Method and system for thin client configuration
View Patent ↗A method for configuring a thin client connected to a communications network includes the thin client sending a request for a network address to an address server. The address server sends an assigned network address back to the thin client together with a location of a configuration server. The thin client sends a request for configuration information to the configuration server. The request for configuration information includes information on the thin client. The configuration server generates a configuration file containing configuration information based on the received thin client information. The configuration file is then sent by the configuration server to the thin client, which uses the configuration file for configuration.
1. A method for generating a configuration file for a thin client device, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a request for configuration information from the thin client device at a configuration server via a communications network, wherein the request for configuration information includes thin client information;
generating a configuration file containing configuration information based on the thin client information;
facilitating sending the configuration file from the configuration server to the thin client device via the communications network, wherein the configuration information contained in the configuration file is to configure the thin client device;
receiving a request for a network address via the communications network; and
facilitating sending an assigned network address and a location of the configuration server from an address server,
wherein the generating the configuration file comprises using an application or script to dynamically construct the configuration file, after the request is received at the configuration server, based on the thin client information,
wherein the request for configuration information is separate from the request for a network address received at the address server,
wherein the address server and the configuration server are individual servers,
wherein the request for a network address is allowed to be broadcast on the communications network, and
wherein desired changes to thin client device configurations are to be made at the configuration server by modifying the application or script that generates the configuration file.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the request for a network address is received by a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server and the assigned network address is sent by the DHCP server.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the location of the configuration server is included in a DHCP tag.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a protocol of the configuration server is received with the location of the configuration server.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the configuration server is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) server.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the configuration server is a Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS) server.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the location of the configuration server is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).
8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the thin client information is included in a URL line of the request for configuration information.
9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the thin client information is separate from a URL line of the request for configuration information.
10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the thin client information is encrypted.
11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the thin client information includes information on a hardware configuration of the thin client device.
12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the information on the hardware configuration comprises information on internal hardware components of the thin client device and peripheral devices connected to the thin client device.
13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the thin client information includes information on a software configuration of the thin client device.
14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the information on the software configuration comprises information on software modules currently installed on the thin client device.
15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the thin client information includes information on a peripheral device attached to the thin client device.
16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the script is executed on the configuration server.
17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the application is executed on the configuration server.
18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the thin client information comprises identification information, current hardware configuration and current software configuration of the thin client device.
19. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the thin client device is configured to detect, during boot up, current hardware configuration of the thin client device and any peripheral device connected to the thin client device and is configured to update the thin client information based on the detection,
wherein the thin client information received from the thin client device comprises the updated thin client information,
wherein the configuration file is dynamically constructed based on the updated thin client information received from the thin client device.
20. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the generating the configuration file comprises generating the configuration file using the application or script identified in a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).
21. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
analyzing the thin client information,
wherein the generating the configuration file comprises generating the configuration file without selecting the configuration file from a database of configuration files.
22. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the analyzing the thin client information comprises analyzing the thin client information using the application or script.
23. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the configuration server comprises the address server, the address server comprises the configuration server, the configuration server is the address server, or the configuration server and the address server are combined into a server.
24. A thin client configuration system for configuring a thin client device, comprising:
a configuration server configured to generate a configuration file containing configuration information in response to a request for configuration information received from the thin client device via a communications network, and to facilitate sending the configuration file to the thin client device via the communications network; and
an address server configured to facilitate sending a network address via the communications network in response to an address request,
wherein the configuration server is configured to generate the configuration file based on thin client information included with the request for configuration information received from the thin client device,
wherein the configuration information contained in the configuration file is to configure the thin client device,
wherein the configuration server is configured to generate the configuration file, after the request is received at the configuration server, by using an application or script to dynamically construct the configuration file based on the thin client information,
wherein a location of the configuration server is included with the network address,
wherein the address request is separate from the request for configuration information,
wherein the address server and the configuration server are individual servers,
wherein the address request is to be broadcast on the communications network, and
wherein desired changes to thin client device configurations are to be made at the configuration server by modifying the application or script that generates the configuration file.
25. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the address server is a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server.
26. The system according to claim 25 , wherein the location of the configuration server is included in a DHCP tag.
27. The system according to claim 24 , wherein a protocol of the configuration server is to be received with the location of the configuration server.
28. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the configuration server is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) server.
29. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the configuration server is a Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS) server.
30. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the location of the configuration server is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).
31. The system according to claim 30 , wherein the thin client information is included in a URL line of the request for configuration information.
32. The system according to claim 30 , wherein the thin client information is separate from a URL line of the request for configuration information.
33. The system according to claim 30 , wherein the thin client information is encrypted.
34. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the thin client information includes information on a hardware configuration of the thin client device.
35. The system according to claim 34 , wherein the information on the hardware configuration comprises information on internal hardware components of the thin client and peripheral devices connected to the thin client device.
36. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the thin client information includes information on a software configuration of the thin client device.
37. The system according to claim 36 , wherein the information on the software configuration comprises information on software modules currently installed on the thin client device.
38. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the thin client information includes information on a peripheral device attached to the thin client device.
39. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the script is to be executed on the configuration server.
40. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the application is to be executed on the configuration server.
41. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the thin client information comprises identification information, current hardware configuration and current software configuration of the thin client device.
42. The system according to claim 24 ,
wherein the thin client device is configured to detect, during boot up, current hardware configuration of the thin client device and any peripheral device connected to the thin client device and is configured to update the thin client information based on the detection,
wherein the thin client information received from the thin client device comprises the updated thin client information,
wherein the configuration server is configured to generate the configuration file based on the updated thin client information received from the thin client device.
43. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the configuration server is configured to generate the configuration file using the application or script identified in a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).
44. The system according to claim 43 , wherein the configuration server is configured to analyze the thin client information using the application or script.
45. The system according to claim 24 ,
wherein the configuration server is configured to analyze the thin client information,
wherein the configuration server is configured to dynamically construct the configuration file without selecting the configuration file from a database of configuration files.
46. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the configuration server comprises the address server, the address server comprises the configuration server, the configuration server is the address server, or the configuration server and the address server are combined into a server.
47. A non-transitory computer-readable medium or media containing computer-executable instructions for implementing a method for generating a configuration file for a thin client device, the method comprising:
receiving a request for configuration information from the thin client device at a configuration server via a communications network, wherein the request for configuration information includes thin client information;
generating a configuration file containing configuration information based on the thin client information;
facilitating sending the configuration file from the configuration server to the thin client device via the communications network, wherein the configuration information contained in the configuration file is to configure the thin client device;
receiving a request for a network address from the thin client device via the communications network; and
facilitating sending an assigned network address and a location of the configuration server from an address server,
wherein the generating the configuration file comprises using an application or script to dynamically construct the configuration file, after the request is received at the configuration server, based on the thin client information,
wherein the request for configuration information is separate from the request for a network address,
wherein the address server and the configuration server are individual servers,
wherein the request for a network address is allowed to be broadcast on the communications network, and
wherein desired changes to thin client device configurations are to be made at the configuration server by modifying the application or script that generates the configuration file.
48. A thin client configuration system, comprising:
non-transitory processor-readable medium or media containing executable instructions;
a processor configured to execute instructions contained on said non-transitory processor-readable medium or media to implement a method comprising:
receiving a request for configuration information from a thin client device at a configuration server via a communications network, wherein the request for configuration information includes thin client information;
generating a configuration file containing configuration information based on the thin client information;
facilitating sending the configuration file from the configuration server to the thin client device via the communications network, wherein the configuration information contained in the configuration file is to configure the thin client device;
receiving a request for a network address via the communications network; and
facilitating sending an assigned network address and a location of the configuration server from an address server,
wherein the generating the configuration file comprises using an application or script to dynamically construct the configuration file, after the request is received at the configuration server, based on the thin client information,
wherein the request for configuration information is separate from the request for a network address,
wherein the address server and the configuration server are individual servers,
wherein the request for a network address is allowed to be broadcast on the communications network, and
wherein desired changes to thin client device configurations are to be made at the configuration server by modifying the application or script that generates the configuration file.