System and method for server initiation beacon

1. A method for a server-client communication in a network having one or more servers including discoverable services, comprising, at a server:

requesting a client for using said discoverable services, to establish an initial connection for discovery, including:

generating an initial discovery beacon for requesting the initial connection, and transmitting the discovery beacon in the network, said initial discovery beacon being unrequested by any other beacon;

assigning to the discovered client, a scheduled event for triggering a further connection for update of the discovered client, including:

assigning a time period to the discovered client when the client is discovered;

generating an update beacon requesting the discovered client to establish the further connection for update of the discovered client, the discovered client connecting back to the server in the assigned time period; and

transmitting the update beacon in the network.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising, at the server:

assigning a group to the discovered client; and

administering the group, the group having one or more than one discovered client in the network.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the step of administering comprises at least one of:

creating the group;

modifying the group; and

deleting the group.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the step of generating an update beacon comprises:

generating the update beacon for the group.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of discovering comprises:

assigning the client to the server so that the client responds to the discovery and update beacons from the assigned server.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising, at the server:

providing URL to the client to establish the initial connection or the initial connection and the further connection.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the step of providing comprises:

providing the URL to the client through the discovery beacon to establish the initial and further connections.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the beacon comprises at least one of:

a message ID for identifying the beacon to prevent the client from responding to the same beacon repeatedly;

a site ID for identifying the server to allow the client to respond to the discovery and update beacons from the server;

a group ID for identifying a group, the group having one or more than one discovered client in the network;

a locater for locating a server for the establishment of the connection.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the discovery beacon comprises the locator for establishing the initial and further connections.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of transmitting comprises at least one of:

broadcasting the beacon;

multicasting the beacon; and

repeatedly transmitting the beacon.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said discoverable services include an updating service and the updating comprises provisioning and configuring the discovered client.

12. A method for a server-client communication in a network having one or more servers including discoverable services, comprising, at a client for using said discoverable services:

for discovery, detecting an initial discovery beacon from a server for establishing an initial connection, said initial discovery beacon being unprompted by any other beacon, and establishing the initial connection, a time period being assigned to the client by the server when the client is discovered by the server, and

for update of the client, detecting at least one of an update beacon from the server for establishing a further connection and a scheduled event assigned by the server for establishing the further connection, and establishing the further connection in the assigned time period.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the client is assigned to a group, and wherein the step of detecting an update beacon comprises detecting the update beacon for the group assigned to the client.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the client is assigned to the server, and wherein the step of detecting an update beacon comprises detecting the update beacon from the assigned server.

15. A method as claimed in claim 12 , comprising, at the client:

receiving URL from the server for the initial connection, or the initial and further connections.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the step of receiving comprises:

extracting the URL from the discovery beacon for the initial and further connections.

17. A method as claimed in claim 12 , comprising, at the client:

determining whether the same beacon is received more than one time; and

ignoring the beacon when the same beacon is received more than one time.

18. A method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the beacon comprises at least one of:

a message ID for identifying the beacon to prevent the client from responding to the same beacon repeatedly;

a site ID for identifying the server to allow the client to respond to the discovery and update beacons from the server;

a group ID for identifying a group, the group having one or more than one discovered client in the network;

a locater for locating a server for the establishment of the connection.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the discovery beacon comprises the locator for establishing the initial and further connections.

20. A server system comprising:

an invitation unit including discoverable services for generating and transmitting an initial discovery beacon for discovering a new client for using said discoverable services, in a network, said initial discovery beacon being unprompted by any other beacon, assigning, to the discovered client, a scheduled event for triggering a further connection for update of the discovered client, and generating and transmitting in the network, and update beacon for requesting the further connection for updating the discovered client; and

an administration unit for administering the discovered client and including discoverable services, including at least one of:

assigning a time period to the discovered client such that the discovered client connects back to the server in the time period;

assigning the discovered client to a group; and

assigning the server to the client to allow the client to respond to the discovery and update beacons from the assigned server.

21. A server system as claimed in claim 20 , comprising:

a graphic user interface for controlling the invitation unit and the administration unit.

22. A client system comprising:

a beacon client for detecting an invitation beacon from a server including discoverable services, the invitation beacon including an initial discovery beacon for discovery and an update beacon for updates, said initial discovery beacon being unprompted by any other beacon, said client for using said discoverable services;

an event identifier for detecting a scheduled event for the updates of the discovered client, the scheduled event being assigned by the server;

a primary connection client for establishing an initial connection in response to the discovery beacon and establishing a further connection in response to at least one of the update beacon and the event in a time period, the time period being assigned by the server when the client is discovered by the server.

23. A client system as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the client is assigned to a group, and the beacon client comprises means for detecting the update beacon for the group assigned to the client.

24. A client system as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the client is assigned to the server, and wherein the beacon client comprises means for detecting the update beacon from the assigned server.