Patent ID: 7240102

Claim:
A system for providing Web browser-based remote network appliance configuration in a distributed computing environment, comprising: one or more network appliances interconnected within a bounded network domain defined by a common network address space; a configuration client comprising an applet executing within a Web browser and configuring the network appliances, comprising: a status module broadcasting a query message to the network appliances and processing a response message containing network settings, including a physical network address, received by the applet from at least one such network appliance responsive to the query message; and a configuration module generating and sending a configuration packet using the physical network address for each at least one such network appliance sending a response message and requiring configuration; a list of the network appliances maintained by the status module for each at least one such network appliance sending a response message not requiring configuration; and a completion module receiving a status message from each at least one such network appliance requiring configuration responsive to receipt of the configuration packet; wherein when the status message indicates an unsuccessful configuration, further comprising resending the configuration packet to the at least one such network appliance.