# US 2021/0243078 A1 · Discovery and configuration in computer networks

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- Number: US 2021/0243078 A1
- Document ID: US20210243078A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/777,515
- Filed: 2020-01-30
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2020-01-30
- Assignees: Dell Products L.P.
- Applicants: Dell Products L.P.
- Inventors: Karthik Sethuramalingam; Ravishankar N; Naveen Dhanaraju; Vikram Kannambadi Vishwanath
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243078A1

## CPC

- G06F 9/44505: {Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files}
- G06F 8/63: {Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order}
- G06F 9/4406: {Loading of operating system}
- G06F 9/45541: {Bare-metal, i.e. hypervisor runs directly on hardware}
- H04L 12/4641: {Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] (LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272)}
- H04L 41/0806: for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
- H04L 41/0843: {based on generic templates}
- H04L 41/0886: {Fully automatic configuration}
- H04L 41/12: Discovery or management of network topologies
- H04L 45/02: Topology update or discovery
- H04L 49/65: Re-configuration of fast packet switches
- H04L 41/0213: Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A network (e.g. cloud or enterprise network) includes servers (110) and switches (120) each of which has multiple ports. A bare-metal server's ports are configured for different roles, e.g. management role or data role. The configuration is at least partially automated using a blueprint (340) which does not necessarily specify the roles for the server ports, but may associate a role with a network parameter, e.g. Maximum Transfer Unit (MTU) or QoS. A management computer (320) obtains, from switches, (i) network parameters configured on switch ports, and (ii) MAC addresses for the adjacent server ports. The management computer matches the blueprint's parameters with the switch ports' parameters, and associates matched parameters with the roles specified by the blueprint. These roles are configured on the corresponding server ports. Other features are also provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for remotely discovering, by a management computer system, one or more roles of one or more network interfaces of a first computer system in a first network comprising one or more switches, the method comprising:
obtaining, by the management computer system, a blueprint specifying one or more roles, at least one role being associated by the blueprint with one or more network parameters;
obtaining, by the management computer system, switch operation data from one or more switches in the first network, the switch operation data comprising one or more network parameters for one or more network interfaces of one or more of the switches;
determining by the management computer system, from the switch operation data, at least one switch interface adjacent to at least one interface of the first computer system;
matching, by the management computer system, the network parameters obtained from the switch operation data for said at least one adjacent switch interface, against the network parameters of the blueprint, to determine one or more roles associated with at least one matched parameter by the blueprint, and using the determined one or more roles to determine at least one role for the at least one interface of the first computer system.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising configuring the first computer system by the management computer system to use said at least one interface of the first computer system according to the determined at least one role.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein said configuring comprises configuring the first computer system's BIOS.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein said configuring comprises configuring the first computer system's operating system image.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one role is in-band management.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one role is data traffic.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein at least one matched parameter identifies a maximum transfer unit (MTU).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein at least one matched parameter identifies a VLAN ID.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the switch operation data comprise data obtained by the one or more switches in performing network discovery.

### Claim 10

A method for remotely discovering, by a management computer system, one or more roles of one or more network interfaces of a first computer system in a first network comprising one or more switches, the method comprising:
(1) obtaining, by the management computer system, switch operation data from one or more switches in the first network, the switch operation data comprising, for at least one network interface of the switch:
(1)(a) an identification of each adjacent interface, and
(1)(b) at least one of:
(1)(b)(i) one or more network interface operation properties;
(1)(b)(ii) one or more VLAN IDs;
(2) obtaining, by the management computer system, a blueprint specifying one or more roles and, for at least one role, at least one of:
(2)(a) one or more network interface properties;
(2)(b) one or more VLAN IDs;
(3) for at least one interface of the first computer system, determining an adjacent interface of a switch using the data (1)(a), and determining the corresponding at least one of (2)(a), (2)(b);
(4) for said at least one interface, searching the blueprint for the determined at least one of (2)(a), (2)(b), to obtain one or more corresponding roles.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one of (2)(a) and (2)(b) is (2)(a).

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one of (2)(a) and (2)(b) is (2)(b).

### Claim 13

Computer readable media comprising software for execution by one or more computer processors of a management computer system, to cause the management computer system to perform a method for remotely discovering one or more roles of one or more network interfaces of a first computer system in a first network comprising one or more switches, the method comprising:
obtaining, by the management computer system, a blueprint specifying one or more roles, at least one role being associated by the blueprint with one or more network parameters;
obtaining, by the management computer system, switch operation data from one or more switches in the first network, the switch operation data comprising one or more network parameters for one or more network interfaces of one or more of the switches;
determining by the management computer system, from the switch operation data, at least one switch interface adjacent to at least one interface of the first computer system;
matching, by the management computer system, the network parameters obtained from the switch operation data for said at least one adjacent switch interface, against the network parameters of the blueprint, to determine one or more roles associated with at least one matched parameter by the blueprint, and using the determined one or more roles to determine at least one role for the at least one interface of the first computer system.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The computer readable media of claim 13 in combination with the one or more computer processors.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The computer readable media of claim 13 wherein the method further comprises configuring the first computer system by the management computer system to use said at least one interface of the first computer system according to the determined at least one role.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The combination of claim 15 wherein said configuring comprises configuring the first computer system's BIOS and/or the first computer system's operating system image.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The computer readable media of claim 13 wherein said at least one role is in-band management.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The computer readable media of claim 13 wherein at least one matched parameter identifies a maximum transfer unit (MTU).

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The computer readable media of claim 13 wherein at least one matched parameter identifies a VLAN ID.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The computer readable media of claim 13, wherein the switch operation data comprise data obtained by the one or more switches in performing network discovery.