System and method of network independent remote configuration of internet server appliance

A device coupleable to a communications network and capable of adapting to the operating network environment of said communications network subject to network protocol configuration requirements communicated through said communications network, said device comprising:

• a) a host computer system including a network interface coupleable to said communications network;
• b) an operating system, executable by said host computer system, that is configurable by a defined set of network values for transmitting and receiving messages through said network interface without network configuration conflicts, the operating system including a network protocol stack supporting the sending and receiving of network messages, including broadcast network messages;
• and
• c) a control program, responsive to a first broadcast network message received by said host computer system from said communications network by determining from the first message information sufficient to enable the device to transmit a message on the network and by causing the host computer system to transmit on the network a second broadcast network message that includes a predetermined unique identifier of said device, the control program further responsive to a third broadcast network message received by said host computer system from said communications network and directed to the device by the identifier and containing network configuration parameters, by using the contained network parameters to configure the device for communicating on the network.

A method of communicating between computers is over a network independent of conflicts and omissions in the network protocol configuration of said computers systems with respect to said network, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing for establishment of a unique identifier for a first one of the computers by determining identifiers of others of the computers to enable transmitting and receiving of messages through said network without network configuration conflicts:
• b) the a first computer receiving on the network a first network message broadcast onto said network by a second computer;
• c) the first computer using information conveyed by the first message to enable the first computer to transmit a message on the network;
• d) the first computer broadcasting a second network is message onto said network, wherein said second network message includes a unique identifier of the first computer within a predefined data portion of said second network message;
• e) the first computer receiving on the network a third network message broadcast by the second computer and determining whether said predefined data portion of said third network message includes said unique identifier, wherein the presence of said unique identifier signifies that said third network message is intended for said first computer;
• and
• f) in response to said determining, the first computer using information conveyed by the third network message to configure the first computer for communicating on the network.

A device coupleable to a communications network and capable of initially adapting to the operating network environment of said communications network subject to network protocol configuration requirements communicated exclusively through said communications network, said device comprising:

• a) a host computer system including a network interface controller coupleable to said communications network;
• b) an operating system, executable by said host computer system, that is configurable by a defined set of network values for transmitting and receiving messages through said network interface without network configuration conflicts, the operating system including a network protocol stack supporting the sending and receiving of network messages, including broadcast network messages, said network protocol stack being responsive to a predetermined set of types of unique identifiers for determining the source and destination of network messages;
• and
• c) a control program responsive to a first broadcast network message received by said host computer from said communications network by determining from identifiers of the predetermined set that are included in the first message information sufficient to enable the device to transmit a message on the network, and causing the host computer to transmit on the network a second broadcast message that includes a predetermined unique identifier of said device that is of a type exclusive of said predetermined set of types, the control program further responsive to a third broadcast network message received by said host computer from said communications network, wherein said third broadcast message is uniquely identified to said device by inclusion of the unique identifier and wherein said third broadcast network message includes network protocol configuration parameters from which said control program determines and implements a derived network protocol configuration compatible with the operating network environment of said communications network.

A first device coupleable to a communications network supporting selfdaptive self-adaptive initial configuration to the parameters of said communications network to enable remote configuration control exclusively via said communications network of a second device coupleable to the network, said first device comprising:

• a) a network interface for coupling to the communications network;
• b) means configured by a defined set of network values for transmitting and receiving messages through said network interface without network configuration conflicts and that supports broadcast transmissions of messages through said network interface;
• and
• c) means for transmitting over the communications network a first unrestricted broadcast message whose receipt enables the second device to determine therefrom, specifically with respect to said communications network, and to apply to the second device an initial set of network values to configure the second device for broadcasting a message on the communications network;
• and
• d) means responsive to receipt of a second message sent over the communications network by the second device and conveying an identifier of the second device, for transmitting over the communications network a third broadcast message and restricting the third broadcast message to the second device by means of the identifier, the third message containing network configuration parameters that enable the second device upon receiving the third message to determine and apply to the second device network values for transmitting and receiving messages through said communications network without network configuration conflicts.

A method of communicating between computers over a network independent of conflicts and omissions in the network protocol configuration of said computers with respect to said network, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) a first second one of the computers determining identifiers of others of the computers to establish a unique identifier for the first second computer to enable transmitting and receiving of messages through said network without network configuration conflicts;
• b) the first computer broadcasting on the network an unrestricted first network broadcast message, the first message including information sufficient to enable a the second computer that receives the first message to transmit a message on the network;
• c) the a first computer receiving a second message transmitted on said network by the second computer, wherein said second is message includes a unique identifier of the second computer;
• d) in response to receiving the second message, the first computer broadcasting on the network a restricted third network broadcast message that is restricted to the second computer by the unique identifier, the third message conveying information to configure the second computer for communicating on the network.