Patent ID: 8554883
Filing Date: 2013-10-08
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: sending a scope challenge to a plurality of network devices, wherein the scope challenge includes a set of conditions defining a scope of a configuration change, wherein the scope challenge is sent in a multicast message using at least one level of indirection, the set of conditions including at least one rule that can be evaluated by each of the plurality of network devices to produce a result, the at least one rule to determine if a condition, other than device or group identity, exists within the network device, the condition corresponding to a plurality of settings defining an operational state of a network device, the result defining whether a particular network device of the plurality of network devices is in-scope; receiving a response to the scope challenge from a plurality of in-scope network devices, the response including a determination that the corresponding network device is in-scope, wherein the determination is performed by the corresponding network device by evaluating the at least one rule; sending a configuration change message including a configuration change to the plurality of in-scope network devices; and receiving a commit message from the plurality in-scope network devices indicating that the configuration change has been committed.