Providing configuration data to a connected network switch

A computer program product comprising a non-volatile computer readable medium and non-transitory program instructions embodied therein, the program instructions being configured to be executable by a processor of a first network switch to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

• detecting a first neighbor network switch connection of a first neighbor network switch to a first port of the first network switch;
• accessing first neighbor network switch configuration data that is stored by the first network switch in association with the first port;
• providing the first neighbor network switch configuration data that is stored in association with the first port of the first network switch to the first neighbor network switch over the first neighbor network switch connection to the first port;
• receiving first neighbor network switch identifying information from the first neighbor network switch over the first neighbor network switch connection to the first port, wherein the first neighbor network switch identifying information includes vital product data;
• and
• using the vital product data from the first neighbor network switch to determine that the first neighbor network switch is compatible with the first neighbor network switch configuration data, wherein the first neighbor network switch configuration data that is stored in association with the first port of the first network switch is provided to the first neighbor network switch over the first neighbor network switch connection to the first port only in response to a positive authentication of the first neighbor network switch.

A network switch, comprising:

• a plurality of network ports including a first network port and a second network port;
• a non-volatile storage device storing program instructions;
• and
• a processor for processing the program instructions, wherein the program instructions are configured to, when processed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
• detecting a first neighbor network switch connection to a first port of the first network switch;
• accessing first neighbor network switch configuration data that is stored by the first network switch in association with the first port;
• and
• providing the first neighbor network switch configuration data that is stored in association with the first port of the first network switch to the first neighbor network switch over the first neighbor network switch connection to the first port.