US 2018/0295017 A1 · DYNAMIC INTERFACE IDENTIFICATION AND CONFIGURATION

Abstract

Methods for performing dynamic interface identification and configuration are disclosed. The method may include assessing multiple configurable ports of a computing device to determine which ports are active and whether they are client-facing or network-facing. This may include sending a discovery message or a security protocol message to a network target to see if the target responds. The method may be performed by a dynamic interface manager executing on the computing device. The dynamic interface manager may configure a single active network-facing port as the only network interface for the device and may configure other active ports as client interfaces. The dynamic interface manager may enable internal connections between the network interface and the client interfaces. The dynamic interface manager may reassess the ports in response to connection changes, which may result in a different port being configured as the only network interface for the device.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method, comprising, in a computing device comprising a processor and a plurality of ports:

detecting, by the computing device, that a first port of the plurality of ports is an active network-facing port, wherein each of the plurality of ports is configurable for client interface functionality and is configurable for network interface functionality, at different points in time;
determining that no other one of the plurality of ports is configured for network interface functionality;
and
configuring the first port for network interface functionality, in response to the detecting and the determining;
wherein the detecting, the determining, and the configuring are performed automatically by the computing device without human intervention.

2 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, storing program instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the processors to perform:

detecting that a first port of a plurality of ports of a computing device is an active network-facing port, wherein each of the plurality of ports is configurable for client interface functionality and is configurable for network interface functionality, at different points in time;
determining that no other one of the plurality of ports is configured for network interface functionality;
and
configuring the first port for network interface functionality, in response to the detecting and the determining;
wherein the detecting, the determining, and the configuring are performed automatically and without human intervention.

2 more elements

A system, comprising:

a plurality of ports, each of which is configurable for client interface functionality and is configurable for network interface functionality, at different points in time;
a processor to execute instructions;
a memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:
detect that a first port of the plurality of ports is an active network-facing port;
determine that no other one of the plurality of ports is configured for network interface functionality;
and
configure the first port for network interface functionality, in response to the detecting and the determining;
wherein the detecting, the determining, and the configuring are performed automatically by the system without human intervention.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Dynamic interface identification and configuration

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Dynamic interface identification and configuration

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Abstract

Claims20