# US 11,121,923 B2 · Automatic provisioning of network components > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,121,923 B2 - Document ID: US11121923B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/544,690 - Filed: 2019-08-19 - Published: 2020-05-21 - Granted: 2021-09-14 - Earliest claimed: 2018-11-19 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Salvatore Valenza; Domenico Ficara; Valerio Di Gregorio; Amine Choukir; Vincent Cuissard - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11121923B2 ## CPC - H04L 41/0806: for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play - H04L 41/0886: {Fully automatic configuration} - H04L 41/0895: Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements - H04L 41/40: using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities - H04L 41/5054: Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components - H04L 67/34: {involving the movement of software or configuration parameters (network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416)} - H04W 4/50: Service provisioning or reconfiguring - H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information - H04W 60/00: Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration - H04W 80/02: Data link layer protocols - H04L 41/22: comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] - H04L 41/5009: Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF] - H04L 43/08: Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters - H04L 43/20: the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV - H04W 24/02: Arrangements for optimising operational condition - H04W 60/04: using triggered events - H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] - H04W 88/08: Access point devices - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods that enable automatic provisioning of access points within an enterprise network by a controller of the enterprise network. In one aspect, a method includes detecting, at a network controller, attachment of a first access point to a network; identifying, by the network controller, a profile of a second access point, the second access point having being replaced with the first access point, the profile including at least one of identification parameters and configuration parameters of the second access point; and provisioning, by the network controller, the first access point with the profile of the second access point. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: detecting, at a network controller, attachment of a first access point to a network; determining whether the first access point is coupled to the network through an access interface utilized in coupling a second access point to the network; identifying that the first access point is replacing the second access point in response to determining that the first access point is coupled to the network through the access interface utilized in coupling the second access point to the network based on an identity profile for the second access point that is received from the second access point in response to a neighbor discovery protocol request; identifying, by the network controller, a profile of the second access point, the profile including at least one of identification parameters and configuration parameters of the second access point, wherein the profile is specific to an access point group associated with the second access point; automatically associating the first access point with the access point group associated with the second access point; and provisioning, by the network controller, the first access point with the profile of the second access point in response to identifying that the first access point is replacing the second access point. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the attachment of the first access point comprises: receiving, at the network controller, a discovery protocol message indicative of the attachment of the first access point to the network, from a wireless local area network controller (WLC). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: accessing, by the network controller, a database in which the profile of the second access point is stored prior to the second access point being replaced by the first access point; and querying, by the network controller, the database to identify the profile of the second access point. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning comprises: pushing, by the network controller, the profile of the second AP to a wireless local area network controller (WLC) to which the first access point is attached. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the identification parameters of the second access point include a MAC address of the second access point, IP address of the second access point and neighboring information identifying one or more switches to which the second access point is connected. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration parameters include an identification of the second access point, a customer tag, a policy tag, a site tag and a customer site information associated with the second access point. ### Claim 7 A network controller comprising: memory having computer-readable instructions stored therein; and one or more processors configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to: detect attachment of a first access point to a network; determine whether the first access point is coupled to the network through an access interface utilized in coupling a second access point to the network; identify that the first access point is replacing the second access point in response to determining that the first access point is coupled to the network through the access interface utilized in coupling the second access point to the network based on an identity profile for the second access point that is received from the second access point in response to a neighbor discovery protocol request; identify a profile of the second access point the profile including at least one of identification parameters and configuration parameters of the second access point, wherein the profile is specific to an access point group associated with the second access point; automatically associate the first access point with the access point group associated with the second access point; and provision the first access point with the profile of the second access point in response to identifying that the first access point is replacing the second access point. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The network controller of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to: receive a discovery protocol message indicative of the attachment of the first access point to the network, from a wireless local area network controller (WLC); and detect the attachment upon receiving the discovery protocol message. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The network controller of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to: access a database in which the profile of the second access point is stored prior to the second access point being replaced by the first access point; and query the database to identify the profile of the second access point. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The network controller of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to provision the first access point by pushing the profile of the second AP to a wireless local area network controller (WLC) to which the first access point is attached. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The network controller of claim 7, wherein the identification parameters of the second access point include a MAC address of the second access point, IP address of the second access point and neighboring information identifying one or more switches to which the second access point is connected. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The network controller of claim 7, wherein the configuration parameters include an identification of the second access point, a customer tag, a policy tag, a site tag and a customer site information associated with the second access point. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The network controller of claim 7, wherein the network controller is a dynamic network access controller of an enterprise network in which the second access point is replaced with the first access point. ### Claim 14 One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer-readable instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: detect attachment of a first access point to a network; determine whether the first access point is coupled to the network through an access interface utilized in coupling a second access point to the network; identify that the first access point is replacing the second access point in response to determining that the first access point is coupled to the network through the access interface utilized in coupling the second access point to the network based on an identity profile for the second access point that is received from the second access point in response to a neighbor discovery protocol request; identify a profile of the second access point, the profile including at least one of identification parameters and configuration parameters of the second access point, wherein the profile is specific to an access point group associated with the second access point; automatically associate the first access point with the access point group associated with the second access point; and provision the first access point with the profile of the second access point in response to identifying that the first access point is replacing the second access point. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to: receive a discovery protocol message indicative of the attachment of the first access point to the network, from a wireless local area network controller (WLC); and detect the attachment upon receiving the discovery protocol message. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to: access a database in which the profile of the second access point is stored prior to the second access point being replaced by the first access point; and query the database to identify the profile of the second access point. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to provision the first access point by pushing the profile of the second AP to a wireless local area network controller (WLC) to which the first access point is attached. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the identification parameters of the second access point include a MAC address of the second access point, IP address of the second access point and neighboring information identifying one or more switches to which the second access point is connected. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the configuration parameters include an identification of the second access point, a customer tag, a policy tag, a site tag and a customer site information associated with the second access point.