Method of provisioning network elements

1. A method comprising:

at a first time, when a network element is disconnected from a network:

assigning, by a first computing device, an internet protocol (IP) address to the network element based on a unique element ID of the network element, and associating provisioning instructions with the unique element ID of the network element, wherein the provisioning instructions comprise the IP address;

storing the provisioning instructions in a database; and

at a second time after the first time, when the network element is connected to the network:

receiving, at a second computing device responsible for provisioning the network element, a request for provisioning from the network element;

receiving, at the first computing device, a query identifying the unique element ID; and

responsive to the query, distributing the provisioning instructions to the second computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the database comprises a Domain Name System (DNS) server and the query is a DNS query, and the method further comprises:

at the second time, provisioning, by the second computing device, the network element according to Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), wherein provisioning the network element comprises informing the network element of the IP address, wherein the IP address informs the network element of its network address that is to be used while connected to one or more networks of a service provider.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein provisioning the network element using the DHCP is performed without verifying validity of the IP address.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein associating the provisioning instructions with the unique element ID of the network element comprises associating local provisioning requirements of the network element with the unique element ID.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the second computing device provisions the network element without knowledge of the local provisioning requirements of the network element prior to receiving the provisioning instructions.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

at the second time, looking-up the provisioning instructions based on the unique element ID.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

after the network element is connected to a network, receiving a provisioning query for the network element at one of a plurality of relays, wherein the provisioning query identifies the unique element ID; and

relaying the provisioning query from the one relay to the second computing device.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

upon receiving the provisioning query, transmitting, by the second computing device, the query to the database.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

at the first time, storing the provisioning instructions within a plurality of databases located in one of a plurality of zones, wherein the unique element ID for the network element determines which of the plurality of zones is the one zone including the plurality of databases storing the provisioning instructions;

at the second time:

identifying the one zone based on the unique element ID; and

responsive to identifying the one zone, retrieving the provisioning instructions from the one zone.

10. A system comprising:

a data storage device; and

a first computing device configured to:

at a first time, wherein a network element is not connected to a network at the first time:

assign an internet protocol (IP) address to the network element based on a unique element ID of the network element, and associate provisioning instructions with the unique element ID of the network element, wherein the provisioning instructions comprise the IP address,

transmit the provisioning instructions to a database; and

wherein the data storage device is configured to:

at a second time after the first time, when the network element is connected to the network and the network element has requested provisioning:

receive a query identifying the unique element ID, and responsive to the query, distribute the provisioning instructions to a second computing device that is responsible for provisioning the network element.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the provisioning instructions comprise instructions to support access of the network element to services over the network.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the first computing device is further configured to store the provisioning instructions prior to the network element connecting to the network.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the database comprises a Domain Name System (DNS) server and the query is a DNS query, and the system further comprises the second computing device; and

wherein the second computing device is configured to provision the network element according to Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), wherein provisioning the network element comprises informing the network element of the IP address, wherein the IP address informs the network element of its network address that is to be used while connected to one or more networks of a service provider.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein provisioning the network element according to the DHCP is performed without verifying validity of the IP address.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the provisioning instructions comprise local provisioning requirements of the network element.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the second computing device is configured to execute an anycast announcement;

wherein the anycast announcement is utilized by one or more relays in determining a nearest provisioning server that will be responsible for provisioning the network element, the nearest provisioning server having a shortest communication path to the network element.

17. A method comprising:

at a first time, when a network element is disconnected from a network:

assigning, by a computing device, an internet protocol (IP) address to the network element based on a unique element ID of the network element, and associating provisioning instructions with the unique element ID of the network element, wherein the provisioning instructions comprise the IP address;

determining that a zone from a plurality of zones is associated with the unique element ID of the network element;

storing the provisioning instructions in a Domain Name System (DNS) server associated with the zone;

at a second time after the first time, when the network element is connected to the network:

receiving a provisioning query at a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server that is responsible for provisioning the network element, wherein the provisioning query requests provisioning of the network element;

receiving, at the DNS server and from the DHCP server, a query identifying the unique element ID of the network element; and

responsive to the query, distributing the provisioning instructions to the DHCP server.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

at the second time, provisioning, by the DHCP server, the network element according to DHCP, wherein provisioning the network element comprises informing the network element of the IP address, wherein the IP address informs the network element of its network address that is to be used while connected to one or more networks of a service provider.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein provisioning the network element according to the DHCP is performed without the DHCP server verifying validity of the IP address with other DHCP servers.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the provisioning instructions comprise local provisioning requirements of the network element.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the DHCP server is without knowledge of the local provisioning requirements of the network element prior to receiving the provisioning instructions from the DNS server.