Fingerprint-based configuration typing and classification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016019296-A1
Application number	US-201414336279-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 21, 2014
Priority date	Jul 21, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are techniques for automating records related to devices coupled to a network, such as servers, clients and memory banks The fingerprint-based configuration typing and classification described herein may identify a fingerprint for a first device located on a network, the first device having a plurality of hardware components and the fingerprint generated based on a combination of at least two hardware components of the first device. The fingerprint is assigned to the first device. If the device does not have a first identifier assigned to it that identifies the plurality of hardware components, the fingerprint is compared to a plurality of stored fingerprints, with at least some of the stored fingerprints having a respective identifier. If the fingerprint matches one of the plurality of stored fingerprints and that stored fingerprint has an identifier associated therewith, the identifier associated with the stored fingerprint is assigned to the first device as the first identifier.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
identifying a fingerprint for a first device located on a network, the first device having a plurality of hardware components and the fingerprint generated based on a combination of at least two hardware components of the first device; assigning the fingerprint to the first device; and upon a condition that the device does not have a first identifier assigned to it that identifies the plurality of hardware components:
comparing the fingerprint to a plurality of stored fingerprints, with at least some of the stored fingerprints having a respective identifier; and
upon a condition that the fingerprint matches one of the plurality of stored fingerprints and the one of the plurality of stored fingerprints has an identifier associated therewith, assigning the identifier associated with the one of the plurality of stored fingerprints to the first device as the first identifier.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
upon a condition that the fingerprint matches one of the plurality of stored fingerprints and the one of the plurality of stored fingerprints does not have an identifier associated therewith, reporting an error.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating the fingerprint.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the fingerprint comprises:
receiving, over the network, identities of the at least two hardware components of the first device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
upon a condition that the fingerprint does not exist as a record in a memory, creating a new fingerprint record in the memory.

6 . The method of claim 5 wherein assigning the fingerprint to the first device occurs after creating the new fingerprint record.

7 . The method of claim 5 wherein assigning the fingerprint to the first device comprises storing an identification number of the first device in association with the new fingerprint record.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
upon a condition that the fingerprint has the first identifier assigned to it that identifies the plurality of hardware components:
comparing the fingerprint to the plurality of stored fingerprints; and
upon a condition that the fingerprint matches the one of the plurality of stored fingerprints and the identifier does not match the first identifier, reporting an error.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier is a stock keeping unit or bill of material.

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein a metadata tag is assigned to the fingerprint.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the metadata tag is assigned to more than one of the plurality of stored fingerprints.

12 . An apparatus, comprising:
a memory; and a processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to:
identify a fingerprint for a first device located on a network, the first device having a plurality of hardware components and the fingerprint generated based on a combination of at least two hardware components of the first device;
assign the fingerprint to the first device; and
upon a condition that the device does not have a first identifier assigned to it that identifies the plurality of hardware components:
compare the fingerprint to a plurality of stored fingerprints, with at least some of the stored fingerprints having a respective identifier; and
upon a condition that the fingerprint matches one of the plurality of stored fingerprints and the one of the plurality of stored fingerprints has an identifier associated therewith, assign the identifier associated with the one of the plurality of stored fingerprints to the first device as the first identifier.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 wherein a metadata tag is assigned to more than one of the plurality of stored fingerprints.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the metadata tag includes at least one word indicating a status of devices associated with the more than one of the plurality of stored fingerprints.

15 . The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor is configured to, upon a condition that the fingerprint matches one of the plurality of stored fingerprints and the one of the plurality of stored fingerprints does not have an identifier associated therewith, report an error.

16 . The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor is configured to generate the fingerprint using a hash function with identities of the at least two hardware components as inputs.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the processor is configured to identify the fingerprint by:
receiving, over the network, identities of the at least two hardware components of the first device.

18 . The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor is configured to, upon a condition that the fingerprint does not exist as a record in a memory, create a new fingerprint record in the memory.

19 . The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor is configured to assign the identifier to the first device by transmitting the identifier to the first device for storage at the first device.

20 . The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor is configured to:
upon a condition that the fingerprint has the first identifier assigned to it that identifies the plurality of hardware components:
compare the fingerprint to the plurality of stored fingerprints; and
upon a condition that the fingerprint matches the one of the plurality of stored fingerprints and the identifier does not match the first identifier, report an error.

Assignees

• Servicenow Inc

Inventors

• Sullivan Josiah
• Vincent Kelly

Classifications

• G06F17/30876

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/30864 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F21/44

  Program or device authentication · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G06F21/73 Primary

  by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers · CPC title