Automatic reconfiguration system for change in management servers

Abstract

A client on a network is provided with auxiliary low power logic, at the network adaptor, that is always active and simulates network traffic (e.g., Ethernet format) normally sent under control of the main client system processor(s). This logic collects client status information and reports to the network manager, even when the system CPU is powered down, information which allows the network manager to exercise broader control and perform maintenance and upgrades which would otherwise require a dialog with the user and/or limit maintenance and reconfiguration of the client system to off-hours activity.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A personal computer client system, for a data network including at least one personal computer client system and a server having an internet protocol destination address, comprising: 
 a central processing unit (CPU);    memory;    a non-volatile memory storage device for storing the destination address of the server; and    a network adaptor with a reception portion connected to the data network for receiving network packet signals on the data network from the server in a predefined analog format and decoding the network packet signals having the internet protocol address of the server to a digital format and providing the internet protocol address of the server to the memory storage device to store the destination address of the server.    
     
     
         2 . The personal computer client system according to    claim 1   , wherein the data network conforms to the Ethernet specification and the network packet signals on the network are digitally encoded analog signals.  
     
     
         3 . The personal computer client system according to    claim 1   , further including auxiliary logic as a part of the network adaptor for applying network packet signals periodically to indicate selected state information regarding the personal computer client system.  
     
     
         4 . The personal computer client system according to    claim 1   , further including auxiliary logic as a part of the network adaptor and electrically connected to be powered and active during a state of less than full power being provided to the CPU of the personal computer client system to detect network packet signals received by the personal computer client system that has data including the server's internet protocol destination address.  
     
     
         5 . The personal computer client system according to    claim 4   , wherein the network adaptor provides the data including the server's internet protocol destination address to the memory storage device for storing the data.  
     
     
         6 . The personal computer client system according to    claim 11    wherein the network adaptor includes a physical layer connected to the data network for receiving and transmitting network data packets to and from the server on the network side of the physical layer and for transmission of received network data packets, including data related to the server's internet protocol destination address, on the client side of the physical layer on a media independent interface bus to an auxiliary logic as a part of the network adaptor to detect network data packets received by the personal computer client system that have data including the server's internet protocol destination address.  
     
     
         7 . The personal computer client system according to    claim 6   . further including a non-volatile storage device for storing data including the server's internet protocol destination address.  
     
     
         8 . The personal computer client system according to    claim 7   , wherein the auxiliary logic includes a micro controller having state machines for managing data packet reception, data packet transmission and non-volatile storage device transmission.  
     
     
         9 . The personal computer client system according to    claim 8   , further including in the personal computer client system a PCI bus, an ISA bus, a PCI/ISA bridge, and wherein the micro controller has a state machine for managing bus transmission between the network adaptor and the PCI bus and the ISA bus.  
     
     
         10 . A method for providing update configuration data for a client personal computer system in a data network including a server, having configuration data including an internet protocol destination address, and at least one client personal computer system having a storage device for storing configuration data and a micro controller for receiving network signal packets from the server and for configuring the client personal computer system with updated configuration data, including the internet protocol destination address of the server, comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a network signal packet sent from the server in the micro controller in the at least one client personal computer system;    determining that the network signal packet includes the server's internet protocol destination address;    determining that the network signal packet is a match for the any one of the at least one client personal computer system; and    updating the storage device of the any one of the at least one client personal computer system with the included internet protocol destination address of the server.    
     
     
         11 . The method as defined in    claim 10   , wherein, after the step of receiving the network signal packet, there is a step of authenticating the encryption of the network signal packet to authenticate the presence of encrypted data in the network signal packet.  
     
     
         12 . The method as defined in    claim 11   , wherein, after the step of authenticating the encryption of the network packet, there is a step of validation of the data authenticated in the step of authenticating the encryption of the network packet.  
     
     
         13 . The method as defined in    claim 12   , wherein in determining that the network signal packet includes the servers internet protocol destination address, the presence in the network signal packet of configuration identification and configuration data is determined.  
     
     
         14 . The method as defined in    claim 13   , wherein in the step of determining whether the network signal packet is a match for any one of the at least one client personal computer system, there is a first determination as to whether the network signal packet is identified to any one of the least one client personal computer systems and a second determination as to whether the network signal packet is identified to a plurality of client personal computer systems.  
     
     
         15 . A method for providing update configuration data for a client personal computer system in a data network including a server, having configuration data including an internet protocol destination address, and at least one client personal computer system having a storage device for storing configuration data and a micro controller for receiving network signal packets from the server and for configuring the at least one client personal computer system with updated configuration data, including the internet protocol destination address of the server, comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a network signal packet sent from the server in the micro controller in the at least one client personal computer system;    authenticating encryption of the network signal packet to authenticate the presence of encrypted data in the network signal packet;    validating the data authenticated in the step of authenticating the encryption of the network signal packet;    determining that the network signal packet includes the servers internet protocol destination address by determining the presence in the network signal packet of configuration identification and configuration data for the server;    determining that the network signal packet is a match for the any one of the at least one client personal computer systems by first determining that the network signal packet is identified to a specific one of the at least one client personal computer systems and otherwise determining as to whether the network signal packet is identified to a plurality of client personal computer systems; and    updating the storage device of any identified client personal computer systems with the included internet protocol destination address of the server.    
     
     
         16 . A personal computer client system, for a data network including at least one personal computer client system and a server, having an internet protocol destination address, connected to each other through a network communication system, comprising: 
 a central processing unit (CPU);    memory;    a memory controller connecting the memory to the CPU;    a PCI bus;    a PCI bridge connecting the PCI bus to the memory controller and the CPU;    an ISA bus;    a PCI/ISA bridge connecting the ISA bus to the PCI bus;    a power management device connected to a power supply device;    a network adapter connected to the PCI bus and the network communication system;    a physical layer as a part of the network adapter connected to the network communication system to receive network packet signals from the server;    a media access controller as a part of the network adapter connected to the PCI bus;    a media independent interface (MII) bus connected to the physical layer and the media access controller;    an EEPROM for storing the destination address of the server; and    a logic module connected to the EEPROM and to the MII bus for receiving and detecting network packet signals having data related to the internet protocol destination address of the server and providing the data related to the internet protocol address of the server to the EEPROM to store the destination address of the server.    
     
     
         17 . A personal computer client system, for a local area network (LAN) including at least one personal computer client system and a server having an internet protocol destination address, comprising: 
 a central processing unit (CPU);    memory;    a non-volatile memory storage device for storing the destination address of the server; and    a network adaptor with a reception portion connected to the data network for receiving network packet signals on the data network from the server in a predefined analog format and decoding the network packet signals having the internet protocol address of the server to a digital format and providing the internet protocol address of the server to the memory storage device to store the destination address of the server.    
     
     
         18 . The personal computer client system according to    claim 17   , further including auxiliary logic as a part of the network adaptor for applying network packet signals periodically to indicate selected state information regarding the personal computer client system.  
     
     
         19 . The personal computer client system according to    claim 17   , further including auxiliary logic as a part of the network adaptor and electrically connected to be powered and active during a state of less than full power being provided to the CPU of the personal computer client system to detect network packet signals received by the personal computer client system that has data including the server's internet protocol destination address.  
     
     
         20 . The personal computer client system according to    claim 17   , wherein the network adaptor includes a physical layer connected to the LAN network for receiving and transmitting network data packets to and from the server on the network side of the physical layer and for transmission of received network data packets, including data related to the server's internet protocol destination address, on the client side of the physical layer on a media independent interface bus to an auxiliary logic as a part of the network adaptor to detect network data packets received by the personal computer client system that have data including the servers internet protocol destination address.