HK1229127B - Methods and systems for configuring system - Google Patents

Description

Method and system for configuring a system

Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to the field of computer networks. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and system in which a first system configures a second system. The first system determines at least one configuration and identity information of the second system and then sends the at least one configuration to the second system.

Background Art

If the configuration of network devices such as routers, VPN routers, hubs, servers and other network-supporting devices is incorrect, the network devices may not be able to communicate via the Internet Protocol (IP). When some network devices are able to execute commands received via SMS messages, the commands can be used to configure and manage the network devices. Network devices also typically report errors and status to remotely running management applications via SMS messages. It is also well known to those skilled in the art that mobile network operators have used over-the-air protocols to update or change data in smart cards (Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards or Universal Integrated Circuit Cards (UICC)) without having to reissue the cards. OTA enables mobile network operators to introduce new services or modify the contents of smart cards in a fast and cost-effective manner. In one example, it has been demonstrated that email account settings for mobile phones can be configured via SMS.

However, network devices are typically identified by host names or serial numbers. Therefore, network administrators need to manually record the phone numbers associated with the SIM cards embedded with the network devices. Furthermore, network administrators need to manually send SMS messages to configure the network devices so that the network devices can be reached via IP. When there are a large number of network devices to be configured via SMS, the management problem can become a time-consuming task for the network administrator. Furthermore, if the network device is not embedded with an interface for receiving SMS messages, the network device cannot be configured directly via SMS messages. The present invention provides methods and systems for reducing the burden on network administrators for configuring network devices, especially when the network device does not have a valid Internet Protocol (IP) address for receiving configuration.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention discloses a method for configuring a second system and a first system. The configuration step includes determining identity information of the second system, determining at least one configuration, and sending the at least one configuration to the second system. For example, the configuration is sent to the second system via a short message service (SMS) message. The second system may have an embedded or external cellular modem capable of receiving SMS messages.

According to one embodiment, at least one configuration corresponds to a request received by a first system. The request includes identification information of a second system and may be received from the second system. For example, the second system may send its serial number to a pre-configured mobile phone number using a request SMS message when it is first booted up, and the first system may then send the configuration to the first system using a configuration SMS message after receiving the serial number from the second system. The pre-configured mobile phone number may correspond to the first system.

According to one embodiment, the second system is configured with at least one configuration sent by the first system.

According to one embodiment, at least one configuration includes an Access Point Name (APN). The APN may be used by the second system to connect to the Internet.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, at least one configuration is used to configure the second system to establish one or more virtual private network (VPN) connections. At least one configuration can also be used to configure the second system to combine one or more VPN connections to form a centralized VPN connection.

According to one embodiment, at least one configuration is sent to at least one other system. For example, the second system and at least one other system need to be configured with the same configuration, and therefore at least one configuration is sent to the second system and at least one other system.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the at least one configuration includes settings for configuring an IP address, Domain Name System (DNS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), insert mode, VPN engagement, and the like.

According to one embodiment, at least one configuration is sent via a universal serial bus (USB) modem coupled to the second system. According to one embodiment, at least one configuration is sent via near field communication (NFC). According to one embodiment, at least one configuration is sent using a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, Bluetooth, infrared (IR), etc.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first system sends the at least one configuration to the second system only after receiving confirmation from the network administrator.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the second system has multiple cellular modems, the first system transmits at least one configuration to one of the multiple cellular modems. In one variation, the same at least one configuration is transmitted to at least two of the multiple cellular modems. In another variation, the configuration is split and transmitted to at least two of the multiple cellular modems.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description provides only preferred exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the present invention. In fact, the following description of the preferred exemplary embodiments will provide a useful description of the preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention for those skilled in the art. It should be understood that various changes can be made to the function and arrangement of the elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the following description, specific details are given to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the examples may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits may be shown in block diagrams to avoid obscuring the embodiments with unnecessary detail. In other cases, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques are shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

Furthermore, it should be noted that embodiments may be described as processes, which may be depicted as flow charts, flow diagrams, data flow diagrams, structure diagrams, or block diagrams. Although a flow chart may depict operations as a sequential process, many operations may be performed in parallel or simultaneously. In addition, the order of the operations may be rearranged. A process terminates when its operations are completed, but may have additional steps not included in the diagram. A process may correspond to a method, function, procedure, subroutine, subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination corresponds to the function returning to the calling function or main function.

The embodiments or parts thereof may be implemented with program instructions, which are operable on a processing unit to perform the functions and operations described herein. The program instructions constituting various embodiments may be stored in a storage medium.

Furthermore, as disclosed herein, the term "storage medium" may refer to one or more devices for storing data, including read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic RAM, magnetic core memory, flexible disk, floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, CD-ROM, flash memory device, memory card, and/or other machine-readable media for storing information. The term "machine-readable medium" includes, but is not limited to, portable or fixed storage devices, optical storage media, magnetic media, memory chips or cartridges, wireless channels, and various other media capable of storing, containing, or carrying instructions and/or data. Machine-readable media may be implemented through virtualization and may be virtual machine-readable media, including virtual machine-readable media in cloud-based instances.

As used herein, the terms "computer-readable medium," "primary memory," or "secondary memory" refer to any medium that participates in providing instructions to a processing unit for execution. A computer-readable medium is merely one example of a machine-readable medium that can carry instructions for implementing any of the methods and/or techniques described herein. Such media can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks. Volatile media include dynamic memory. Transmission media include coaxial cables, copper wire, and optical fiber. Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio wave and infrared data communications.

Volatile memory may be used to store temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions by the processing unit. Non-volatile memory or static memory may be used to store static information and instructions for the processor, as well as various system configuration parameters.

The storage medium may contain a plurality of software modules, which may be implemented as software codes executed by the processing unit using any suitable computer instruction type. The software codes may be stored in the storage medium as a series of instructions or commands, or as a program.

When carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to a processor for execution, various forms of computer-readable media may be involved. For example, the instructions may first be carried on a disk from a remote computer. Alternatively, the remote computer may load the instructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions to the system that executes the one or more sequences of one or more instructions.

A processing unit may be a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), any combination of those devices, or any other circuit configured to process information.

The processing unit executes program instructions or code segments for implementing embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, embodiments may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, firmware, middleware, or microcode, the program instructions for performing the necessary tasks may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The processing unit may be implemented through virtualization and may be a virtual processing unit, such as a virtual processing unit included in a cloud-based instance.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to using a computer system to implement the techniques described herein. In embodiments, the processing unit of the present invention may reside on a machine such as a computer platform. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the techniques described herein are performed by a computer system in response to the processing unit executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in a volatile memory. Such instructions may be read into the volatile memory from another computer-readable medium. Execution of the sequence of instructions contained in the volatile memory causes the processing unit to perform the process steps described herein. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement the present invention. Therefore, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

A code segment, such as a program instruction, may represent a step, a function, a subprogram, a program, a routine, a subroutine, a module, a software package, a class, or any combination of instructions, data structures, or program statements. A code segment may be coupled to another code segment or a hardware circuit by passing and/or receiving information, data, independent variables, parameters, or memory contents. Information, independent variables, parameters, data, etc. may be passed, forwarded, or transmitted via any suitable means, including memory sharing, message passing, token passing, network transmission, or the like.

Alternatively, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement processes consistent with the principles of the invention. Thus, implementations consistent with the principles of the invention are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

The network interfaces that can be provided by the node are Ethernet interfaces, frame relay interfaces, fiber optic interfaces, cable interfaces, DSL interfaces, token ring interfaces, serial bus interfaces, universal serial bus (USB) interfaces, FireWire interfaces, peripheral component interconnect (PCI) interfaces, etc.

The network interface can be implemented by a standalone electronic component or can be integrated with other electronic components. Depending on the configuration, the network interface may have no network connection or at least one network connection. The network interface can be an Ethernet interface, a frame relay interface, a fiber optic interface, a cable interface, a digital subscriber line (DSL) interface, a token ring interface, a serial bus interface, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a FireWire interface, a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) interface, etc.

The network interface can connect to a wired or wireless access network. The access network can carry one or more network protocol data. A wired access network can be implemented using Ethernet, fiber optic, cable, DSL, frame relay, token ring, serial bus, USB, FireWire, PCI, or any material that can transmit information. A wireless access network can be implemented using infrared, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), HSPA+, Long Term Evolution (LTE), WiMax, GPRS, EDGE, GSM, CDMA, WiFi, CDMA2000, WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, Bluetooth, WiBRO, Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO), Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT), Digital AMPS (IS-136/TDMA), Integrated Digital Enhanced (iDEN), or any other wireless technology.

The cellular modem is capable of communicating with one or more cellular networks. The cellular modem can be an embedded cellular modem or an external cellular modem. The cellular modem connects to the cellular network to provide cellular communication. For example, the cellular network can be a cellular network operated by Verizon, AT&T, China Mobile, or Vodafone. The cellular network can also be a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) or mobile other licensed operator (MOLO) that provides wireless communication services but does not own the wireless or cellular network infrastructure. The MVNO provides services to its customers via the wireless or cellular network infrastructure.

The embodiments or portions thereof may be implemented using computer data signals, which may be in any suitable form for communication via a transmission medium such that the computer data signals are readable for execution by a functional device (e.g., a processing unit) to perform the operations described herein. A computer data signal may comprise any binary digital electronic signal that can be propagated via a transmission medium such as an electronic network channel, optical fiber, air, electromagnetic media, a radio frequency (RF) link, and the like, and thus the data signal may be in the form of an electrical signal, an optical signal, a radio frequency or other wireless communication signal, and the like. In some embodiments, the code segments may be downloaded via a computer network such as the Internet, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), a PSTN, a satellite communication system, a cable transmission system, and/or the like.

FIG1A illustrates a block diagram of a system according to various embodiments of the present invention. System 101 may be a network node or network host that provides network functionality or has networking capabilities, respectively. For example, system 101 may be a router, a hub, a gateway, an IEEE 802.11 access point, a database server, a network server, a virtualized router, a laptop, a computer, a smartphone, a tablet computer, etc. System 101 includes a processing unit 104, a main memory 106, an auxiliary memory 105, a system bus 107, a network interface 102, and a cellular modem 103.

The number of network interfaces 102 that system 101 can have is unlimited. System 101 can have no network interface, one or more network interfaces. When system 101 has no network interface, the system communicates via cellular modem 103. In one variation, network interface 102 can also be used for cellular communication if such capability is built into the network interface or if the network interface is connected to an external cellular modem.

As shown in conjunction with FIG1C , system 101 can use at least one cellular modem (e.g., cellular modem 103) to connect to a cellular network, such as cellular network 122. Cellular modems 103a and 103b can be implemented using embedded cellular modems, internal cellular modems, or external cellular modems. For example, cellular modem 103a or 103b can be a Universal Serial Bus (USB)-based cellular modem. In one embodiment, cellular modem 103a or 103b is connected to a network interface, such as network interface 102, and thus system 101 can use cellular modem 103 through network interface 102. In one embodiment, cellular modem 103a or 103b is connected to system 101 via a private or public interconnection network (e.g., interconnection network 121), so that system 101 can send and receive SMS messages via cellular modem 103a or 103b.

In FIG1A , specific components such as the network interface 102 and the cellular modem 103 are designated with letter suffixes ("a," "b," etc.). Specific components will be referred to by their corresponding suffixes 102a, 102b and 103a, 103b. Reference to components 102, 103 without their specific suffixes will be understood as a reference to the entire group.

1B illustrates a block diagram of a system for configuring another system, such as system 111, according to various embodiments. System 111 includes a processing unit 114, a main memory 116, a secondary memory 115, a system bus 117, a network interface 112, and a cellular modem 113. System 111 may be similar to system 101.

In one embodiment, dual Secure Digital (SD) or Flash (CF) cards are used as part of the secondary storage 105 or 115 or both.

FIG1C illustrates a network environment according to various embodiments of the present invention. System 101 is wirelessly connected to cellular network 122 via cellular modems 103a and 103b. System 111 is connected to cellular network 123 via cellular modem 113. Cellular networks 122 and 123 are connected to interconnected network 121. Thus, system 101 and system 111 can have internet connectivity by connecting to interconnected network 121 via cellular networks 122 and 123, respectively. In one variation, system 111 and system 101 are connected to the same cellular network, such as cellular network 122. In one variation, system 101 is connected to cellular network 122 via cellular modem 103a and to cellular network 123 via cellular modem 103b. In one variation, system 111 can directly connect to interconnected network 121 via network interface 112. Similarly, system 111 can directly connect to interconnected network 121 via network interfaces 102a and/or 102b. The interconnected network 121 may be the Internet.

Receive configuration SMS messages

FIG2 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of the present invention and should be viewed in conjunction with FIG1A . System 101 receives a configuration to configure itself. The configuration is received in an SMS message. For ease of reading, a configuration received via an SMS message is referred to as a "configuration SMS message." A configuration SMS message may be sent by system 111. System 111 can issue a configuration to configure another system, such as system 101. After receiving the configuration SMS message, system 101 can then generate a configuration for a network device. At step 201, system 101 receives the configuration SMS message via one of cellular modems 103a and 103b. System 101 is not limited to having only two cellular modems; system 101 may have one or more cellular modems. The received configuration SMS message may be stored in primary memory 106 or secondary memory 105. Depending on the size of the configuration in the configuration SMS message, the configuration SMS message may be received in one or more parts. When a configuration SMS message is received in more than one part, the parts are concatenated into a single configuration SMS message at system 101 by processing unit 104. Preferably, the configuration SMS message is only temporarily stored, because storing the configuration SMS message may unnecessarily consume storage space when all the processes of the flowchart have been executed.

After receiving the complete configuration SMS message, in step 202, processing unit 104 verifies the configuration SMS message according to program instructions stored in main memory 106 or secondary memory 105. Verification can include authenticating and verifying the integrity of the configuration SMS message and/or the content carried by the configuration SMS message. For example, in order to verify the content, a password is used to decrypt the content. If the content can be decrypted by processing unit 104, then the content is authenticated and it is determined that the content has not been tampered with. In a variant, the format of the content is checked for integrity by processing unit 104. Processing unit 104 determines whether the configuration SMS message arrives from a reliable source authorized to generate configurations for system 101. The verification step serves at least two purposes. The first purpose is to ensure that the configuration SMS message has integrity. The second purpose is to ensure that the configuration SMS message is sent from an authorized source.

At step 203, a configuration is generated by processing unit 104 based substantially on the contents of the configuration SMS message. The contents of the configuration SMS message are converted into a configuration, which may be in the form of machine-readable program instructions or a configuration file. In one example, the configuration may be used to assign an IP address to one or more network interfaces and/or cellular modems of system 101. The configuration may also include an access point name (APN) string corresponding to the cellular modem, which is used by the cellular modem to establish its Internet Protocol (IP)-based connectivity.

At step 204, processing unit 104 then configures system 101 according to the configuration. The configuration may be initially loaded into secondary memory 105 or primary memory 106. Processing unit 104 then performs functions such as initialization, establishing communications, health checks, diagnostics, troubleshooting, and other functions. In one variation, processing unit 104 performs network functions based on program instructions and the configuration. Network functions may include establishing a VPN connection, centralizing VPN connections, configuring Domain Name Service (DNS), configuring Dynamic DNS (DDNS), configuring DHCP, and configuring plug-in mode.

FIG4 is a flow chart illustrating another process performed in a network node (e.g., system 101) for configuring the network node. The process begins at step 400. In step 401, processing unit 104 generates a request for receiving a configuration via SMS. In step 402, one or more cellular modems or network interfaces of system 101 are selected for sending the request via SMS. For illustrative purposes, cellular modem 103a is selected for sending the request. The mobile phone number corresponding to cellular modem 113 may be preconfigured in system 101 and stored in auxiliary memory 105. In step 403, a request SMS message containing the request is sent to system 111 via cellular modem 103a. The request may include identification information of system 101 and the type of configuration requested. For example, system 101 may request a configuration including APN information. The APN information can then be used to allow system 101 to connect to the Internet via cellular modem 103a. When system 101 receives the APN via the configuration SMS message, system 101 can then use the APN for IP connectivity. Alternatively, system 101 may request configuration for establishing a VPN connection, a centralized VPN connection, configuring DNS, DHCP, or inserting mode. After sending the request, system 101 waits for one or more configuration SMS messages. In step 404, processing unit 104 determines whether any configuration SMS messages have been received. System 101 waits for a configuration SMS message until a wait time expires in step 405. If no configuration SMS message is received before the wait time expires, a new request is generated at step 401. The wait time can range from a few seconds to a minute. The wait time is specified because if no configuration SMS message is received within the wait time, it is likely that the request SMS message containing the request was not successfully transmitted to system 111 or that the configuration SMS message sent by system 111 did not successfully reach system 101. Therefore, when the wait time expires, the request is sent again. If a configuration SMS message is received before the wait time expires, processing unit 104 verifies the configuration SMS message and determines whether the configuration SMS message is valid in step 406. If the configuration SMS message is invalid, processing unit 104 generates another request in step 401. If the configuration SMS message is valid, processing unit 104 generates a configuration based at least in part on the contents of the configuration SMS message in step 407. System 101 is then configured according to the generated configuration in step 408. Alternatively, processing unit 104 retrieves the configuration from the configuration SMS message and configures system 101 based on the configuration retrieved from the configuration SMS message.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a request to receive a configuration SMS message from system 111 for configuring system 101 can be generated by another device and then transmitted to system 111 by the other device. For example, system 101 is a router, and a user or administrator of system 101 generates the request using a laptop computer and then transmits the request from the laptop computer to system 111. The request includes identification information for system 101. In one variation, if the requested configuration includes configuration for one or more specific network interfaces or cellular modems, the request further includes identification information for the one or more network interfaces or cellular modems for which configuration is requested. In one variation, system 101 can transmit the request to system 111, causing system 111 to transmit the configuration SMS message to multiple devices, which may or may not include system 101. The request includes identification information for the multiple devices to be configured.

The contents of the configuration SMS message and the request SMS message may be in a string format, a binary format, an XML format, or any other format that may be used for SMS messages.

In one embodiment, system 101 sends a request SMS message directly to a mobile phone of a network administrator or user of system 111 for receiving configuration SMS messages. The network administrator then sends instructions for sending the configuration SMS message to system 111 based on the request sent by system 101.

In one embodiment of the present invention, system 101 sends a request SMS message to system 111 via a device or phone associated with system 111 (e.g., an SMS server). For example, system 111 is a laptop or router without SMS capabilities, i.e., system 111 does not have a SIM card inserted in cellular modem 113. The request SMS message is sent by system 101 to the SMS server via system 101's cellular modem, and the SMS server then forwards the request to system 111 via interconnected network 121 (e.g., the Internet). The request SMS message includes a request to receive configuration at system 101. Similarly, system 111 sends a configuration SMS message to system 101 via the SMS server. System 111 first sends the configuration SMS message in the form of IP packets to the SMS server via the Internet, and the SMS server then forwards the configuration SMS message to system 101 via system 101's cellular modem.

The configuration SMS message may be validated in steps 406 and 202 based on one or more conditions. In one variation, processing unit 104 determines whether the configuration SMS message is complete, i.e., whether all portions of the configuration have been received. If the configuration SMS message is determined to be incomplete, system 101 awaits the remainder of the configuration SMS message and, if the remainder is not received within a predefined time period, invalidates the configuration SMS message. In step 406, if the configuration SMS message is invalid, the process begins again at step 401. If the configuration SMS message is determined to be complete, the configuration SMS message is validated. In one variation, if the configuration SMS message is encrypted, processing unit 104 first determines whether the configuration SMS message is complete. If the configuration SMS message is complete, processing unit 104 then determines whether the configuration SMS message can be decrypted by processing unit 104. If the configuration SMS message is successfully decrypted, the configuration SMS message is validated. Otherwise, the configuration SMS message is invalid. In another variation, if the configuration SMS message is successfully decrypted, processing unit 104 determines whether the phone number of the sender of the configuration SMS message matches a preconfigured phone number. If the sender's phone number matches the preconfigured phone number, the configuration SMS message is authenticated. Successful decryption of the configuration SMS message confirms that the configuration SMS message has integrity, has not been tampered with, and was sent by system 111. The configuration SMS message may be encrypted by system 111 using a pre-shared key stored in system 101. Otherwise, the configuration SMS message is invalid.

According to a preferred embodiment, when system 101 is configured according to the configuration received via the configuration SMS message, system 101 begins transmitting and/or receiving data via IP. Therefore, without receiving the configuration, system 101 may not be able to transmit and/or receive data. For example, system 101 may not have an IP address and may not be able to transmit and/or receive IP packets.

In one embodiment, system 101 does not transmit or receive data packets until system 101 is configured according to the configuration received via the configuration SMS message. This ensures that system 101 receives the latest configuration before connecting to the network. This is because an incorrect configuration may adversely affect the network. For example, system 101 is initially configured by the manufacturer of system 101 to act as a DHCP server. If system 101 is connected to the network without further configuration, then system 101 will assign IP addresses to other hosts because system 101 acts as a DHCP server. To avoid this situation, the present invention allows system 101 to perform its functions until a configuration is received via the configuration SMS message and processing unit 104 has configured system 101. The configuration, for example, includes instructions for configuring system 101 as a DHCP client rather than a DHCP server. Subsequently, system 101 will not assign IP addresses to other hosts when it is connected to the network.

In another example, the configuration includes information for allowing system 101 to establish one or more VPN connections with a remote network node. When system 101 is configured with the configuration, system 101 can subsequently establish one or more VPN connections and transmit and/or receive confidential information via the established one or more VPN connections. The VPN connection can, for example, take the form of a tunnel using SSH tunneling technology. There is no limitation on the VPN connection being an SSH tunnel. For example, the VPN connection can also be established using the IPSec protocol.

In one variation, system 101 does not transmit or receive data packets until the VPN connection is established according to the configuration received via the configuration SMS message. Using the configuration SMS message to configure the VPN connection reduces the burden on network administrators when manually configuring the VPN connection. The configuration SMS message enables system 101 to establish the VPN connection and subsequently communicate securely with the internal network.

Illustratively, system 101 receives a configuration SMS message from system 111 to establish a VPN connection with a remote network node. The configuration SMS message may be received in response to a request SMS message sent by system 101. It is also possible that system 111 sends the configuration SMS message without receiving a request SMS message from system 101. The configuration SMS message specifies a VPN technology to be used to establish the VPN connection, such as IPSec, SpeedFusion, OpenVPN, SSH tunneling, etc. The configuration SMS message may further specify the identity information of a network interface or cellular modem of system 101, the IP address of the remote network node, the identity information of the remote network node, an encryption standard, and optionally a shared key for connecting to the VPN via the VPN connection. If the remote network node has more than one network interface or cellular modem, the IP address of the specific network interface or cellular modem is also specified.

The remote network node may also be configured to establish a VPN connection with system 101 through system 111 via another configuration SMS message that specifies the IP address of system 101's network interface or cellular modem, system 101's identity information, encryption standards, and optionally a shared key.

When system 101 receives the configuration SMS message, processing unit 104 generates a configuration based on the configuration SMS message. For example, the configuration specifies IPSec as the VPN technology and network interface 102a, through which system 101 establishes a VPN connection. The encryption standard is specified as 256-bit AES encryption, and the shared key is "newyork." Therefore, when system 101 is configured with the configuration, system 101 establishes a VPN connection with the remote network node via network interface 102a. The encryption standard used for data transmitted or received over the VPN connection is 256-bit AES encryption.

In one variation, the configuration SMS message may include a configuration for centralizing multiple VPN connections established according to the configuration. The information for allowing system 101 to establish multiple VPN connections and the information for allowing system 101 to centralize VPN connections may be in the same configuration or in different configurations. The configurations for establishing VPN connections and centralizing VPN connections may be in the same configuration SMS message or in different configuration SMS messages. Benefits of having a centralized VPN connection include allowing system 101 to utilize an access connection accessible via network interface 102a and a wireless communication connection accessible via cellular modem 103a.

For example, system 101 receives a first configuration SMS message to establish a centralized VPN connection with a remote network node. For illustrative purposes, the first configuration SMS message is sent by system 111 to configure system 101 to establish a first VPN connection with the remote network node using network interface 102a, and to establish a second VPN connection with the remote network node using cellular modem 103a. The first configuration SMS message further provides system 101 with information to configure itself to consolidate the first and second VPN connections to form the centralized VPN connection.

In one example, a first configuration SMS message is sent only to configure system 101 to establish a first VPN connection, a second configuration SMS message is sent to configure system 101 to establish a second VPN connection, and a third configuration SMS message is sent to configure system 101 to form a centralized VPN connection by concentrating the first and second VPN connections.

In another example, a first configuration SMS message is sent to configure system 101 to establish first and second VPN connections, and a second configuration SMS message is sent to configure system 101 to form a centralized VPN connection by pooling the first and second VPN connections.

The configuration SMS message includes configurations for one or more cellular modems or network interfaces of system 101. For example, cellular modems 103a and 103b are connected to different carriers and require different APNs to connect to the internet. In one variation, when the configuration SMS message includes configurations for more than one cellular modem, the configuration SMS message includes the APNs for both cellular modem 103a and cellular modem 103b. The configuration SMS message also includes information identifying which APN is for which cellular modem. Alternatively, system 111 sends a first configuration SMS message including the APN for cellular modem 103a, and system 111 sends a second configuration SMS message including the APN for cellular modem 103b. The first and second configuration SMS messages can be received by system 101 via the same or different cellular modems. The first and second configuration SMS messages include identity information for cellular modems 103a and 103b, respectively, allowing processing unit 104 to identify which configuration SMS message is for which cellular modem.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, system 111 sends configurations for configuring an APN and a VPN connection to system 101 in one or more configuration SMS messages. For example, cellular modem 103a does not yet have an APN configured and is therefore unable to connect to the internet. System 111 sends a first configuration SMS message to system 101 that includes the APN corresponding to the SIM card inserted in cellular modem 103a. The first configuration SMS message may be sent by system 111 to system 101 in response to a request SMS message sent by system 101, or it may be sent proactively by system 111. System 101 then uses the APN to establish IP connectivity at cellular modem 103a. The first configuration SMS message further includes configurations for system 101 to establish a VPN connection with a remote network node via cellular modem 103a. Because cellular modem 103a is now able to connect to the internet, system 101 is able to establish a VPN connection via cellular modem 103a. Alternatively, system 111 sends a second configuration SMS message to system 101, the second configuration SMS message including configurations for system 101 to establish a VPN connection with the remote network node via cellular modem 103a. Thus, system 101 first connects to the Internet via cellular modem 103a using the APN in the first configuration SMS message, and then establishes a VPN connection with the remote communication node via cellular modem 103a based on the configurations received from system 111 in the second configuration SMS message.

In one variation, system 111 first sends a configuration SMS message that includes the APN corresponding to the SIM card inserted in cellular modem 103a. System 101 is then able to use the APN to establish IP connectivity through cellular modem 103a. System 111 then sends a second configuration to system 101 using IP packets rather than SMS messages because system 101 has IP connectivity through cellular modem 103a. The second configuration is sent to cause system 101 to establish a VPN connection with a remote network node through cellular modem 103a. System 101 first connects to the Internet through cellular modem 103a using the APN, and then establishes a VPN connection with the remote communication node through cellular modem 103a based on the second configuration received from system 111 using IP packets.

In one variation, system 111 first sends a configuration SMS message that includes a first APN corresponding to the SIM card inserted in cellular modem 103a and a second APN corresponding to the SIM card inserted in cellular modem 103b. Both cellular modems 103a and 103b then have IP connectivity using the first and second APNs, respectively. System 111 then sends one or more configurations to system 101 for establishing a first VPN connection and a second VPN connection with a remote network node using cellular modems 103a and 103b, respectively, and then consolidates the first and second VPN connections to form a centralized VPN connection. The configurations for establishing and consolidating the VPN connections can be sent using an IP packet or a configuration SMS message.

The configuration or configuration SMS message may or may not be sent in response to a request SMS message sent by system 101 .

In this way, the system 101 can be configured to have IP connectivity and also establish a VPN connection without having to have the network administrator manually configure the VPN connection. This makes it more convenient for the network administrator to configure a network node such as the system 101.

Receive multiple SMS messages when the device is turned on

According to one embodiment of the present invention, system 101 receives multiple configurations in multiple configuration SMS messages. For example, when system 101 is not powered on or is disconnected, system 111 sends a first configuration SMS message containing a first configuration to system 101. A network administrator may subsequently decide to configure system 101 with a second configuration after the first configuration SMS message has been sent to system 101. Therefore, when system 101 is not powered on, is still disconnected, or is unable to receive SMS messages, the network administrator sends an instruction to system 111 to send a second configuration SMS message containing the second configuration to system 101. When system 101 later becomes able to receive SMS messages, system 101 receives two configuration SMS messages: the first configuration SMS message and the second configuration SMS message. Processing unit 104 then ignores the first configuration SMS message and verifies the second configuration SMS message because it is the most recent. Therefore, processing unit 104 configures system 101 with the second configuration received in the second configuration SMS message.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, system 101 receives a configuration via multiple cellular modems in multiple configuration SMS messages. For example, the size of the configuration is such that it requires at least three configuration SMS messages to send. The configuration is first divided into three parts, and each part is then converted into a separate configuration SMS message. The three configuration SMS messages are sent to different cellular modems of system 101. For illustrative purposes, the first configuration SMS message is sent to cellular modem 103a, and the second and third configuration SMS messages are sent to cellular modem 103b. The contents of the first, second, and third configuration SMS messages are then combined at system 101 to retrieve the complete configuration. This can help reduce the time required to receive the complete configuration, as cellular modems 103a and 103b can receive the configuration SMS messages simultaneously.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the same configuration SMS message is sent to both cellular modems 103a and 103b. The same configuration SMS message is sent to both cellular modems so that if transmission through one of the cellular modems fails or is delayed, system 101 can reliably and quickly receive the configuration SMS message through the other cellular modem.

Send configuration SMS message

Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating a process for transmitting a configuration SMS message according to one embodiment of the present invention and should be viewed in conjunction with Figures 1A and 1B. System 111 is configured to transmit a configuration SMS message for configuring a network node (e.g., system 101). The configuration SMS message is transmitted to one or more recipients.

In step 301, processing unit 114 determines identity information for one or more systems, devices, network nodes, or any other device that needs to be configured. For example, system 101 needs to be configured, and in step 301, identity information for system 101 is determined. The identity information may include the serial number of system 101, the serial number of a subscriber identity module (SIM) card inserted in cellular modem 103a, the model number of system 101, the mobile phone number corresponding to cellular modem 103a, and/or the like. The identity information may be retrieved from a database or may be sent to system 111 by a network administrator.

In step 302, processing unit 114 determines a configuration. In one variation, the configuration is retrieved from a server based on the identity information of system 101. Alternatively, a network administrator may enter the configuration with the corresponding identity information of system 101 into system 111. The network administrator may enter the configuration into system 111 locally or remotely via a web interface, an application programming interface (API), a command line interface, or a console. In one variation, the network administrator enters a portion of the configuration into system 111, and a program running at processing unit 114 may complete the remainder of the configuration based at least in part on the portion of the configuration entered by the network administrator. For example, the network administrator may enter a portion of the configuration that includes the identity information of system 101 and the serial number of the subscriber identity module (SIM) card inserted into cellular modem 103a. The program running at processing unit 114 may then retrieve the corresponding APN from auxiliary storage 115 or a remote server and complete the remainder of the configuration by inserting the corresponding APN into the configuration. This allows for automatic retrieval of the configuration from auxiliary storage 115, thereby making it easier for the network administrator to configure system 101.

In step 303, the processing unit 114 converts the configuration into a configuration SMS message. The processing unit 114 may also encrypt the content in the configuration SMS message so that the recipient can authenticate the received configuration SMS message.

Depending on the size of the configuration, the configuration SMS message may have one or more parts. For example, if the size of the configuration is such that it takes up more than 160 7-bit characters when converted into a configuration SMS message, then the configuration SMS message is then divided into more than one part because each part may only have at most 160 7-bit characters. Encrypting the content in the configuration SMS message increases the length of the configuration SMS message. Therefore, in one variation, in order to reduce the length of the configuration SMS message, the configuration SMS message is compressed to form a compressed configuration SMS message. The configuration SMS message may be compressed using one of various compression techniques, for example, Huffman coding, Lamper-Zip-Welch (LZW) compression, a compact compression technique, or any other compression technique that may be used to compress SMS messages. The step of compressing the configuration SMS message is optional.

In step 304, a configuration SMS message is then transmitted via cellular modem 113 to one or more recipients comprising system 101. The one or more recipients may be entered by a network administrator. The one or more recipients may include mobile phone numbers corresponding to one or more cellular modems of system 101. The one or more recipients may also include mobile phone numbers corresponding to cellular modems of more than one device. The more than one device may be a network node or network host, such as a router, hub, gateway, IEEE 802.11 access point, database server, web server, virtualized router, laptop, computer, smartphone, or tablet. When the one or more recipients include mobile phone numbers corresponding to cellular modems of multiple devices, multiple devices similar to system 101 can be configured simultaneously or nearly simultaneously by sending the configuration SMS message to the multiple devices. The multiple devices are similar and will be configured with the same configuration. The multiple devices may be similar in terms of the carrier and the data plan of the SIM card inserted in their corresponding cellular modem, or may be similar in terms of their model number. In one variation, a database is used to store the identity information of the one or more recipients and the mobile phone numbers corresponding to the identity information. The database may be in an external server, secondary storage 115 , or main storage 116 .

If the configuration SMS message has more than one part, the configuration SMS message is transmitted to system 101 in more than one part. In one variation, the configuration SMS message is transmitted once the configuration is entered by the network administrator. Alternatively, the configuration SMS message is transmitted to system 101 only when system 101 is turned on or powered on. For example, system 101 may send a notification to system 111 when it is turned on or powered on. Alternatively, a specific time is preconfigured by the network administrator, and the configuration SMS message is transmitted at the specific time. Alternatively, the configuration SMS message is transmitted to system 101 only after receiving a request SMS message from system 101 that includes a request to receive the configuration.

In one embodiment, the process of Figure 3 begins after receiving an instruction from a network administrator to send a configuration. The network administrator may send the instruction to the processing unit 114 via a web interface, API, command line interface, or console.

There are many methods for determining the identity information of system 101. In one example, system 101 sends its identity information to system 111 via an SMS message, an MMS message, near field communication (NFC), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, or a USB modem. Alternatively, a network administrator can send the identity information to system 111 via a web interface, an API, a command line interface, or a console. Alternatively, system 111 can scan a barcode or QR code. Thus, system 111 retrieves the identity information of system 101 by scanning a barcode or QR code printed or marked on a surface of system 101.

Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating how a configuration SMS message is transmitted according to one embodiment. In step 501, system 111 receives a request from a network node (e.g., system 101). The request takes the form of a request SMS message received via cellular modem 113. The request may include identification information of system 101, such as a serial number, model number, etc. The request may further include identification information of a SIM card inserted in one or more cellular modems, such as carrier information and corresponding serial number of the SIM card inserted in one or more cellular modems (for which configuration is requested). The request may also include a mobile phone number associated with one or more cellular modems designated by system 101 for receiving configuration. In one variant, the request is received from system 101 when system 101 is first started. Alternatively, the request is received from system 101 when system 101 is ready to receive configuration.

In step 502, a configuration corresponding to system 101 is retrieved by processing unit 114. In one variant, the configuration is retrieved from secondary storage 115 or primary storage 116 based at least in part on the identity information of system 101. Alternatively, the configuration may be retrieved from an external server where the configuration is stored in a database having identity information corresponding to the configuration.

In step 503, the retrieved configuration is sent to the network administrator in a message to confirm whether the configuration should be sent to system 101. The message containing the configuration can be an email, instant message, SMS, phone call, a message displayed on a web page, a pop-up message on a web page, or other indicators that can be used to send the message to the network administrator. The network administrator is then prompted to confirm the configuration. Alternatively, the network administrator directly enters the configuration, and the network administrator's input is retrieved by processing unit 114 in step 502. In this case, steps 503 and 504 can be omitted and step 505 is executed.

In step 504, processing unit 114 determines whether confirmation has been received from the network administrator. If the network administrator does not confirm that the configuration should be sent to system 101, then the configuration is not transmitted to system 101 in step 506. If confirmation has been received from the network administrator, then in step 505 the configuration and authentication information is converted into one or more configuration SMS messages. The authentication information is included in the configuration SMS message so that system 101 can verify the configuration SMS message. The authentication information may include a digital certificate, a shared key, or encryption information.

In step 507, one or more recipients of the configuration SMS message are determined. The one or more recipients may include mobile phone numbers corresponding to one or more cellular modems of system 101 (e.g., cellular modems 103 of system 101 specified in the request). In one variation, the same configuration SMS message is transmitted to at least two cellular modems 103 of system 101. In another variation, the configuration SMS message is divided into at least two parts and the configuration SMS message is transmitted to at least two cellular modems 103 of system 101 in each part. At least one of the recipients of the configuration SMS message is system 101. The one or more recipients of the configuration SMS message may include devices similar to system 101 and may require the same configuration as system 101. Alternatively, the one or more recipients include personal mobile phone numbers of users of system 101 so that the users are informed that system 101 is configured with the configuration in the configuration SMS message.

In step 508, the configuration SMS message is then transmitted by system 111 to one or more recipients via cellular modem 113. In one variation, system 111 continues to retransmit the configuration SMS message until an acknowledgement is received from the recipient of the configuration SMS message.

In one variation, step 501 is omitted. Once system 101 is purchased, the network administrator sends instructions to system 111 for sending a configuration SMS message to system 101. Thus, even before system 101 is turned on, the configuration SMS message is retrieved and sent to system 101. Thus, system 111 does not wait to receive a request in step 501. When system 101 is turned on, one or both cellular modems 103 of system 101 are initialized and the configuration SMS message is received.

In one variation, system 111 is notified when system 101 is registered with the management software. Once system 101 is registered with the management software, system 111 sends a configuration SMS message to system 101. The management software may be installed in a remote server or cloud infrastructure.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the configuration in the configuration SMS message includes an APN. For example, system 101 sends a request SMS message to system 111 to receive the APN corresponding to the SIM card inserted in cellular modem 103a. A network administrator can manually set the APN corresponding to the SIM card to system 111 via a webpage, API, or console and store the APN settings locally or remotely in a database. The configuration is generated based on the APN settings. As is well known, the APN settings corresponding to the SIM card are provided by the Internet Service Provider (ISP) when the SIM card is purchased. In some cases, the ISP also provides a username and password, which may be required to authenticate the SIM card when accessing the internet. If the ISP also provides a username and password, the configuration also includes the username and password. The request SMS message may include identification information of the SIM card, such as the serial number corresponding to the SIM card. Based on the serial number corresponding to the SIM card, the configuration is retrieved from the database and then converted into a configuration SMS message. The configuration SMS message is then transmitted to system 101.

Exemplarily, system 111 configures ten routers by sending configuration SMS messages. The routers have a similar architecture to system 101, and the cellular modems of all routers have SIM cards provided by the same ISP. The SIM cards are also subscribed to the same data plan provided by the ISP. In this case, all ten routers can obtain data connectivity using the same APN and the same username and password. The network administrator of system 111 then enters the APN and, optionally, the username and password corresponding to the SIM card via a web page, application programmable interface, or console. Alternatively, the APN, username, and password are already stored in auxiliary memory 115. The configuration SMS message including the APN is generated by system 111 and then sent to all ten routers simultaneously or individually. This greatly facilitates the administrator's configuration of multiple devices, without having to manually enter the configuration into each router.

In another example, there are two APNs corresponding to an ISP. Using the first APN to access the network provided by the ISP provides the system with a public IP address, while using the second APN to access the network provided by the ISP provides the system with a private IP address. For illustrative purposes only, a SIM card provided by CSL Limited in Hong Kong is inserted into cellular modem 103a, and a data plan that provides a public IP address to cellular modem 103a is subscribed to. Also, for illustrative purposes, for the SIM card provided by CSL Limited in Hong Kong, the cost of subscribing to a data plan that provides a public IP address is significantly higher than the cost of subscribing to a data plan that provides a private IP address. The APN required for accessing the Internet with a public IP address is "Ite.public," while the APN required for accessing the Internet with a private IP address is "Ite.internet." System 111 can configure system 101 to have either a public IP address or a private IP address by sending the corresponding APN to system 101 via a configuration SMS message. When system 111 sends a configuration SMS message with the APN "Ite.public" to system 101, system 101 connects to the Internet via cellular modem 103a using a public IP address by providing the APN "Ite.public" when connecting. Alternatively, when system 111 sends a configuration SMS message with the APN "Ite.internet" to system 101, system 101 connects to the Internet via cellular modem 103a using a private IP address by providing the APN "Ite.public" when connecting. However, if the SIM card is subscribed to a data plan that provides a private IP address, system 101 may not be able to connect to the Internet using the APN "Ite.public". In this case, system 111 sends a configuration SMS message with the APN "Ite.internet" to system 101, which is then used by system 101 to connect to the Internet via cellular modem 103a.

In another example, a SIM card is subscribed to a first data plan provided by a first ISP that allows tethering, or a second data plan provided by the first ISP that does not allow tethering. The cost of subscribing to the first data plan is significantly higher than the cost of subscribing to the second data plan. The SIM card is inserted into cellular modem 103b of system 101. If the SIM card is subscribed to the first data plan, the first APN can be used to connect to the Internet and also allow tethering. If the SIM card is subscribed to the second data plan, the second APN can be used to connect to the Internet. For illustrative purposes, the SIM card is subscribed to the second data plan. In this case, system 111 sends a configuration SMS message with the second APN to system 101, enabling system 101 to connect to the Internet using the second APN.

In another example, the SIM card is subscribed to a first data plan. System 111 sends a configuration SMS message with a first APN to system 101 to configure system 101 to connect to the Internet and allow tethering. Alternatively, system 111 may send a configuration SMS message with a second APN to system 101 to configure system 101 to connect to the Internet without allowing tethering.

It should be appreciated that a network administrator can select which APN to use and, therefore, can control how system 101 is configured via system 111 .

In one variation, a priority is assigned to an APN corresponding to a specific ISP. For example, when a SIM card is subscribed to a first data plan that allows tethering, system 101 assigns a higher priority to the first APN and a lower priority to the second APN. A configuration SMS message including both the first APN and the second APN is sent by system 111 to system 101. System 101 first checks whether the APN with a higher priority (i.e., the first APN) can be used to connect to the Internet. If system 101 can successfully connect to the Internet using the first APN, the first APN is used. If system 101 cannot connect to the Internet using the first APN, system 101 uses the APN with a lower priority (i.e., the second APN) to connect to the Internet.

In one embodiment of the present invention, an APN database is created at system 111 to store APNs based on their corresponding ISPs. The APN database can be stored locally in secondary memory 115 or remotely on a network server or external storage unit. When a network administrator purchases a SIM card with a data plan from an ISP, the ISP provides the corresponding APN. The network administrator manually enters the APN into the database. The database can be organized based on the ISP corresponding to the APN. The database can further be organized based on the data plan corresponding to the APN, as different data plans provided by the same ISP may have different APNs. When system 111 configures system 101, processing unit 114 searches the database and finds the appropriate APN based on the ISP and the data plan subscribed to by the SIM card inserted in cellular modem 103a. System 111 then sends the appropriate APN to system 101 via a configuration SMS message. In one variant, if no appropriate APN is found in the database, the network administrator manually enters the APN corresponding to the SIM card, and the network administrator's input is retrieved by system 111 and then sent to system 101 via a configuration SMS message.

In one embodiment, the APNs stored in the database include the default APNs for most or all ISPs in a particular region or country in which the system 101 is used. If an APN other than the default APN is required to access the Internet using a SIM card, the network administrator manually enters the APN provided when the SIM card was purchased and sends the APN from the system 111 to the system 101.

In one embodiment, when a SIM card provided by a specific ISP is inserted into the cellular modem 103a of the system 101, the system 111 sends multiple APNs corresponding to the specific ISP to the system 101 via a configuration SMS message. The processing unit 104 randomly determines which of the multiple APNs can be used to access the Internet. The system 101 then uses one of the multiple APNs to access the Internet through the cellular modem 103a.

In one embodiment of the present invention, system 111 is operated by an administrator of system 101. If system 101 is configured to forward SMS messages to the administrator when they are received from anywhere other than system 111, the administrator is notified of the SMS message. The SMS message can be received by system 101 via cellular modem 103a or 103b. For example, the administrator can be notified of the SMS message by forwarding the SMS message to system 111 or any other mobile phone number belonging to the administrator. The SMS message can be forwarded via cellular modem 103a or 103b. Alternatively, the administrator can be notified of the SMS message by sending a message including the contents of the SMS message to the administrator via network interface 102a and/or 102b. The message can be an email, a phone call, a message displayed on a web page, a pop-up message on a web page, or other indicators that can be used to notify the administrator of the SMS message. For illustrative purposes, the service provider of the SIM card inserted in cellular modem 103a provides a data plan that allows the user to use data services for a specific number of minutes at a fixed monthly rate. When the specified number of minutes has been used up, the cost per minute of data usage becomes quite high. The service provider sends an SMS message to system 101 via cellular modem 103a, notifying the user that the specified number of minutes has been exceeded. System 101 then notifies the administrator of the SMS message sent by the service provider so that the administrator can take the necessary steps. The administrator may want to stop using mobile data via cellular modem 103a to reduce costs. Therefore, it is crucial that system 101 notifies the administrator of the SMS message.

In a preferred embodiment, system 111 is a mobile phone operated by a network administrator. System 101 is a router, gateway, mobile phone, or the like. Preferably, the system has a cellular modem through which the system can receive configuration SMS messages.

In one embodiment of the present invention, system 101 may receive the configuration using MMS, NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, USB modem, or any other wireless communication technology that may be used before system 101 has been configured for IP connectivity. Thus, the configuration may also be received without using a configuration SMS message.

FIG6 is a flow chart illustrating a process for configuring a network node according to one embodiment. A USB modem is coupled to a network node, such as system 101, via network interface 102a. When the USB modem is coupled to system 101 in step 601, system 101 may then be able to gain IP connectivity and, therefore, transmit identity information of system 101 to system 111 via the USB modem in step 602. This identity information may be part of a request to receive a configuration from system 111. In step 603, the configuration is received by system 101 via the USB modem. The configuration may be sent and received by system 111 in one or more IP packets. The received configuration is then stored in a local memory of system 101, such as secondary memory 105, in step 604. In step 605, processing unit 104 configures system 101 according to the configuration. The USB modem may use Wi-Fi, 3G, LTE, 4G, or other wireless technologies to provide temporary IP connectivity to system 101. The received configuration may be embedded in one or more IP packets. For example, the configuration includes the APN corresponding to the SIM card inserted into the cellular modem 103a. When the system 101 receives the APN via the USB modem, the system 101 can connect to the Internet using the cellular modem 103a. Therefore, even after the USB modem is removed from the network interface 102a, the system 101 can still connect to the Internet.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the configuration is received by system 101 using NFC technology. For example, mobile phone 111a and routers 101a to 101d are NFC-enabled devices, as shown in Figure 7. Mobile phone 111a operates as system 111 and sends the configuration to routers 101a to 101d. Routers 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d operate as system 101 and receive the configuration from mobile phone 111a. For example, when mobile phone 111a is in close proximity to router 101a, router 101a can use NFC to send its identity information to mobile phone 111a. Mobile phone 111a then determines the configuration based on the identity information and sends the configuration to router 101a using NFC. Alternatively, mobile phone 111a sends the configuration based on instructions from a network administrator and does not wait until the identity information is received from router 101a. When multiple routers (e.g., routers 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d) are stacked together, it is very convenient for a network administrator to configure all of the multiple routers with the same configuration by simply sliding a mobile phone over the routers. This is especially beneficial when the routers are similar and need to be configured with the same configuration.

Although the present invention has been described through several exemplary embodiments, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments. Any modification, equivalent replacement or improvement made without departing from the spirit and principle of the present invention should fall within the scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates a block diagram of a system according to various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1B illustrates a block diagram of a system for configuring another system according to various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1C illustrates a network environment according to various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG2 is a flow chart illustrating a process according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG3 is a flow chart illustrating a process for transmitting a configuration SMS message according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG4 is a flow chart illustrating a process for configuring a system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG5 is a flow chart illustrating a process for transmitting a configuration SMS message according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG6 is a flow chart illustrating a process for configuring a network node according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating how one or more systems may be configured using NFC technology.

Claims (20)

1. A method for receiving configuration from a first system and then executing it by a second system, wherein the second system comprises a plurality of cellular modems, the method comprising: (a) The configuration is received in the second system via a short message service; the short message service is received via any of the plurality of cellular modems; (b) Verifying the configuration in the second system, the verification including: It is determined that the configuration was sent from an authorized source; and Verify the completeness of the configuration content; (c) Configure the second system in the second system according to the configuration described; (d) Based on the configuration, the second system performs network functions via at least one cellular modem; At least one of the configurations is based on the identity information of the second system; and The second system was not initially connected to the Internet. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration is generated by the first system based on a received request; wherein the received request includes the identity information of the second system. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration includes the identity information of one of the plurality of cellular modems. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein after the second system is configured with the configuration, the second system is able to connect to the Internet. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration is received by any one or more of the plurality of cellular modems, and is used to configure one of the plurality of cellular modems. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration is used to configure the second system to establish one or more virtual private network connections. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the configuration is further configured to configure the second system to combine the one or more virtual private network connections to form a centralized virtual private network connection. 8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the request is received by the second system when requesting the short message service message from the first system. 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to step (a): sending a message to an administrator to confirm whether the configuration has been sent to the second system; and receiving confirmation from the administrator. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the at least one configuration to at least one other system for configuring the at least one other system having the configuration. 11. A first system for configuring a second system, comprising: At least one network interface; At least one cellular modem; At least one processing unit; At least one main memory; At least one auxiliary memory storing program instructions that can be executed by the at least one processing unit for: (a) The configuration is received in the second system via a short message service; the short message service is received via any one of a plurality of cellular modems; (b) Verifying the configuration in the second system, the verification including: It is determined that the configuration was sent from an authorized source; and Verify the completeness of the configuration content; (c) Configure the second system in the second system according to the configuration described; (d) Based on the configuration, the second system performs network functions via at least one cellular modem; At least one of the configurations is based on the identity information of the second system; and The second system was not initially connected to the Internet. 12. The first system according to claim 11, wherein the configuration is generated by the first system based on a received request, wherein the received request includes the identity information of the second system. 13. The first system of claim 11, wherein the configuration includes identity information of one of the plurality of cellular modems. 14. The first system of claim 11, wherein the second system is configured with the configuration and wherein, after the second system is configured with the configuration, the second system is able to connect to the Internet. 15. The first system of claim 11, wherein the configuration is received by any one of the plurality of cellular modems, and is used to configure one of the plurality of cellular modems. 16. The first system of claim 11, wherein the configuration is used to configure the second system to establish one or more virtual private network connections. 17. The first system of claim 16, wherein the configuration is further configured to configure the second system to combine the one or more virtual private network connections to form a centralized virtual private network connection. 18. The first system according to claim 12, wherein the request is received by the second system when requesting the short message service message from the first system. 19. The first system according to claim 11, further comprising, prior to step (a): sending a message to an administrator to confirm whether the configuration has been sent to the second system; and receiving confirmation from the administrator. 20. The first system of claim 11, further comprising sending the at least one configuration to at least one other system for configuring the at least one other system having the configuration.