Title of Invention

A METHOD TO CONFIGURE TEMPORARY ADDRESS IN MANAGED NETWORK ON FAILURE OF DHCP SERVER

Abstract

The invention explains a method to configure temporary address in managed network on failure of DHCP server. The method involves initiating message to configure the temporary address when the address configuration fails in the managed mode and router R sending message to the Administrative Server regarding the failure of the server. It also involves the administrative Server maintaining Prefix information for temporary address assignment and the administrative Server allocating prefix for the router to advertise for configuring temporary address. Further the invention involves configuring of address and performing DAD at Host H and raising alert by the administrative server for failure of the server.

Full Text

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention, in general, relates to the field of to IPv6. In particular, it is related to temporary address configuration in managed IPv6 networks when the DHCP server is down or unavailable. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method to configure temporary Address in Managed Network on failure of DHCP server. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART In the managed IPv6 network, the Router advertisement in the IPv6 network will send the Router Advertisement to the all the nodes in the subnet with 'M' flag set. 'M' flag in the Router advertisement suggests that the prefix advertised in the RA is not for the address configuration. Node needs to configure IPv6 address using the DHCPv6 server. When the host boots up in the managed network and wants to configure the address it tries to communicate with the DHCP server. If the DHCP server is down the host will not be able to configure global address. The monitoring system will monitor the status of the DHCP server. If the DHCP server is not available it will raise the alert in the system. Operation of Related Art: In the managed network the address assignment will be done using the DHCP server. In managed network when new host boots up it will try to get the address assignment using the DHCP server. Host tries with the number of tries with the DHCP server for the address configuration. DHCP server maintains a pool of the addresses and can assign the host based on the request. The addresses will be assigned to the host on the lease. LIMITATIONS In the managed IPv6 network, if the configuration of the IPv6 address fails due to the DHCP server being down or unavailability of DCHP server the system will raise the alert. The hosts will not be able to configure the address unless the DHCP server responds to the request of the host or configured the address manually by an administrator. Hosts will not be able to configure the global IPv6 address and hence will be unable to communicate beyond the link. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention proposes two methods to provide Temporary Address Auto Configuration (TAAC) when a node cannot acquire/configure address automatically in managed environments. It addresses the issue when the address configuration is through managed mode and the DHCPv6 server is down or unavailable. This invention covers two different approaches to achieve the object of the invention. It also covers the pros and cons of these approaches. Accordingly, this invention explains a method to configure temporary address in managed network on failure of DHCP server comprising the steps of: (a) initiating message to configure the temporary address when the address configuration fails in the managed mode; (b) router R sending message to the Administrative Server regarding the failure of the server; (c) administrative Server maintaining Prefix information for temporary address assignment; (d) administrative Server allocating prefix for the router to advertise for configuring temporary address; (e) configuring of address and performing DAD at Host H; and (f) raising alert by the administrative server for failure of the server. Accordingly, this invention further explains a method to configure temporary address in managed network on failure of DHCP server comprising the steps of: (a) suggesting that the host need to configure the address in managed mode by router advertisement received from Router R; (b) host H trying to contact the DHCP server for the configuring the address and fails due to problem in DHCP server; (c) host H sending Configuration Failure Report to the Router; (d) router sending message to the administrative server regarding the failure of the DHCP Server; (e) administrative Server giving the temporary prefix for the particular subnet with the time interval for its validity; (f) router advertising the prefix to nodes in the subnet with the M bit set too; (g) host H configuring the address using the new Router advertisement; (h) host H performing DAD for the newly configured address; and (i) host H using the address for the valid address time mentioned in the RA message. Accordingly, this invention further explains a method to configure temporary address in managed network on failure of DHCP server comprising the steps of: (a) monitoring DHCPv6 Server by the administrative server; (b) receiving router advertisement from Router R suggesting that the host need to configure the address in managed mode; (c) host H trying to contact the DHCP server for configuring the address and fails due to problem in DHCP server; (d) administrative Server detecting the problem in the DHCP server; (e) administrative server giving the temporary prefixes for all the particular subnets with the time interval for its validity; (f) router advertising the prefix to nodes in the subnet with the M bit set (g) host H configuring the address using the new Router advertisement; (h) host H performing DAD for the newly configured address; and (i) host H using the address for the valid address time mentioned in the RA message. These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the ensuing detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows the existing art in the managed network. Figure 2 shows the deployment scenario for the method described in this document. Figure 3 depicts the operation of the method 1 described in this document. Figure 4 depicts the operation of the method 2 described in this document. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood however that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. The following description and drawings are not to be construed as limiting the invention and numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention, as the basis for the claims and as a basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to make and/or use the invention. However in certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention in detail. Figure 1 shows the existing art in the managed network. Managed network maintains a centralized DHCP server to configure the addresses for the upcoming hosts. All the nodes in the managed network communicate with the DHCP server for the address configuration. DHCP server maintains pool of the addresses and assigns the addresses to the hosts on the lease basis. Figure 2 shows the deployment scenario for the method described in this document. The DHCP server can also be deployed with Administrative Server. Using Method 1, the Administrative Server will handle the failure of the DHCP Server reported by Host and will trigger the temporary address configuration. In method 2 Administrative Server will monitor the functioning of the DHCP server. Administrative server will trigger the mechanism for configuration of the temporary addresses on failure of the DHCP server. Objects of the Invention In managed IPv6 network the IPv6 address configuration will be done using the DHCP server. If the DHCP server is down or not available then the host which wants to configure the address will not be able to configure it and hence it will not be able to communicate outside the link. This invention proposes two methods for temporary address auto configuration which will enable the host to configure the global address and use it for the communication. The invention satisfies the following criteria: • Host will be able to configure the temporary address in the managed network even if the DHCP server is down or unavailable. • Minimal change at infrastructure and host side. • Interoperable with existing standards. • Simple and easily deployable. Operation of the Invention In this invention we have proposed two methods to configure temporary address configuration on failure DHCP server in managed network. Figure 2 depicts an example deployment scenario for this method. The configuration of the temporary address mechanism gets triggered using two methods. In first method host will assist the triggering of the temporary address configuration and in the second method monitoring system will identify the failure of the DHCP server and will trigger the mechanism to overcome it. On triggering the temporary address configuration mechanism the administrative server will allocate the prefix to the router that can be used for the address configuration. Router in the domain will advertise this prefix in the Router advertisement messages. Host will configure the temporary address using this prefix. The valid lifetime of these addresses will be the valid lifetime advertised in the Router Advertisement. Router will stop advertising the prefix when valid lifetime expires or the Administrative Server decides to remove the prefix when the DHCP server is again starts working. Figure 3 depicts the operation of the method 1 described in this document. In the managed network when the host gets the Router Advertisement with the M flag set one that suggests that it need to configure the address from the DHCP server. If the DHCP server is down host fails to configure the address. It will report the error to the router which will escalate the error to the Administrative Server. AS will assign the temporary prefix to the router, which can be advertised it without M flag set to 0. Host can now configure the address based on the prefix advertised for the given valid life time in router advertisement. The following is the step-by-step operation of Method 1 to configure the temporary address in the managed network. (Refer figure 3) 1. Router advertisement received from Router R suggests that the host need to configure the address in managed mode. 2. Host H tries to contact the DHCP server for the configuring the address and fails due to problem in DHCP server. 3. Host H sends Configuration Failure Report to the Router. 4. Router sends message to the administrative server regarding the failure of the DHCP Server. 5. Administrative Server gives the temporary prefix for the particular subnet with the time interval for its validity. 6. Router advertises this prefix to nodes in the subnet with the M bit set to 0. 7. Host H can configure the address using the new Router advertisement. 8. Host H performance DAD for the newly configured address. 9. Host H uses the address for the valid address time mentioned in the RA message. Figure 4 depicts the operation of the method 2 described in this document. Administrative Server monitors the functioning of the DHCP server. All the nodes will configure the addresses from the DHCP server. Administrative Server will detect the failure of the DHCP server. It assigns temporary prefixes to all routers in the enterprise network. All routers in the network will advertise the assigned prefix within the given lifetime and the M flag set to 0. This will enable the new booting nodes to configure the temporary address for given valid time. The following is the step-by-step operation of Method 2 to configure the temporary address in the managed network. (Refer figure 4) 1. Administrative Server will monitor DHCPv6 Server 2. Router advertisement received from Router R suggests that the host need to configure the address in managed mode. 3. Host H tries to contact the DHCP server for the configuring the address and fails due to problem in DHCP server. 4. Administrative Server detects the problem in the DHCP server. 5. Administrative Server gives the temporary prefixes for all the particular subnets with the time interval for its validity. 6. Router advertise this prefix to nodes in the subnet with the M bit set to 0 7. Host H can configure the address using the new Router advertisement. 8. Host H perform DAD for the newly configured address. 9. Host H uses the address for the valid address time mentioned in the RA message. ADVANTAGES a. Host can configure the address even in cases of • DHCP server is down or under maintenance • DHCP Server is unavailable and Router is misconfigured. b. Triggers the alert for Administrator to solve the problem of DHCP server being down or Router being misconfigured. It will also be obvious to those skilled in the art that other control methods and apparatuses can be derived from the combinations of the various methods and apparatuses of the present invention as taught by the description and the accompanying drawings and these shall also be considered within the scope of the present invention. Further, description of such combinations and variations is therefore omitted above. It should also be noted that the host for storing the applications include but not limited to a microchip, microprocessor, handheld communication device, computer, rendering device or a multi function device. Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications are possible and are apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims unless they depart therefrom. GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND DEFINITIONS THEREOF AS Administrative Server DAD Duplicate Address Detection DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol IPv6 Internet Protocol version 6 R Router RA Router Advertisement REFERENCES [IPv6] Deering S. and R. Hinden, "Internet Protocol, Version 6 (IPv6) Specification", RFC 2460, December 1998. WE CLAIM 1. A method to configure temporary address in managed network on failure of DHCP server comprising the steps of: a) initiating message to configure the temporary address when the address configuration fails in the managed mode; b) router R sending message to the Administrative Server regarding the failure of the server; c) administrative Server maintaining Prefix information for temporary address assignment; d) administrative Server allocating prefix for the router to advertise for configuring temporary address; e) configuring of address and performing DAD at Host H; and f) raising alert by the administrative server for failure of the server. 2. A method to configure temporary address in managed network on failure of DHCP server comprising the steps of: a) suggesting that the host need to configure the address in managed mode by router advertisement received from Router R; b) host H trying to contact the DHCP server for the configuring the address and fails due to problem in DHCP server; c) host H sending Configuration Failure Report to the Router; d) router sending message to the administrative server regarding the failure of the DHCP Server; e) administrative Server giving the temporary prefix for the particular subnet with the time interval for its validity; f) router advertising the prefix to nodes in the subnet with the M bit set too; g) host H configuring the address using the new Router advertisement; h) host H performing DAD for the newly configured address; and i) host H using the address for the valid address time mentioned in the RA message. 3. A method to configure temporary address in managed network on failure of DHCP server comprising the steps of: a) monitoring DHCPv6 Server by the administrative server; b) receiving router advertisement from Router R suggesting that the host need to configure the address in managed mode; c) host H trying to contact the DHCP server for configuring the address and fails due to problem in DHCP server; d) administrative Server detecting the problem in the DHCP server; e) administrative server giving the temporary prefixes for all the particular subnets with the time interval for its validity; f) router advertising the prefix to nodes in the subnet with the M bit set too; g) host H configuring the address using the new Router advertisement; h) host H performing DAD for the newly configured address; and i) host H using the address for the valid address time mentioned in the RA message. 4. A method to configure temporary address in managed network on failure of DHCP server substantially described particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this the 19th day of December 2006

Documents:

2353-CHE-2006 AMENDED CLAIMS 31-05-2013.pdf

2353-CHE-2006 AMENDED PAGES OF SPECIFICATION 31-05-2013.pdf

2353-CHE-2006 EXAMINATION REPORT REPLY RECEIVED 31-05-2013.pdf

2353-CHE-2006 FORM-13 31-05-2013.pdf

2353-CHE-2006 OTHER PATENT DOCUMENT 31-05-2013.pdf

2353-CHE-2006 POWER OF ATTORNEY 31-05-2013.pdf

2353-CHE-2006 FORM 18.pdf

2353-che-2006-abstract.pdf

2353-che-2006-claims.pdf

2353-che-2006-correspondnece-others.pdf

2353-che-2006-description(complete).pdf

2353-che-2006-drawings.pdf

2353-che-2006-form 1.pdf

2353-che-2006-form 26.pdf