Communicating between clients at same location according to predetermined naming convention with location-based hostnames

摘要

A method of automatic hostname configuration includes receiving a request from a client device. A location detection module may be utilized for determining a location identifier representing a location at which the client device is located. A hostname is formed including at least the location identifier, and a control server assigns the hostname to the client device by sending an acknowledgement including the hostname to the client device. The request and acknowledgement may be communicated using DHCP. Simple network management protocol messages may be sent to one or more switches to query for a MAC address of the client device to determine the source switch and port from which the request originated. The switch-port-to-location table may include several ports that map to a same location identifier. The hostname may further be formed by including a device type identifier associated with the client device.

主权项

1. A method of communicating between clients on a network according to a predetermined naming convention with location-based hostnames, the network installed at a facility having a predetermined plurality of separate locations therein, the method comprising:
sending a hostname request by a first client device to a control server via the network; wherein the first client device is located at a location within the facility, and the location is one of the predetermined plurality of separate locations; receiving a first hostname at the first client device via the network in response to the hostname request, the first hostname being sent by the control server and including a location identifier representing the location at which the first client device is located within the facility; forming a second hostname by the first client device according to the location identifier and the predetermined naming convention, the second hostname corresponding to a second client device at the location; sending a domain name system (DNS) request by the first client to a DNS server via the network to resolve an internet protocol (IP) address associated with the second hostname specified in the request; receiving, by the first client device, the IP address associated with the second hostname from the DNS server in response to the DNS request; and establishing communications by the first client device with the second client device according to the IP address associated with the second hostname as received at the first client device in response to the DNS request.