Method for assigning setting information for conection to external network

A method for assigning setting information for connection to an external network in which, in response to an assignment request from a client which is connectable to the external network via any one of a plurality of network routes, setting information including at least an address for communication necessary for accessing the external network is returned to the client, the method executed by each of a plurality of servers constituting a server system and comprising the steps of:

• analyzing an assignment request received from a client;
• checking whether or not setting information is already assigned to the client based on unique information of the client contained in the assignment request and by referring to a setting information correspondence table storing the setting information assigned to the client;
• assigning to the client, when no setting information is already assigned to the client, unassigned setting information found from the setting information correspondence table;
• transmitting the assigned setting information to the client;
• and
• transferring an assignment authority for executing the assignment process including the above steps to another server, only one assignment authority being in existence throughout the server system.

A method for assigning setting information for connection to an external network in which, in response to an assignment request from a client which is connectable to the external network via any one of a plurality of network routes, setting information including at least an address for communication necessary for accessing the external network is returned to the client, the method executed by each of a plurality of servers constituting a server system and comprising the steps of:

• analyzing an assignment request received from a client;
• checking whether or not setting information is already assigned to the client based on unique information of the client contained in the assignment request and by referring to a setting information correspondence table storing the setting information assigned to the client;
• obtaining, when setting information is already assigned to the client, the setting information already assigned to the client from the setting information correspondence table;
• transmitting the obtained setting information to the client;
• and
• transferring an assignment authority for executing the assignment process including the above steps to another server, only one assignment authority being in existence throughout the server system.

A method for assigning setting information for connection to an external network in which, in response to an assignment request from a client which is connectable to the external network via any one of a plurality of network routes, setting information including at least an address for communication necessary for accessing the external network is returned to the client, the method executed by each of a plurality of servers constituting a server system and comprising the steps of:

• receiving an assignment request from a client;
• determining the owner of an authority for assigning the setting information to the client by referring to a coordinator table to which information related to servers that may own the assignment authority are registered, only one assignment authority being in existence throughout the server system;
• acquiring the assignment authority, when a server determines that it does not own the assignment authority and when an assignment notification indicating the completion of assignment of setting information to the client is not transmitted from the server which owns the assignment authority in a predetermined period after the reception of the assignment request, and notifying the other servers of the acquisition;
• analyzing the received assignment request;
• assigning setting information to the client based on the assignment request;
• transmitting the assigned setting information to the client;
• and
• transferring the assignment authority to another server.

A method for assigning setting information for connection to an external network in which, in response to an assignment request from a client which is to be connected to the external network via one of a plurality of gateways, setting information including at least locating information of the gateway is produced and returned to the client, the method executed by a DHCP server and comprising the steps of:

• analyzing an assignment request received from a client;
• checking whether or not setting information is already assigned to the client based on unique information of the client contained in the assignment request and by referring to a setting information correspondence table storing the setting information assigned to the client;
• producing, when setting information is already assigned to the client and when it is not possible at that point of time to connect to the external network via the gateway whose locating information is contained in the setting information, setting information containing locating information of another gateway which is connectable;
• and
• transmitting the produced setting information to the client.