Patent ID: 8676990

Claim:
In a system having devices in communication with one of a plurality of servers via a communication path which includes a gateway and also having a repository, a method for managing the devices comprising: configuring the plurality of servers to store management objects for use in configuring certain device types; configuring the repository to be accessed by the gateway and store information that associates device types with corresponding servers of said plurality of servers; and initiating a communication session for configuring a device in accordance with the at least one management object stored on a particular server of said plurality of servers by transmitting a request signal from the device to the gateway, routing the signal through the gateway, and transmitting the signal from the gateway to said particular server as determined by the access to the information stored in the repository; wherein the request signal is indicative of a device type and the information stored by the repository is accessed by the gateway in order to determine which of said plurality of servers to which the request signal is to be transmitted; and wherein the information stored in the repository is altered to enable a change in criteria upon which the determination of which of said plurality of servers to which the request signal is to be transmitted is based.