal;

notifying the network device to download version files when determining that both version and configuration of the network device need an upgrade;

notifying the network device to directly download profiles when determining that the version of the network device needs no upgrade but the configuration needs an upgrade;

notifying the network device to restart after receiving a download result of the version files transmitted from the network device, and receiving a restart complete result reported by the network device;

notifying the network device to upgrade the downloaded profiles after receiving a download result of the profiles transmitted from the network device, and receiving an upgrade result of the profiles returned by the network device; and

the network device executing the upgrade operation and feeding back the upgrade result to the network management server comprises;

after being determined to be illegal by the network management server and receiving a notification of interrupting the TCP connection, interrupting the TCP connection with the network management server;

after receiving the notification from the network management server, downloading version files or downloading profiles, and

returning a download result to the network management server;

after receiving the notification from the network management server, restarting and notifying the network management server after the restart; and

after receiving the notification from the network management server, upgrading the profiles and returning an upgrade result to the network management server.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the upgrade mode of the network device upgrading profiles notified by the network management server comprises:

upgrade immediately and upgrade regularly;

when the upgrade mode is upgrade immediately, the network management server is further configured to notify the network device to upload log files after receiving the upgrade result of the profiles transmitted from the network device and to receive an upload result of the log files transmitted from the network device; and

the network device is further configured to upload the log files after receiving the notification transmitted from the network management server and to transmit the upload result to the network management server.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the network management server is further configured to notify, after the network device completes the upgrade, the network device to interrupt the TCP connection there-between through the private protocol born on the TCP;

and

the network device is further configured to execute a disconnection operation of the TCP connection after receiving the notification transmitted from the network management server.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the network device is further configured to regularly report the upgrade progress of the network device itself to the network management server through the private protocol born on the TCP, during the upgrade process;

and

the network management server is further configured to receive the upgrade progress transmitted from the network device.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the network management server is further configured to notify, after the network device completes the upgrade, the network device to interrupt the TCP connection there-between through the private protocol born on the TCP;

and

the network device is further configured to execute a disconnection operation of the TCP connection after receiving the notification transmitted from the network management server.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein the network device is further configured to regularly report the upgrade progress of the network device itself to the network management server through the private protocol born on the TCP, during the upgrade process;

and

the network management server is further configured to receive the upgrade progress transmitted from the network device.

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein the network device is further configured to regularly report the upgrade progress of the network device itself to the network management server through the private protocol born on the TCP, during the upgrade process;

and

the network management server is further configured to receive the upgrade progress transmitted from the network device.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein the network device is further configured to regularly report the upgrade progress of the network device itself to the network management server through the private protocol born on the TCP, during the upgrade process;

and

the network management server is further configured to receive the upgrade progress transmitted from the network device.