Dynamic port configuration of network equipment
AssigneePacketFront Sweden AB
InventorsAnders Elo, Andreas Oman, Magnus Lundstrom
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Abstract
The invention provides an arrangement and a method with dynamic port configuration of network equipment (20) for communication in a broadband network (10). A central managing database (26) in connection with a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server (24) is keeping templates with recordings of network equipment parameters for their physical port (21) settings and deployed services. Hence, enabling dynamic updating of port settings by conveying parameter recordings from the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server (24). The parameter settings are updated in the intermediate means (20).
Claims24
An arrangement for dynamic port configuration of network equipment (20) for communication in a broadband network (10), characterized in that it comprises:
- a network operator intermediate means (20) connecting end-user equipment (12, 14, 16), having a Media Access Control address, to the network through ports (21);
- a means for activating a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol relay agent in said intermediate means (20);
- a filter in the intermediate means filtering by capturing all broadcasted packets from end-user equipment (12, 14, 16) to a DHCP server, packets from a network DHCP server (24) and relay agent packets;
- in said intermediate means said relay agent deploying remote-id and circuit-id relay options adding information to the packet about a unique Media Access Control address of the end-user equipment (12, 14, 16) and physical port (21) where the packet is received, thus enabling the network Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server (24) to uniquely identify, through a relay agent packet and port-id, where the intermediate means resides in the network (10) and thus the end-user equipment (12, 14, 16);
- a central managing database (26) in connection with the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server (24), reachable through said intermediate means, keeping templates with recordings of network equipment parameters for their physical port (21) settings and deployed services, thus enabling dynamic updating of port settings by conveying said parameter recordings from said database (26) through a protocol means, recognizing the address to the intermediate means through a relay agent packet to said intermediate means (20) and updating the parameter settings.
A method for dynamic port configuration of network equipment for communication in a broadband network (10), characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
- connecting end-user equipment (12, 14, 16) through a network operator intermediate means (20), having a Media Access Control address, to the network (10) through ports (21);
- activating a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol relay agent in said intermediate means (20);
- filtering in the intermediate means by capturing all broadcasted packets from end-user equipment (12, 14, 16) to a DHCP server, packets from a network DHCP server (24) and relay agent packets;
- deploying in said intermediate means (20) through said relay agent remote-id and circuit-id relay options adding information to the packet about a unique Media Access Control address of the end-user equipment (12, 14, 16) and physical port (21) where the packet is received, thus enabling the network Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server (24) to uniquely identify, through the relay agent and port-id, where the intermediate means resides in the network (10) and thus the end-user equipment (12, 14, 16);
- keeping templates through a central managing database (26), reachable through said intermediate means (20) in connection with the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server (24), with recordings of network equipment parameters for their physical port settings and deployed services, thus enabling dynamic updating of port settings by conveying said parameter recordings from said database through a protocol means, recognizing the address to the intermediate means (20) through the relay agent packet to said intermediate means updating the parameter settings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.