Patent ID: 7302476

Claim:
A method of configuring a network device that is non-conforming with a management system using configurations provided by the management system over a network, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: detecting, by a first network device managed by the management system, a network event associated with a second network device that is non-conforming with the management system; wherein the management system comprises a management server, which comprises at least one of: a network services server; a network services event gateway; or a network services configuration server; wherein the non-conforming second network device cannot receive normal configurations from the management system; in response to the network event, the first network device retrieving a set of configurations from the management system, wherein retrieving the set of configurations includes identifying the second network device; the first network device converting the set of configurations into a converted form usable by the second network device; wherein the step of converting the set of configurations into a form suitable for the non-conforming device includes retrieving logic from the management system to convert the set of configurations into the form suitable for the non-conforming device in response to a network broadcast; providing the set of configurations in the converted form to the second network device; and configuring the second network device according to the set of configurations in the converted form wherein the management system manages the second network device based on the configuring step.