Appliance Configuration Scanning for Accurate Model Identification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Companies face challenges in accurately identifying and managing the hardware and software configurations of diverse appliances to ensure proper provisioning and inventory management, particularly in manufacturing and deployment scenarios where subtle revisions and misconfigurations can occur.

Innovation Solution

A system and method involving an appliance scanning component that scans and determines configurations, a profiling engine that hashes and looks up unique identifiers in a database, and a provisioning component that adjusts or registers configurations, ensuring accurate identification and adaptive management of appliances, including real-time monitoring and tamper detection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If manual configuration identification methods are used, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision and identification accuracy deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconfiguration identification accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The appliance performs self-identification by executing a scanning component that automatically detects its own hardware and software configuration. The profiling engine hashes the configuration data and queries the database to determine the appliance model, eliminating the need for manual configuration identification while maintaining high accuracy through automated scanning and hashing mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual configuration identification processes with an automated electronic system. The scanning component electronically queries hardware components, the profiling engine electronically hashes and processes configuration data, and the database electronically stores and retrieves appliance information, substituting mechanical/manual processes with electronic automation to improve precision without proportionally increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If comprehensive hardware and software components are monitored, then reliability improves, but loss of information increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconfiguration management reliabilityVSAvoidconfiguration data management

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the essential configuration information needed for appliance identification and management. The scanning component collects specific hardware and software component details, the profiling engine hashes this extracted data to create a unique identifier, and the database stores only the hashed configuration and appliance model information, filtering out unnecessary data while maintaining reliability through comprehensive monitoring of critical components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The profiling engine acts as an intermediary between the scanning component and the database. It processes the raw configuration data collected by the scanning component, hashes it to create a unique identifier, and then stores this processed information in the database. This intermediary layer prevents information loss by ensuring complete configuration data is captured and processed, while also preventing data redundancy and corruption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If real-time configuration monitoring is implemented, then productivity improves, but use of energy increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs configuration scanning and profiling actions at specific trigger points rather than continuously. The scanning component executes when appliances are manufactured, deployed, or when configuration changes are detected. The profiling engine processes configuration data at these discrete moments, creating unique identifiers and updating the database only when necessary, enabling real-time monitoring capability while minimizing energy consumption through event-driven operation rather than continuous monitoring.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12418434B2System and method for appliance configuration identification and profile management

Publication Date: 2025.09.16 BARRACUDA NETWORKS INC

AI summary

A new approach is proposed to support appliance configuration identification and profiling management. An appliance scanning component running on an appliance is configured to scan, examine, and determine current configuration of the appliance including hardware components and/or software components installed on the appliance. The configuration of the appliance is then provided to an appliance profiling engine running on a server, wherein the appliance profiling engine hashes the configuration of the appliance into a unique identifier of the appliance and look up a model of the appliance from an appliance profiling database using the unique identifier as a key. If the configuration of the appliance is not found, the appliance profiling engine identifies discrepancies between the configuration of the appliance and other appliances in the appliance profiling database to determine if the appliance is a new model, a revision of an existing model, or is simply misconfigured.