Untitled record

The invention relates to a method of configuring electronic equipment. It will apply in a particularly advantageous but non-limiting manner to the configuration of professional electronic equipment.

More particularly, the invention relates in particular to the first configuration of equipment intended for use on a computer network, for example of the IP (Internet Protocol) type, such as, but not exclusively, equipment for encoding / multiplexing / decoding of signals. television sets, telephone switches (voice over IP), etc. The invention is particularly advantageous for the configuration of equipment arranged in a computer bay (rack) of a technical room.

Such a technical room is typically made up of a number of rows of bays 19 inches (483 mm) wide, and of varying height and depth. For example, there are bays with a depth of 600 mm (more for telecommunications applications), 800, 900 or 1000 mm (more for computer servers of the PC type). In height, the bay is subdivided into rack units, representing 1.75 inches or 44.45 mm, one unit being indivisible. Equipment is commonly found requiring 1 RU, 2RU, or up to ten bay units. Most bays have around 30 bay units or even more in height.

The equipment is organized in these bays according to an order which is specific to the conventions of each technical room. Also, it is not possible to predict a priori the location of an item of equipment in a bay.

The invention relates more precisely to the configuration, in particular the initial configuration, of such equipment.

Nowadays, professional equipment connected to a computer network can be configured remotely from a computer connected to the same network. This allows the operator to minimize his working time in an inhospitable computer room. Such a remote configuration can be implemented in several ways, for example:

- the SNMP protocol (Simple Network Management Protocol) which is specifically designed for this use; it is however too obscure to be used directly by the operator, but many software packages called NMS (Network Management System) exist on the market to simplify and automate the control of equipment supporting SNMP; the SNMP protocol can be transported by UDP / IP or more rarely TCP / IP;

- a text mode protocol such as telnet or SSH; the operator must then undergo training in the controls that can be used on the equipment he must configure; this method is particularly popular for network equipment (switches, routers, etc.); it is compatible with most systems, but difficult to access;

- more and more often, a Web interface using the same protocols as Internet sites (HTTP carrying HTML, possibly coupled with ECMAscript, images, CSS style sheets, or Java); the web interface offers the advantages of being already known by most users, of being easy to develop and of offering a good rendering on most computers;

- a completely proprietary application, developed for a given operating system, generally on a given type of computer, and implementing a non-standard network protocol.

However, to configure equipment remotely via a computer network, it is necessary to have previously pre-configured the equipment to respond to a certain address on the network. None of the solutions seen above provides a response to this need. It is therefore necessary to set up a more direct way of configuring a device, at least in a basic manner.

Today, most professional equipment (and even more and more classic PC-type computers) have a screen and buttons on the front. The available configuration menus then offer a first answer to the problem of the first configuration of the equipment. Such menus may include, but not exclusively:

- setting up an address (associated with a subnet mask and a gateway) on an Ethernet or other network interface; or on the contrary, the configuration of the interface in a mode such as DHCP or BOOTP, which allows auto-configuration of the interface;

- modification of the physical parameters of the network link (MAC address to be presented, port speed, duplex);

- modification of electrical characteristics, such as restarting the equipment after power failure and or energy saving parameters;

- setting up user accounts and / or passwords to block access to the configuration of the equipment, whether locally (screen on the front) or remotely (via the IP network) ;

- any other parameter directly related to the main function of the equipment.

This very popular method obviously has a number of drawbacks:

- the operator must remain in the computer room for the duration of the configuration operation;

- many equipment only make one bay unit in height, and the screen being arranged on a face extending over the height of the equipment, its dimensions are inevitably very small. The screen is therefore often difficult to read. Furthermore, for reasons of space and cost, the equipment generally only has four or five keys (up, down, left, right and OK), which makes operations consisting of, for example entering an IP address;

- the equipment may be in a place that is difficult to access, either at the top or at the very bottom of a bay; in one case the operator has to work on a ladder, in the other he is on all fours;

- finally, this method is not accessible to disabled, visually impaired or blind workers.

According to other known solutions, the equipment can also have a screen port (for example SVGA or DVI) and a USB port for a keyboard, and offer a local graphical interface for its configuration. However, this requires having a screen and a keyboard in the computer room; either they are fixed, and then all the screen and keyboard ports of the equipment are wired to them from the outset, with a switching system such as KVM, which introduces great cabling complexity and therefore a certain cost; or the room has a screen and a keyboard on a rolling table, and such a situation quickly clutters the technical room and becomes dangerous for the operators working there.

A similar method uses an RS-232 or RS-422 type serial port, which, when connected to a laptop, provides access to a command line configuration interface. This method, very common for network equipment, has the same drawbacks as the previous one in terms of accessibility to the equipment for connecting the latter to the laptop. In particular, the length of the cables being in practice limited, usually two meters, the operator is often obliged to work seated on the floor with his laptop on his knees, or worse on a stepladder. A longer serial cable, in addition to being bulky, would still require the operator to work a long time in the room and would therefore not be a satisfactory solution.

All of the above methods can be grouped together under the name of physical access methods. To solve the problem posed, network methods, therefore remote, have also been developed.

A first method consists in using the auto-configuration of traditional IP networks, with protocols such as DHCP or BOOTP. With this in mind, a server centralizes all the network configurations of the equipment to be configured. When new equipment has to be installed, it suffices, on the central server, to associate the physical address (MAC, Media Access Control) presented by the server with a network configuration (IP address, subnet mask , gateway, etc.) given. Alternatively, the server can dynamically choose a new address to assign, among those which are not used.

For this method to work, it is first necessary that the equipment is designed to, in the absence of configuration, attempt to configure itself in DHCP / BOOTP, which is generally not the case; second, that the server's MAC address is reachable, either written on a label, in the documentation, or detected from its requests on the local network. Finally, if the central server were to fail, the service could be interrupted due to the lack of network configuration on the equipment. For all these reasons, few operators use this method.

A few rare devices present an original way of configuring a network address for them. This involves sending an ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) packet over the network, directed to the MAC address of the device (determined as previously), and containing the network configuration in its body. that you want to assign to the equipment. This method is difficult to implement and often requires a proprietary application to forge the network package; on the other hand, as the ARP protocol is level 2, the packets cannot pass through the routers, and must therefore be sent from a machine on the same local network.

The object of the present invention is to limit, or even avoid, the drawbacks mentioned above and which the existing solutions exhibit.

To this end, according to a first embodiment, the invention relates to a method for configuring electronic equipment with a view to its connection to a main communication network, the method comprising a configuration phase for providing the equipment with parameters. connection for the main network. The equipment comprises at least one network interface component configured to create a configuration wireless network different from the main network, a network configuration server, a domain name server and a configuration interface server. The configuration phase includes the following steps carried out by the equipment:

- activation of the network interface to create the configuration wireless network; activation of the network configuration server, for example a DHCP or BOOTP server; activation of the domain name server (DNS server) equipping the equipment,

- receipt of a configuration request by the wireless configuration network from at least one user terminal,

- In response to the configuration request, sending to the user terminal and by the network configuration server, configuration parameters on the wireless configuration network, the configuration parameters comprising at least the address of said domain name server. Preferably and optionally, the configuration parameters on the configuration network also include at least one of: an address of the user terminal for the configuration network and a subnet mask.

- reception, from the user terminal and by said domain name server, of an address request (DNS request), for example to access a web page, on the wireless network previously configured,

- in response to the address request, and at least for all address requests which do not correspond to a specific address on the configuration wireless network, transmission to the user terminal and by said domain name server of a network address corresponding to the configuration interface provided by said configuration server,

- reception from the user terminal of the configuration data to configure the equipment on the main network.

Thus, whatever the address requested by the user terminal in the address request, the equipment always returns the address of the configuration page.

Advantageously, the equipment can then receive from the user terminal configuration data of the equipment for the main network, data entered by the user through the configuration interface displayed on the user terminal, so as to connect the equipment to the main network.

Thus, the invention makes it possible to configure the equipment in a particularly simple and efficient manner by a wireless connection to a network created by the equipment itself. Thus, it combines the convenience of remote access with the simplicity of local access.

In addition and in a particularly advantageous manner, the configuration can be carried out from an interface supplied to the user terminal by the equipment to be configured. Thus, the invention makes it possible to perform the configuration of the equipment from a standard terminal, that is to say a terminal not specifically designed to configure the equipment and not including any proprietary or other application. software specifically designed to configure equipment.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to a computer program product comprising instructions, which when they are executed by at least one processor, perform the steps of the method according to the invention.

According to a first embodiment, the computer program product is saved in an on-board memory in a box of the equipment. According to a second embodiment, the computer program product is saved in a module configured to be removably connected to a communication port of the equipment.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to a device for configuring electronic equipment on a main communication network. The device is integrated into the equipment or it is connected to a communication port of the equipment. The device comprises at least: a network interface component configured to create a configuration wireless network different from the main network, a network configuration server, a domain name server and a configuration interface server. The network configuration server is configured to return, in response to any configuration request, the address of said domain name server. The domain name server is configured to return, at least for all address requests which do not correspond to a specific address on the configuration wireless network, an address corresponding to the configuration interface provided by said configuration server. configuration.

Thus, the device is formed by the means associated with the equipment and which are necessary for the implementation of the prior configuration. These means are arranged inside a case of the equipment or removably attached to a communication port of the equipment.

According to a particular embodiment, at least one of the network interface component, the network configuration server, the domain name server and the configuration interface server is integrated in a module configured to be connected from one side to the other. removable manner on a communication port of the equipment (that is to say at least partly inserted in the communication port). According to a particular embodiment, the network interface component, the network configuration server, the domain name server and the configuration interface server are integrated into a module configured to be removably connected to a port of. equipment communication. Alternatively, only one or some of the network interface component, the network configuration server, the domain name server and the configuration interface server is integrated into a module configured to be removably connected to a device. equipment communication port.

According to another embodiment, the device is integrated at least in part into the equipment, for example by being housed inside a housing of the equipment. According to another embodiment, the entire device is immovably integrated into a box of the equipment.

The invention also relates to electronic equipment comprising a device according to the invention.

According to another embodiment, the invention proposes an item of equipment configured so as to create a configuration wireless network, to which the user terminals can connect. Either the equipment already has a wireless network component, or such a component can be added, for example temporarily for the time of installation, via an external device connected to an extension port (for example a Wifi key connected on a USB port). The configuration network is a closed network. According to a preferred embodiment, the equipment creates the configuration network in Access-Point (access point) or Ad-Hoc mode.

Once the wireless configuration network has been set up, the device assigns itself a default address (in general, in a non-routed network such as 192.168.XX) and starts several standard services, among which:

- A network configuration server (for example DHCP / BOOTP), in order to assign a network configuration to user terminals which enter the wireless network.

- A pseudo-domain name server (DNS) whose behavior is described below.

When the user terminal joins the wireless network created by the equipment, its first action is to send a configuration request of the DHCP type request in order to obtain a network configuration for the configuration network. This is why a network configuration server is necessary on the equipment. However, its configuration can be extremely simple. Dynamic allocation of the address in the same sub-network as the device (ie allocating the first free address from the start of the range) is sufficient in almost all cases.

Then the user, typically an operator whose mission is to configure the equipment to connect it to the main network, launches the browser associated with the user terminal, for example a Web browser. In general, the user terminal tries to access a start page which is located on the Internet network. The domain name pseudo-server installed on the equipment responds to all requests from the user terminal by giving the address of the equipment. In this way, whatever the URL entered in the browser of the user terminal (such as http://www.mywebdirectory.com/ or more simply httpV / pouet /), the user terminal accesses a page provided by the equipment and which is an equipment configuration page.

The aims, objects, as well as the characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge better from the detailed description of an embodiment of the latter which is illustrated by the following accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram physically illustrating the elements mentioned in their environment according to one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 shows the steps in the process of connecting a user terminal to the equipment to perform a configuration of the equipment on the configuration network with a view to connecting the equipment to the main network.

The drawings are given by way of example and do not limit the invention. They constitute schematic representations of principle intended to facilitate understanding of the invention and are not necessarily on the scale of practical applications.

It will be recalled first of all that according to one embodiment, the invention relates to a method in which a wireless network interface capable of providing a user terminal with a configuration interface of said equipment is activated on an electronic device.

Before starting a detailed review of the embodiments of the invention, optional characteristics are listed below which can optionally be used in combination or alternatively:

Advantageously, in response to the configuration request, the equipment also sends the user terminal at least one of: an address for the mobile terminal on the configuration wireless network, a subnet mask for the wireless network configuration.

Advantageously, in response to the configuration request, the equipment also sends the user terminal a gateway address for the configuration wireless network, whether or not the gateway exists in the configuration wireless network.

Advantageously, the configuration data of the equipment for the main network comprises at least one of: an address of the equipment on the main network, a subnet mask for the main network, a gateway address for the main network, a MAC address intended to be presented by the equipment, a physical link configuration mode (speed, duplex).

Advantageously, the wireless network created by the equipment is a closed network. Preferably, it is a network in access point (Access Point) or Ad-Hoc mode.

According to one embodiment, the network interface is provided by a network component and at least one of the network component, the network configuration server and the domain name server is integrated in the equipment in an irremovable manner.

Alternatively, the network interface is provided by a network component and at least one of the network component, the network configuration server and the domain name server is integrated in a module configured to be removably connected to a port communication equipment. Preferably, the network component, the network configuration server and the domain name server are integrated in a module configured to be removably connected to a communication port of the equipment. For example, the module is equipped with a USB type key configured to be inserted into a USB port of the equipment.

-According to a particular embodiment, the name of the wireless configuration network is fixed, or is derived by a documented algorithm from at least one of: the brand of the equipment, its commercial name, its number series, or any other data relating to the equipment.

- Preferably, the name of the configuration wireless network is not broadcast to devices detecting wireless networks present.

-According to a particular embodiment, a password is used to decrypt the data and to access the configuration wireless network. The password is fixed, or is derived by a documented algorithm from the equipment brand, trade name, serial number, or other data relating to the equipment.

Preferably, the equipment provides one or more deactivation interfaces making it possible to deactivate the wireless configuration network.

Advantageously, the deactivation interface is provided to the user terminal by the wireless configuration network. Preferably, the deactivation interface is a button available from the configuration interface of the equipment which is accessible by the main network interface.

-According to a particular embodiment, said configuration interface uses the HTTP or HTTPS protocol.

-According to a particular embodiment, the main network (30) is a wired network. This is for example an Ethernet network. This network is configured to pass data streams such as video streams or streams of other nature and that the equipment must process.

- According to a particular embodiment, the configuration server is a DHCP server or a BOOTP server.

According to a particular embodiment, the equipment is located, during configuration, in a rack unit of an electronic equipment storage bay. Preferably, the rack unit has standard dimensions.

A detailed embodiment of the invention will now be detailed with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

FIG. 1 illustrates electronic equipment 1 connected, for example by wire 4, to a main network 30.

In the context of the present invention, electronic equipment refers to any equipment that can be connected to a communication network to process, store or broadcast data of all kinds.

For example, the equipment 1 makes it possible to process, store or broadcast audio or video data coming from and / or intended for the main network 4. Typically, the equipment 1 is professional equipment and can for example be: an equipment item. supervision, transcoding, multiplexing or scrambling.

The invention is particularly advantageous when the equipment 1 is placed in a bay unit of a computer bay 3 illustrated in FIG. 1.

The equipment 1 is configured to provide a user terminal 10 with a configuration interface making it possible to configure the equipment on the main network. The configuration interface and the configuration data of the equipment for the main network are exchanged between the equipment 1 and the user terminal 10 over a communication network, called the configuration network 20, separate from the main network 30. Advantageously, the configuration network 20 is a wireless network.

In the context of the present invention, a user terminal is a device designed to allow a user to connect to a communication network in order to exchange data with another device / equipment connected to the network. It does not require a wired connection to connect to the network. The term encompasses in particular and without limitation: telephones, smartphones, personal digital assistants or PDAs, graphics tablets, laptops, etc. The user terminal is advantageously mobile. It is advantageously equipped with a graphical user interface, such as a screen 11 and keys 12 or such as a touch screen.

Advantageously, the user terminal 10 has a browser, such as a web browser.

Advantageously, it is configured to join an existing wireless network, for example using the IEEE 802.11 standard governing the protocol usually referred to as Wi-Fi.

The equipment 1 is equipped with at least one network component making it possible to create its own wireless network. It is also equipped with at least one data processor making it possible to operate the following elements, the functions of which will be detailed with reference to Figure 2.

The equipment 1 comprises a network configuration server also referred to as an auto-configuration server. This server is configured to assign a network configuration to any user terminal that has successfully connected to the configuration network. The network configuration includes an address and a subnet mask for the configuration network and preferably the address of a gateway for the configuration network. The network configuration server is also configured to distribute the address of a domain name server which is the address or one of the addresses of the equipment to be configured.

The network configuration server is typically a DHCP or BOOTP server. We will favor minimalist network configuration servers with a very small footprint.

The equipment 1 further comprises a domain name server, also referred to as a pseudo-domain name server, configured to return the same network address, regardless of the domain name requested, or exhibiting this behavior on a plurality of names. domain. Typically, at the returned network address, a page is available for configuring the equipment on the main network.

According to a first embodiment, the network component, the configuration server and the domain name server are integrated inside the equipment 1 in an irremovable manner. It is then necessary to open the box of the equipment 1 to access it.

Alternatively, at least the network component, the configuration server or the domain name server are integrated into the equipment in a removable manner, for example by being attached to a communication port of the equipment. These different elements can for example be embedded in a USB key that can be inserted into the equipment 1. According to a particular embodiment, both the network component, the configuration server and the domain name server are removably attached to a communication port of the equipment. Preferably, they are integrated in the same module such as that referenced 2 in FIG. 2.

This alternative makes it possible to reduce the cost of the equipment. In addition, it has the advantage of reducing the risk of hacking by someone familiar with the equipment in the vicinity.

FIG. 2 will now be described to illustrate the main steps of an embodiment of the invention during which the user terminal will connect to the configuration network 20 to transmit configuration data to the equipment 1 in order to configure. the latter on the main network 30.

In step 100, the equipment 1 starts several processes.

A process is used to configure the so-called configuration wireless network. Preferably, this wireless network is a closed network. It is preferably configured in Access Point or Ad-Hoc mode, i.e. the device chooses a network name (SSID, Service Set Identifier, service set identifier) ​​and possibly a password associate. The wireless configuration network is however not limited to a network in Access Point or Ad-Hoc mode and other modes are possible.

The configuration network created by the equipment 1 is advantageously a closed wireless network, in which, in the initial state, only the equipment exists. This network is unrelated to other closed or open networks such as the Internet.

The equipment is configured to choose a configuration network name. This name is for example derived from the name of the equipment manufacturer and / or the product, and from a serial number, which makes it possible to obtain a unique SSID per device, even within the same brand.

The equipment is configured to choose a password associated with the configuration network name. Security can be ensured by a password associated with the security protocol used. The password can for example be indicated in the documentation of the equipment, or derived from a root password by a simple algorithm known by the operator, for example depending on the serial number of the equipment.

The network configuration server process is activated by the equipment to respond to network configuration requests, typically of the DHCP or BOOTP type. The domain name server is also enabled to respond to domain name queries (DNS). A Web server process or equivalent, providing the configuration interface, is also started on the equipment.

An optional step 101 consists in connecting to the equipment 1 a module 2 comprising a wireless network component, if the equipment 1 is not equipped with it as standard.

Step 102 illustrates the detection by the mobile terminal 10, in the list of available wireless networks, of the configuration wireless network 20 created by the equipment 1. Typically, if the configuration wireless network 20 is a network Wi-Fi, the list of available networks among which the wireless configuration network 20 appears is displayed on the terminal's Wi-Fi configuration panel. This control panel is therefore perfectly standard. On this panel appears for example the name of the configuration network 20. The name of the network can be derived from a documented algorithm, from the brand of the equipment, from its commercial name, from its serial number, or any other data. relating to the equipment. For example, it can be NOMDELEQUIPEMENT_NUMERODESERIE. A manufacturer can also decide not to display the name of the network 20 in the list, in order to avoid hacking attempts. The name of the wireless network is then not broadcast to devices detecting wireless networks present.

In step 103, the terminal joins the configuration wireless network 20 detected. For this, optionally, access to the network can be protected for example by a security protocol of the WPA type (Wi-Fi Protected Access meaning protected Wi-Fi access). Typically the user must enter a password through the graphical interface of the user terminal 10. The password can be a default password or be derived from external information. In the latter case, it may for example be derived from a documented algorithm, the brand of the equipment, its trade name, its serial number, or any other data relating to the equipment.

Step 104 illustrates the sending by the user terminal 10 of a configuration request also referred to as an auto-configuration request. Typically, this request is a DHCP request, or equivalent for example BOOTP. Its purpose is to obtain an address on the wireless configuration network created by device 1.

In step 105, the item of equipment 1 responds to the user terminal 10, and attaches to the response an address 1061 of the terminal 1 for the configuration network 2. Preferably, the response also comprises a subnet mask 1062. The response to the configuration request also includes the address 1064 of the domain name server integrated into the device 1.

According to a particular embodiment, the response to the configuration request also includes a gateway address 1063. This address is false, because there is no gateway on the configuration wireless network, but some user terminals require the presence of a gateway address in DHCP responses.

In step 107, the user opens a browser on the user terminal, typically a web browser. He can enter any name in the URL bar (eg w). The terminal 10 sends a request for domain names (DNS request) to access the page of the address whose address is entered in the URL bar. This request is sent to the address of the DNS server known by the terminal 10, that is to say to the DNS server associated with the equipment 1.

In step 107, the DNS server of the equipment 1 automatically returns the address of the equipment 1 in response to the request for domain names. More precisely, it returns the address of the configuration interface server.

Thus, whatever the response to the DNS request from the user terminal 10, the latter will address the equipment 1 to obtain the page to be consulted.

The page returned by the dedicated server of the equipment 1 is a configuration interface allowing the user to configure at least part of the equipment 1 on the main network 30 from the user terminal.

10. Step 109 illustrates the access of the user terminal 10 to the configuration interface.

According to a preferred embodiment, the only address that the DNS pseudoserver is likely to return is that of the equipment item. According to another embodiment, virtual machines are provided which would run in addition on the equipment, and which would each have a different address, and a configuration sub-interface on this address. Preferably, the main configuration server would send the address of the subinterfaces directly to the terminal. We could also give a different domain name to each virtual server, and the main server would refer to these domain names. In this case, it could then be necessary to return different IP addresses depending on the domain name sent to the name server. These different IP addresses would each correspond to a communication sub-interface and would then allow access to other pages such as an additional configuration page or an information or help page, for example for configuration.

In step 110, the user can thus perform the operations making it possible to connect the equipment 1 to the main network 30.

All the exchanges of steps 102 to 110 are carried out on the configuration network created by the equipment.

The configuration service is now connected and the interface is available. The first task of the operator equipped with the user terminal 10 is typically to create the configuration of the wired network ports (Ethernet for example) of the equipment 1. In general, the connection to the Web interface of the equipment requires a name. user and / or password; it is possible that at the first connection, the equipment will ask the operator to change the default password.

When the initial configuration has been performed by this method, it is desirable for the equipment to deactivate the wireless network interface that was used, as it is normally no longer needed (the equipment can be reached on its network interfaces). standard, such as Ethernet). On the other hand, keeping a wireless connection open at all times can constitute a security breach, even if two levels of password are required (wireless network password and web interface password). This advantageously makes it possible not to provide opportunities for possible hackers to be able to compromise the equipment.

If the wireless network configuration module is external, that is, it is connected via an expansion port, then it is sufficient to remove it. Otherwise, the equipment configuration interface preferably includes a button making it possible to deactivate this functionality.

The equipment can either have a communication port for each of the two networks (configuration network and main network), or have a single communication port if the main network is also a wireless network. It is then sufficient to deactivate the configuration network once the preliminary configuration phase has been completed, so that the communication port is then available for use on the main network.

In view of the foregoing description, it thus appears clearly that the invention makes it possible to configure electronic equipment in a particularly simple and efficient manner from a perfectly standard terminal, equipped with a standard browser.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and extends to all the embodiments covered by the claims.