Configuring a network parameter to a device

• Main Authors: GROVER RAJEEV, ARENS DOUGLAS W, MORLANG KEVEN PAUL
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 27.03.2003
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHICCOMMUNICATION

The present invention, in various embodiments, provides techniques for configuring network parameters to a device. In one embodiment, the network parameters include a network address, and configuring is done over a network to eliminate the requirement of physically attaching a terminal to the configured device. At configuration time, the device is connected to a network having a configuring machine, A user, from this configuring machine, sends a packet including the to-be-assigned address and the identifier of the configured device to the network. To acquire the packet and thus the address, the configured device regularly checks the network for the packet having the device's identifier. Having acquired the address, the device configures itself, and, to confirm that the address has been configured, the device generates a response to the configuring machine. Once the device is configured with the address, the device disables the automatic configuration feature until the device is in an un-configured state. Further, the device is accessible over the network through telnet, a web browser, or any other communication protocol. In one embodiment, configuration commands and configuration information are also sent with the to-be-configured address, the to-be-configured address is an IP address, the device identifier is a MAC address, and the device is a service processor that provides administrative capabilities to another device and that does not include a terminal. The service processor provides an additional network connection besides other network connections provided by the server, provides access to the server console, event logs, power management functions, etc.