Abstract:
A computer-executable system and method thereof are provided for remote dynamic network configuration in a remote network management environment of TCP/IP base. Through a sever management daughter card located on an agent terminal, a medium access control address of the agent terminal is used to request a corresponsive internet protocol (IP) from a remote managing sever. Thus to accomplish the network configuration of the agent terminal, and to allow a remote terminal to use the IP to manage the agent terminal via the managing sever, or to utilize the managing sever directly to execute a TCP/IP-based, remote network control procedure.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a system and a method for remote dynamic network configuration, and more particularly to a system and a method that utilize a MAC address of an agent terminal to request a corresponding IP from a managing sever and to finalize the remote network configuration of the agent terminal.  
         [0003]     2. Related Art  
         [0004]     Generally, a remote network management environment of TCP/IP(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) base, as shown in  FIG. 1  substantially, includes basic elements such as plural remote terminals  10 , internet  20 , plural managing severs  30  and plural agent terminals  40 . Each of the managing severs  30  is capable of connecting with the agent terminals  40  thorough the intranet architecture, while every remote terminal  10  connects to every managing sever  30  through the internet  20 . To manage from remote internet, the remote terminal  10  can be used to choose certain managing sever  30  via the internet  20  to execute necessary control procedures on the certain agent terminal  40  linked with the certain managing sever  30 . Also, the managing sever  30  itself can be used to control directly linked agent terminals  40 .  
         [0005]     To accomplish remote network management based on TCP/IP, SMDC (Sever Management Daughter Card)  43  is used on the agent terminals  40  to communicate with the managing sever  30  and execute commands from the remote terminals  10  or the managing sever  30 . However, the management architecture has a premise that the remote terminals  10  and the managing sever  30  need to communicate with the agent terminal  40  through IP(Internet Protocol); more precisely, to communicate with the SMDC  43  on each of the agent terminals  40 . Therefore, how to configure related network configuration for the SMDC  43  on the agent terminal  40  becomes a significant issue.  
         [0006]     In the prior art, all the agent terminals  40  must be actuated first to allow a user to configure network configuration for the SMDC  43  one by one. Besides, operating system has to be installed in all of the agent terminal  40  first and then a certain application program is available for network configuration of the SMDC  43 . Accordingly, the user can not communicate with the SMDC  43  from the managing sever  30  without long configuration procedures on all of the agent terminals  40 . Wrong network configuration could be generated due to artificial processes.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     In accordance with above technical problems in current remote network management environment of TCP/IP base, the present invention provides a computer-executable system and method to achieve remotely dynamic network configuration.  
         [0008]     The present invention is mainly applied to agent terminal and managing sever. Through a configuration program implemented in a SMDC of the agent terminal, a MAC address of the agent terminal can be transmitted to a managing program of the managing sever. Then a corresponsive IP is assigned to the SMDC of the agent terminal. Meanwhile, the agent terminal items in the managing program are updated. When the dynamic network configuration between the managing sever and the agent terminal is finished, the managing sever or a remote terminal linked to the managing sever can be utilized to execute the remote network control based on TCP/IP.  
         [0009]     The present invention discloses a computer-executable system for remote dynamic network configuration. The system includes:  
         [0010]     (1) Agent terminal: The agent terminal has a first MAC address and further includes:  
         [0011]     a. SMDC: The SMDC executes the configuration program that transmits a first respond packet and/or a second respond packet to the managing program of the managing sever.  
         [0012]     b. Basic input/output system (BIOS): The BIOS assigns the first MAC address of the agent terminal to the configuration program.  
         [0013]     (2) Managing sever: Through an intranet, the managing sever is capable of communicating with the agent terminal and executing a managing program that accesses/records an agent, terminal discovery table and an IP index for transmitting a detection packet and an identification packet to the configuration program of the agent terminal. The agent terminal discovery table has the first MAC address corresponsive to the agent terminal, while the IP index has a first IP corresponsive to the first MAC address.  
         [0014]     The method for remote dynamic network configuration according to the present invention further includes the following steps. The configuration program first receives the detection packet from the managing program and then responds the first respond packet with the first MAC address by the configuration program. The managing program updates the first MAC address into the agent terminal discovery table afterwards. Next, the managing program responds the identification packet with the first IP to the configuration program if the first IP corresponsive to the first MAC address is found in the IP index. Moreover, the configuration program saves the first IP of the identification packet and responds the second respond packet with the first MAC address and the first IP to the managing program. So the managing program updates the first IP to the agent terminal discovery table corresponsive to the first MAC address. Accordingly, the dynamic network configuration of the agent terminal is finished.  
         [0015]     By way of the system and method disclosed by the present invention, the technical problems in the prior art is solved and certain effects are also achieved:  
         [0016]     a. Dynamic network configuration is not limited by the actuation of the agent terminal nor the operating system. So a user can actuate and finish network configuration for any linked agent terminal when the agent terminal is supported by standby electricity. Even the operating system can be installed on the agent terminal remotely through the managing sever.  
         [0017]     b. Artificial processes are reduced to avoid wrong network configuration and save time.  
         [0018]     c. IP management through the managing sever provides flexibility for the network configuration of the agent terminal to avoid complex configuration procedures caused by frequently IP changes or terminal replacement.  
         [0019]     Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]     The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 1   FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an environment for remote network management.  
         [0022]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart of an embodiment of the method for remote dynamic network configuration according to the present invention.  
         [0023]      FIG. 3  is a detailed flow chart for step  100  in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 4  is a detailed flow chart for step  400  in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 5A  is an explanatory diagram of the detection packet for step  150  in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 5B  is an explanatory diagram of the first respond packet for step  200  in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0027]      FIG. 5C  is an explanatory diagram of the identification packet for step  400  in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 5D  is an explanatory diagram of the second respond packet for step  600  in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0029]      FIG. 6  is an explanatory diagram of the agent terminal discovery table in an embodiment according to the present invention.  
         [0030]      FIG. 7  is an explanatory diagram of the IP index in an embodiment according to the present invention.  
         [0031]      FIG. 8  is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the method for remote dynamic network configuration according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0032]     The present invention discloses a computer-executable system and method for remotely dynamic network configuration, Which is applied to the remote network management environment as shown in  FIG. 1 . Generally, the managing severs  30  and the agent terminals  40  are linked by an intranet. The managing severs  30  are capable of controlling the linked agent terminal  40  remotely, while the managing severs  30  can follow the commands received from the remote terminals  10  that are linked via the internet  20  to remotely manage the agent terminal  40 .  FIG. 1  also shows that the remote network management environment has multiple remote terminals  10 , multiple managing severs  30  and multiple agent terminals  40 . As long as the remote terminals  10  have the IPs of the managing severs  30  and the agent terminals  10 , each of the remote terminals  10  is capable of using the IPs by demand, linking to the corresponsive managing severs  30 , and further remotely controlling the corresponsive agent terminals  40  linked to the corresponsive managing sever  30 , especially based on TCP/IP.  
         [0033]     According to the present invention, the operation of the system for remote dynamic network configuration basically involves only the interactions between the managing severs  30  and the agent terminals  40  mentioned above. For clear description, only the remote dynamic network configuration between one of the managing sever  30  and one of the agent terminal  40  are taken as explanatory subjects.  
         [0034]     (1) The managing sever  30  has a computer-executable managing program  31  and two data files for the managing program  31  to access/record: one is an agent terminal discovery table  311  for recording the first MAC addresses  501  of all the corresponsive, controllable agent terminal  40 ; the other is an IP index  312  to record all the first MAC addresses  501  and corresponsive first IPs  502 .  
         [0035]     The managing program  31  transmits detection packets  50  when the managing sever  30  is actuated to detect if the newly-linked agent terminal  40  exists. In addition, the managing program  31  transmits identification packets  52  to the configuration program  431  of the SMDC  43  on the agent terminal  40  when the managing program  31  receives a first respond packet  51  from the agent terminal  40 .  
         [0036]     (2) The agent terminal  40  has substantially the first MAC address  501 , which is generally recorded in a network control device  42  of the agent terminal  40 , such as a network interface card or wireless network module. The agent terminal  40  further includes:  
         [0037]     a. SMDC (Sever Management Daughter Card)  43  has a baseboard management controller (BMC) for executing the configuration program  431  implemented in an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). The configuration program  431  can be executed under standby electricity of the agent terminal  40 . Thus, the agent terminal  40  needs not to be actuated to enable the SMDC  43  to operate. The configuration program  431  is capable of responding the first respond packet  51  to the managing program  31  when receiving the detection packet  50  from the managing program  31 , and responding a second respond packet  53  when receiving the identification packet  52  from the managing program  31 .  
         [0038]     b. The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)  41  is to execute initialization procedures of the agent terminal  40  when turned on. Moreover, the BIOS  41  can assign the first MAC address  501  of the network control device  42  on the agent terminal  40  to the configuration program  431 .  
         [0039]      FIG. 2  shows the method for remote dynamic network configuration according to the present invention.  
         [0040]     First of all, actuate the managing sever  30  in the remote network management environment. At this moment the managing program  31  of the managing sever  30  is executed to constantly transmit the detection packets  50  to search newly-linked agent terminal  40  in the dedicated intranet.  
         [0041]     When a new agent terminal  40  is about to be added to the dedicated intranet controlled under the managing sever  30 , the newly-linked agent terminal  40  needs to be turned on for the very first time. Afterwards, the BIOS  41  in the newly-linked agent terminal  40  starts the normal initialization procedures to actuate the SMDC  43  and the network control device  42  (such as a network interface card) with the first MAC address  501  recorded thereon. Meanwhile, initialize the configuration program  431  and assign the first MAC address  501  to the configuration program  431  (step  100 ).  FIG. 3  shows the detailed procedures in step  100 . The BIOS  41  first accesses the first MAC address  501  from the network control device  42  (step  110 ). And then the BIOS  41  transmits the first MAC address  501  to the configuration program  431  (step  120 ).  
         [0042]     After the agent terminal  40  is booted up completely for the first time, the configuration program  431  will record the first MAC address  501  in SMDC  43 . From now on the agent terminal  40  is capable of connecting to the dedicated intranet and the configuration program  431  starts to detect if the detection packet  50  is received from the managing program  31  of the corresponsive managing sever  30  (step  150 ) In  FIG. 5A , the detection packet  50  according to the present invention may follow Alert Standard Format (ASF). In the detection packet  50 , the second MAC address  503  and the second IP  504  of the managing sever  30  are combined to inform the agent terminal  40  about the basic information of the managing sever  30 . If the agent terminal  40  fails to receive the detection packet  50  after connects to the dedicated intranet, the managing sever  30  may not be ready. Then the agent terminal  40  will remain waiting and receiving the detection packet  50 . Oppositely, if the agent terminal receives the detection packet  50 , the following network configuration procedures will be executed afterwards.  
         [0043]     When the configuration program  431  receives the detection packet  50 , the configuration program  431  will transmit the first respond packet  51  to the managing program  31  (step  200 ). The first respond packet  51  can follows the specification of ASF. In  FIG. 5B , the first respond packet  51  includes the second MAC address  503  and the second IP  504  received form the managing sever  30 , and the first MAC address  501  that represents the agent terminal  40 . When the managing program  31  receives the first respond packet  51 , the first MAC address  501  in the first respond packet  51  will be first updated into the agent terminal discovery table  311  (step  300 ); which means the managing sever  30  have already known the existence of the newly-linked the agent terminal  40  in the dedicated intranet.  
         [0044]     Next, the managing program  31  further confirms if the agent terminal  40  is a predetermined and controllable subject in the dedicated intranet. The confirmation is in accordance with the result whether the first MAC address  501  is pre-established in the IP index  312  and the first IP  502  is searched in the IP index  312 . (step  350 ) If there does not exit the first MAC address  501  for the agent terminal  40  in the IP index  312 , the agent terminal  40  is not the predetermined and controllable subject. Then no network configuration procedures will be proceeded with.  
         [0045]     In the opposite, If in IP index  312  the first MAC address  501  is found, the managing program  31  will then generate the identification packet  52  and transmit to the configuration program  431  (step  400 ). As shown in  FIG. 5C , the identification packet  52  includes the first IP  502  for assigning to the agent terminal  40 , and an identification information that has an account  521  and a password  522 . (For certain environments or situations that extra identification procedures are not necessary, the section of the identification information should be omitted.)  
         [0046]      FIG. 4  shows the detailed procedures in the step  400 . The identification information is inputted by a user managing sever  30  (step  410 ), which is combined by the inputted account  521  and the inputted password  522 , or by another set of account  521  and password  522  pre-established in the managing program  31 . The managing program  31  will transmit the identification packet generated from the first IP  502  and the identification information to the configuration program  431  (step  420 ).  
         [0047]     When the configuration program  431  receives the identification packet  52 , the identification information is accepted only its account  521  and password  522  match the ones pre-established in the configuration program  431 . (step  450 ) If both match, the managing sever  30  is accepted to remotely manage the agent terminal  40 ; otherwise, the configuration program  431  can request the managing sever  30  to repeat the above identification procedures. When the identification information of the identification packet  52  is accepted, the configuration program  431  will save the first IP  502  in the identification packet  52  as the network configuration (step  500 ). Right now the agent terminal  40  has completed its network configuration but still need to inform the managing sever  30  about its final network configuration. Therefore the second respond packet  53 , as shown in  FIG. 5D , is transmitted to the managing program  31 . The second respond packet  53  includes the second MAC address  503  and the second IP  504  of the managing sever  30 , and the first MAC address  501  and the first IP  502  of the agent terminal  40 (step  600 ).  
         [0048]     When the managing program  31  receives the second respond packet  53 , what is sure is the agent terminal  40  has accepted the identification information and allowed to be controlled by the managing sever  30 . The managing program  31  will then update the confirmed first IP  502  into the agent terminal discovery table  311  for the operation of remote management (step  700 ). Right now all procedures of dynamic network configuration for the agent terminal  40  are finished.  
         [0049]     When the network configuration of the agent terminal  40  is done, the managing sever  30  may proceed TCP/IP based remote network management of the agent terminal  40  through IP. Please refer to  FIG. 1  again. Now the remote terminals  10  connected through the internet  20  and the managing sever  30  may use its the operation program  101  to execute TCP/IP based remote network management of the agent terminal  40  according to the agent terminal discovery table  311  of the managing sever  30 .  
         [0050]     In the end, we use  FIGS. 6, 7  and  8  to explain other embodiments according to the present invention. First of all, in  FIG. 6  we can see that the agent terminal discovery table  311  includes at least fields of an agent terminal item  601 , the first MAC address  602  and the first IP 603 . Each of the agent terminal item  601 (such as the agent terminal item A- 601 ) is followed with various information of the agent terminal  40 . The first MAC address  602  and the first IP  603  will become new parts of the agent terminal item  601  after the agent terminal  40  is confirmed to finish its network configuration.  
         [0051]     In  FIG. 7 , the IP index  70  includes at least fields of the first MAC address  701  and the first IP  702 . Every item represents the network configuration information of one agent terminal  40  that allows to be controlled by the managing sever  30 . The IP index  70  is established in advance in the managing sever  30 .  
         [0052]      FIG. 8  shows a simplified explanatory chart for an embodiment that adds a newly-linked agent terminal item N 601 . Assume that the managing sever  30  includes N- 1  controllable agent terminal item  601 . All the processes during network configuration, and the practical contents and relations of transmitted/received packets between the managing sever  30  and the agent terminal  40  may be fully understood herein.  
         [0053]     When the agent terminal  40  is connected to the dedicated intranet, the detection packet  50  from the managing program  31  of the managing sever  30  will be received first. The detection packet  50  includes the information of the second MAC address  503  and the second IP  504 , such as “08010080fbbc, 192.168.1.1”. Then the configuration program  431  of the agent terminal  40  will respond the first respond packet  51  to the managing program  31 . Except the second MAC address  503  and the second IP  504  in the detection packet  50 , the first respond packet  51  further includes the information of the first MAC address  501  that represents the agent terminal  40 , such as “08010080fbbc, 192.168.1.1, 08002080fbbc”. When the managing program  31  receives the first respond packet  51 , the first MAC address  501  is added into the agent terminal discovery table  311  and become a new agent terminal item N 601 ; that is, to add the first MAC address  501  (08002080fbbc) of the agent terminal  40  into the field of the first MAC address  602  in the agent terminal item N- 601 . Afterwards, the managing program  31  transmits a identification packet  52 , which includes instantly-input or pre-established identification information, such as account  521 (“admin”) and password  522 (“2468”), and the first IP 502 (“192.168.16.30”) corresponsive to the first MAC address  501 (“08002080fbbc”) recorded in the IP index  312 . Consequently, the final identification packet  52  transmitted to the configuration program  431  will probably be “admin, 2468, 192.168.16.30”.  
         [0054]     When the configuration program  431  received the identification packet  52 , the identification information needs to be examined if it matches. If so, the second respond packet  53  is transmitted to the managing program  31 . Now the second respond packet will includes the complete information of the managing sever  30  and the agent terminal  40 , which is the second MAC address  503 , the second IP  504 , the first MAC address  501  and the first IP  502 (“08010080fbbc, 192.168.1.1, 08002080fbbc, 192.168.16.30”). The complete network configuration information of the agent terminal  40  received by the managing program  31  will be recorded in the agent terminal discovery table  311 . Thus the new addition operation of the agent terminal item N- 601  is accomplished and so as the remote dynamic network configuration for the agent terminal  40 , thereby enables the remote terminals  10  or the managing sever  30  to execute TCP/IP based remote network management of the agent terminal  40 . More precisely, the operation program  101  ( FIG. 1 ) of the remote terminal  10  will be provided with the agent terminal discovery table from the managing program  31  to be capable of controlling the agent terminal  40  through the first IP  502 .  
         [0055]     The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.