Dynamic hardware configuration

A system comprising:

• a data base system implemented using a server system, the database system configurable to cause:
• transmitting, to a client device, at least one graphical user interface (GUI) for presentation via a display, the at least one GUI configurable to provide a set of user-configurable attributes of a hardware configuration descriptor associated with a virtual hardware device type, the set of user-configurable attributes including a set of hardware interface attributes, the set of hardware interface attributes including an input-output attribute associated with an interface identifier of at least one hardware interface, the set of hardware interface attributes including an analog-digital attribute, the set of user-configurable attributes configurable to identify at least one source of computer-readable instructions configurable to control operation of a hardware device configured using the hardware configuration descriptor;
• obtaining, from the client device, a hardware interface configuration associated with the set of hardware interface attributes, the hardware interface configuration indicating, for the interface identifier of at least one hardware interface, a value of the input-output attribute, and the hardware interface configuration indicating, for at least one hardware interface identifier, a value of the analog-digital attribute indicating whether the corresponding hardware interface is analog or digital;
• obtaining, from the client device, an indication of at least a first web address identifying the at least one source of computer-readable instructions;
• generating or updating a first hardware configuration descriptor based, at least in part, on the hardware interface configuration and the first web address;
• storing the first hardware configuration descriptor;
• and
• facilitating configuration of a first hardware device by transmitting the first hardware configuration descriptor to the first hardware device.

A computer program product comprising computer-readable program code capable of being executed by one or more processors when retrieved from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code comprising computer-readable instructions configurable to cause:

• transmitting, by a hardware device, a first request to a server;
• processing, by the hardware device, a response received from the server responsive to the first request, the response including a hardware configuration descriptor;
• storing, by the hardware device, the hardware configuration descriptor in a memory of the hardware device, the hardware configuration descriptor indicating, for at least one hardware interface identifier, an input-output configuration of a corresponding hardware interface of the hardware device, the hardware configuration descriptor indicating a first web address corresponding to computer-readable instructions configurable to control operation of the hardware device, the hardware configuration descriptor indicating, for at least one hardware interface, an analog-digital configuration indicating whether the corresponding hardware interface is analog or digital;
• automatically configuring, by the hardware device, at least one hardware interface of the hardware device using the hardware configuration descriptor;
• and
• transmitting, by the hardware device, a second request including the first web address.