US 2007/0168499 A1 · Configurable Modular Networking System and Method Thereof

Abstract

In one embodiment according to the principle of this present invention, a communication IC embeds a plurality of network function modules; at least one hardware module interface provides a plurality of interfaces where a plurality of hardware modules can be coupled, said hardware modules comprise secret keys corresponding to their functionalities: a second memory device stores a plurality of software modules and at least one software key, said software key corresponds to at least one function of said software modules: a general network module couples to said bus and comprises general module key corresponding to their functionalities in the system: and/or a first memory device stores at least one hardware key, said hardware key corresponds to at least one of said network function modules. By varying the combination of said hardware modules, network function modules, general module key, and software modules that are configured and enabled or disabled by said secret keys, hardware key, general module and software key, the network may expand or contract according to the need of a networking environment on a single platform.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A configurable modular networking system is a network appliance system that not only configured by the embedded software or keys but also the keys from any of physically plugged in module. Where, said key is the short information pre-stored in the non-vaporized memory such as flash memory of system and/or physically plugged-in modules before system power up and used to determine the system functions by configuring part or whole of the network appliance system including physically plugged-in modules. Such configuration technology is called, by AceNet, as Deterministic Notification Attachment (DNA) Technology.

A configurable modular networking system, comprising:

at least one CPU coupling to a bus, said CPU being adapted to manage said networking system;
at least one communication IC coupling to said bus, said communication IC being adapted for embedding a plurality of network function modules;
at least one hardwaremodule interface coupling to said communication IC, said hardware module interface being adapted to provide a plurality of interfaces where a plurality of hardware modules can be coupled, each of said hardware modules comprising at least one secret key;
wherein said hardware modules can be configured by said secret keys;
and
a first memory device which is either embedded in the system or a physically plugged in hardware key module couples, directly or indirectly, to said communication IC and/or said CPU (through said bus). Said first memory device being adapted to store at least one hardware key, each of said keys corresponds to at least one of said network function modules and/or any other software modules in the whole system and enables the corresponding network function modules and/or said software modules in the whole system.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Configurable Modular Networking System and Method Thereof

Life of this patent

Configurable Modular Networking System and Method Thereof

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28