Patent ID: 7631055

Claim:
A method of provisioning modular network devices, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: receiving a configuration at a modular network device on a data network, wherein the modular network device comprises a plurality of slots into which one or more modules is plugged, and wherein the configuration comprises commands for configuring a plurality of network interfaces associated with the modular network device; at the modular network device, performing the steps of: setting one interface of the plurality of network interfaces as a current interface; configuring the current interface with at least one command associated with the configuration; attempting to connect with a management point over the data network through the current interface; determining whether the current interface can connect to the management point; in response to determining that the current interface cannot connect to the management point: setting a next interface of the plurality of network interfaces as the current interface, and repeating the step of configuring and the step of attempting to connect for the current interface; and in response to determining that the current interface can connect to the management point, the modular network device automatically communicating, to the management point, an inventory of each interface of the plurality of network interfaces associated with the modular network device.