Configuration of server apparatus
View Patent ↗A small-form programmable pluggable device 80 is used to establish communication between a configurable “bare-metal” server 50 having no existing configuration software installed, and a provisioning server 60 capable of downloading software to the configurable server 50 to allow the configurable server 50 to be configured to perform a specific function. The pluggable device carries sufficient programming to access the required software 63 and deliver it to the configurable server 50 . This allows the configurable server to be delivered to its end-user before configuration, and configuration to be performed by the network operator in situ, but without a site visit, by delivery and plug-in of the small-form device 80 , which is typically of a suitable size to be mailed.
1. A method of installing an application on a configurable server device, the method comprising the steps of:
installing, in the configurable server device, an intermediate communication interface device;
initiating and mediating, from the intermediate communications interface device, a tunneled network connection through a telecommunications network to a remote network operating center, the connection being independent of the configurable server device,
receiving, at the configurable server, configuration data downloaded from a program provisioning server hosted by the network operating center, and
installing the application by configuring the server device in accordance with the configuration data, wherein:
the intermediate communications interface device is configured, prior to coupling to the configurable server device, such that on coupling to the configurable server device it transmits boot-up instructions to the configurable server device, and modifies responses received from the configurable server device in response to said boot-up instruction, to generate an instruction to be directed to the program provisioning server to obtain a unique network address specific to the network operating center;
the intermediate communications interface device is embodied as one or more pluggable devices;
separate applications are mediated through separate respective pluggable devices, in communication with each other; and
the pluggable devices communicate with each other through a paired wireless connection.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the pluggable devices communicate with each other through an Ethernet bridge.
3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein communication between the paired devices is through a secure tunneled connection.
4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the program provisioning server hosted by the network operating center operates on a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP).
5. A method according to claim 4 , wherein boot files are retrieved by the configurable server from a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) Server forming part of the program provisioning server.
6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the boot file is accessible to a plurality of configurable servers, and is customized to the respective network address of each configurable server.
7. A communications interface device configured to be connected to a configurable server device and a telecommunications network and to initiate and mediate a tunneled network connection between the server device and a program provisioning server at a remote part of the telecommunications network, wherein the communications interface device is configured for coupling to a configurable server device and to transmit boot-up instructions to the configurable server device to which it is coupled, and to modify responses received from the configurable server device in response to said boot-up instruction, to generate an instruction, to be transmitted by a routing independent of the configurable server device, to a programming provisioning server hosted by the network operating center to obtain a network address;
wherein the communications interface device is a pluggable device;
wherein the communications interface device is arranged to mediate installation and operation of a first function on the server device by connection with a program provisioning server, and to communicate with a second such pluggable device installed on the server device to mediate installation and operation on the server device of a second function from the, or another, program provisioning server; and
wherein the communications interface device is arranged to communicate with the second pluggable device through a paired wireless connection.
8. A communications interface device according to claim 7 , arranged to communicate with the second pluggable device through an Ethernet bridge.
9. A method of installing an application on a configurable server device, the method comprising the steps of:
pre-configuring an intermediate communications interface device, such that, on subsequent coupling to a configurable server device, the intermediate communications interface device will transmit boot-up instructions to the configurable server device;
coupling the intermediate communications interface device which has been pre-configured, in the configurable server device, so that it transmits the boot-up instructions to the configurable server device;
initiating and mediating, from the intermediate communications interface device, a tunneled network connection through a telecommunications network to a remote network operating center, the connection being independent of the configurable server device;
at the intermediate communications interface device, receiving responses from the configurable server device in response to said boot-up instruction, and modifying said responses to generate an instruction to be directed to a program provisioning server hosted by the network operating center to obtain a unique network address specific to the network operating center;
receiving, at the configurable server device, configuration data downloaded from the program provisioning server; and
installing the application by configuring the configurable server device in accordance with the configuration data.
10. A method according to claim 9 , wherein:
the intermediate communications interface device include multiple pluggable devices;
separate applications are mediated through separate respective pluggable devices, in communication with each other; and
the pluggable devices communicate with each other through a paired wireless connection.
11. A method according to claim 9 , wherein the intermediate communications interface device is embodied as one or more pluggable devices.
12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein separate applications are mediated through separate respective pluggable devices, in communication with each other.
13. A method according to claim 12 , wherein the pluggable devices communicate with each other through an Ethernet bridge.
14. A method according to claim 12 , wherein the pluggable devices communicate with each other through a paired wireless connection.
15. A method according to claim 12 , wherein communication between the paired devices is through a secure tunneled connection.
16. A method according to claim 9 , wherein the program provisioning server hosted by the network operating center operates on a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP).
17. A method according to claim 16 , wherein boot files are retrieved by the configurable server from a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) Server forming part of the program provisioning server.
18. A method according to claim 17 , wherein the boot file is accessible to a plurality of configurable servers, and is customized to the respective network address of each configurable server.