Patent ID: 8078777

Claim:
A method for providing a managed network, comprising: in a management center, setting at least one configuration to be transmitted to a first network management device, the at least one configuration to cause the first network management device to provide a corresponding at least one managed network service for a first network after the at least one configuration is transmitted to and received by the first network management device, wherein setting the at least one configuration comprises setting: a quality of service (QOS) configuration to cause the first network management device to enable selective transmission of information by the first network management device based on a relative metric of the information; and wherein setting the at lest one configuration further comprises setting at least one of: an anti-virus configuration to cause the first network management device to provide an anti-virus service; a content filtering configuration to cause the first network management device to provide a content filtering service; an anti-spam configuration to cause the first network management device to provide an anti-spam service; a virtual private network (VPN) configuration to cause the first network management device to provide a VPN service, the VPN service to enable the first network management device to communicate with at least one of: a second network management device located at a second location, a remote access client, and the management center; an internet protocol (IP) routing and network interface configuration to cause the first network management device to provide an IP routing and network interface service; and a device monitoring configuration to cause the first network management device to provide a device monitoring service, the device monitoring service to monitor one or more network elements, the one or more network elements connected to the first network and external to the first network management device; and transmitting the at least one configuration to the first network management device via a second network in response to receiving an activation key at the management center, the activation key transmitted from the first network management device to the management center via the second network after the first network management device is connected to the second network at a first location.