DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim status in the amendment received on 5/1/2026:
Claims 1, 3-5, 7, 10-11, 18 and 20 have been amended.
Claim 6 has been canceled.
Claims 1-5 and 7-20 are pending.
Response to Amendments
Applicant’s amendments have been considered and in response to the amendments:
The previous claim objections have been withdrawn.
The previous 112(b) rejections have been withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to any of the references being used in the current rejection.
Claim Objections
Claims 11 and 18 are objected because of the following informalities.
The acronym NIC should be spelt out the first time recited in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-5 and 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
As to claim 1, there is insufficient antecedent basis for the limitation “the first end device”, in line 4.
As to the claim(s) that are dependent on claim(s) 1, the dependent claim(s) are also rejected under 112(b) for the same reason of their base claim(s).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7-11 and 13-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Capper (Pub. No.: US 20190222468 A1) in view of Menezes et al. (Pub. No.: US 20150304165 A1).
As to claim 1, Capper teaches a method for centrally managing network interfaces at end devices in a network, comprising:
establishing, utilizing a first agent (fig. 1, 124), management connectivity between a network element in a network (fig. 1, 102) and a first network component at the first end device (fig. 1, 108 and paragraph [0020], “…network element can send one or more commands that are processed by the agent to manage the NIC…”);
receiving, at the network element, a first configuration from a central network management system managing the network (paragraph [0027], “…(e.g., via a command line interface, management user interface, network management station, and/or another management user interface). Process 200 receives a command for the NIC at block 206…”); and
forwarding the first configuration from the network element to the first network component at the first end device using the established management connectivity between the network element and the first network component such that the first configuration is implemented on the network component at the first end device (paraph [0027], “…Process 200 sends the command packet and block 206. In one embodiment, the command in the command packet can be a get statistic command, get NIC configuration, set NIC configuration, get/set policies (e.g., QoS, ACL, policer, and/or other policy for the NIC overall and/or on an individual VNIC basis), and/or other types of commands for the NIC…”).
Capper does not explicitly teach a second configuration and synchronizing operation between network element and end device.
However, in the same field of endeavor (computer network) Menezes teaches receiving, at the network element, a first configuration and a second configuration from a central network management system managing the network (paragraph [0140], “the network controller 120 can communicate the configuration event to the client device 102. Alternatively or additionally, the network controller 120 can communicate the configuration event to other network elements, such as the WAP 106. For instance, techniques discussed herein may be employed to configure the WAP 106 and/or other network components and network elements, and are not limited to configuration of end-user devices”);
implementing the second configuration on the network element, wherein the first configuration and the second configuration were determined at the central network management system to synchronize operations between the network element and the first end device in accordance with management of an end-to-end configuration of networking components in the network (paragraph [0041], “For instance, various notifications and operations discussed herein with reference to the client device 102 may also be utilized to notify the WAP 106 of communication session attributes and policies to enable the WAP 106 to be configured for particular communication sessions” and paragraph [0140]);
Based on Capper in view of Menezes, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate second configuration and synchronizing operation between network element and end device (taught by Menezes) with determining configuration for NIC (taught by Capper) in order to optimize performance of devices participating in a communication session as motivated by Menezes (paragraph [0017]).
As to claim 2, Capper teaches wherein the network element is a switch (paragraph [0022], “…the network element can be a switch, router, hub, bridge, gateway, etc…”).
As to claim 3, Capper teaches wherein the first network component comprises a network interface card (NIC) (paragraph [0023], “…the device 106 includes a NIC 108…”).
As to claim 4, Capper teaches wherein the first agent is executing on the NIC (paragraph [0026], “…the agent 124 on the NIC 108…”).
As to claim 5, Capper teaches wherein the first agent is executing on a processor of the network element (paragraph [0027], “…In one embodiment, process 200 is performed by a NIC management module of a network element, such as the NIC management module 122 as described in FIG. 1 above…”).
As to claim 7, Menezes further teaches wherein the second configuration is received with the first configuration (paragraph [0140], “the network controller 120 can communicate the configuration event to the client device 102. Alternatively or additionally, the network controller 120 can communicate the configuration event to other network elements, such as the WAP 106. For instance, techniques discussed herein may be employed to configure the WAP 106 and/or other network components and network elements, and are not limited to configuration of end-user devices”). The limitations of claim 7 are rejected in view of the analysis of claim 1 above, and the rationale to combine, as discussed in claim 1, applies here as well.
As to claim 8, Capper teaches wherein the first configuration includes one or more of an interface speed, an optic setting, a link negotiation mode, a differentiated services code point (DSCP) setting, a priority-based flow control (PFC) setting, or an explicit congestion notification (ECN) setting (paraph [0027], “…set NIC configuration, get/set policies (e.g., QoS, ACL, policer, and/or other policy for the NIC overall and/or on an individual VNIC basis), and/or other types of commands for the NIC…”).
As to claim 9, Capper teaches further comprising forwarding the first configuration from the network element to a second network component at a second end device using established management connectivity between the network element and the second network component such that the first configuration is implemented on the second network component at the second end device (paragraphs [0027] and [0003], “…A network element can be coupled to one or more devices via links between the network element and the respective device. Each of these coupled devices can include a network interface controller (NIC) that receives and transmits network data for the device…”, i.e. managing a different NIC in another computer/ sending the same configuration in a second time).
As to claim 10, Capper teaches wherein the first configuration is associated with a type of network component and both the first network component and the second network component are the associated type of network component (paragraph [0032], “…In one embodiment, the system 600 includes a plurality of network interfaces of the same or different type (e.g., Ethernet copper interface, Ethernet fiber interfaces, wireless, and/or other types of network interfaces)…”).
As to claim 11, Capper teaches a central network management system adapted to manage network devices and end devices in a network, the central network management system adapted for sending a first configuration associated with an end device to network elements in the network (paragraph [0027], “…(e.g., via a command line interface, management user interface, network management station, and/or another management user interface). Process 200 receives a command for the NIC at block 206…”);
the network element connected to the end device, wherein the end device comprises a NIC having an agent installed thereon and the network element comprises a NIC manager adapted for (fig. 1, 155):
establishing management connectivity with the agent at the end device (fig. 1, 118);
receiving the first configuration from the network management system (paragraph [0027], “…(e.g., via a command line interface, management user interface, network management station, and/or another management user interface). Process 200 receives a command for the NIC at block 206…”);
forwarding the first configuration to the agent at the end device using the established management connectivity such that the first configuration is implemented on the NIC (paraph [0027], “…Process 200 sends the command packet and block 206. In one embodiment, the command in the command packet can be a get statistic command, get NIC configuration, set NIC configuration, get/set policies (e.g., QoS, ACL, policer, and/or other policy for the NIC overall and/or on an individual VNIC basis), and/or other types of commands for the NIC…”).
Capper does not explicitly teach a second configuration and synchronizing operation between network element and end device.
However, in the same field of endeavor (computer network) Menezes teaches a central network management system adapted to manage network devices and end devices in a network, the central network management system adapted for sending a first configuration associated with an end device and a second configuration associated with a network element to network elements in the network, wherein the first configuration and the second configuration were determined at the central network management system to synchronize operations between the network element and the end device in accordance with management of an end-to-end configuration of networking components in the network (paragraph [0140], “the network controller 120 can communicate the configuration event to the client device 102. Alternatively or additionally, the network controller 120 can communicate the configuration event to other network elements, such as the WAP 106. For instance, techniques discussed herein may be employed to configure the WAP 106 and/or other network components and network elements, and are not limited to configuration of end-user devices”);
receiving the first configuration and the second configuration from the network management system; and
implementing the second configuration on the network element.
(paragraph [0041], “For instance, various notifications and operations discussed herein with reference to the client device 102 may also be utilized to notify the WAP 106 of communication session attributes and policies to enable the WAP 106 to be configured for particular communication sessions” and paragraph [0140]);
Based on Capper in view of Menezes, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate second configuration and synchronizing operation between network element and end device (taught by Menezes) with determining configuration for NIC (taught by Capper) in order to optimize performance of devices participating in a communication session as motivated by Menezes (paragraph [0017]).
As to claim 13, Capper teaches wherein the NIC is a smart NIC and the agent executes on a processor of the NIC (paragraph [0026], “…with the agent 124 on the NIC 108 …”).
As to claim 14, Capper teaches wherein the network management system is further adapted to discover the end device is manageable (paragraph [0026], “…the network element 102 can detect that the NIC 108 is manageable by sending a discovery packet through the port 104 which the agent 124 on the NIC 108 responds to …”).
As to claim 15, Capper teaches wherein discovering the end device is manageable comprises sending a discovery packet to the end device (paragraph [0026], “…the network element 102 can detect that the NIC 108 is manageable by sending a discovery packet through the port 104 which the agent 124 on the NIC 108 responds to …”).
As to claim 16, Capper teaches wherein discovering the end device is manageable comprises receiving an advertising message from the agent at the end device (paragraph [0027], “…In another embodiment, process 200 can receive an advertisement from the NIC indicating that the NIC is a manageable NIC that is coupled to the port of the network element …”).
As to claim 17, Capper teaches wherein the configuration comprises a policy of an access control list (paragraph [0027], “…get/set policies (e.g., QoS, ACL, policer, and/or other policy for the NIC overall and/or on an individual VNIC basis) …”).
As to claim 18, Capper teaches a method for centrally managing network interfaces at end devices in a network, comprising: deploying an agent to a smart NIC at an end device in a network (fig. 1, 124);
establishing, by a network element, management connectivity to an agent on a smart NIC at an end device in a network, wherein the network element is connected to the end device (fig. 1, 118); and
providing a first configuration from a central network management system to the agent on the smart NIC at the end device (paragraph [0027], “…(e.g., via a command line interface, management user interface, network management station, and/or another management user interface). Process 200 receives a command for the NIC at block 206…”), wherein the first configuration is received at the connected network element and provided from the connected network element using the established management connectivity such that the first configuration is implemented by the agent on the smart NIC at the end device (paraph [0027], “…Process 200 sends the command packet and block 206. In one embodiment, the command in the command packet can be a get statistic command, get NIC configuration, set NIC configuration, get/set policies (e.g., QoS, ACL, policer, and/or other policy for the NIC overall and/or on an individual VNIC basis), and/or other types of commands for the NIC…”).
Capper does not explicitly teach a second configuration and synchronizing operation between network element and end device.
However, in the same field of endeavor (computer network) Menezes teaches
implementing a second configuration from the central network management system on the network element, wherein the first configuration and the second configuration were determined at the central network management system to synchronize operations between the network element and the end device in accordance with management of an end-to-end configuration of networking components in the network (paragraph [0041], “For instance, various notifications and operations discussed herein with reference to the client device 102 may also be utilized to notify the WAP 106 of communication session attributes and policies to enable the WAP 106 to be configured for particular communication sessions” and paragraph [0140]);
Based on Capper in view of Menezes, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate second configuration and synchronizing operation between network element and end device (taught by Menezes) with determining configuration for NIC (taught by Capper) in order to optimize performance of devices participating in a communication session as motivated by Menezes (paragraph [0017]).
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Capper (Pub. No.: US 20190222468 A1) in view of Menezes et al. (Pub. No.: US 20150304165 A1) and further in view of Vasisht (Pub. No.: US 20040133689 A1).
As to claim 12, Capper in view of Menezes does not explicitly teach determining configuration based on NIC type.
However, in the same field of endeavor (computer network) Vasisht teaches network management system is further adapted for determining the first configuration based on a type of the NIC (paragraph [0086], “The type of NIC determines the types of configuration parameters for which the configuration manager generates configuration settings”).
Based on Capper in view of Menezes and further in view of Vasisht, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate determining configuration based on NIC type (taught by Vasisht) with second configuration and synchronizing operation between network element and end device (taught by Menezes) with determining configuration for NIC (taught by Capper) in order to optimize performance of devices participating in a communication session as motivated by Menezes (paragraph [0017]), and in order to avoid any incompatibility issues when configuring the NIC.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Capper (Pub. No.: US 20190222468 A1) in view of Menezes et al. (Pub. No.: US 20150304165 A1) and further in view of Berbam (Pub. No.: US 20050185589 A1).
As to claim 19, Capper in view of Menezes does not explicitly teach deploying the agent from a management system.
However, in the same field of endeavor (computer network) Berbam teaches agent was deployed from the network element or the network management system (paragraph [0015], “PXE server 20 downloads a small program that deploys an operating system with a configuration agent 22, which obtains configuration information for information handling system 10 from a configuration manager 24”).
Based on Capper in view of Menezes and further in view of Berbam, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate deploying the agent from a management system (taught by Berbam) with second configuration and synchronizing operation between network element and end device (taught by Menezes) with determining configuration for NIC (taught by Capper) in order to optimize performance of devices participating in a communication session as motivated by Menezes (paragraph [0017]), and in order to remotely install/update the agent as needed.
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Capper (Pub. No.: US 20190222468 A1) in view of Menezes et al. (Pub. No.: US 20150304165 A1) and Berbam (Pub. No.: US 20050185589 A1) and further in view of Bidaralli et al. (Pub. No.: US 20160241443 A1).
As to claim 20, Capper in view of Menezes and further in view of Berbam does not explicitly teach synchronizing configuration of the NIC with network element.
However, in the same field of endeavor (computer network) Bidaralli teaches configuration synchronizes a configuration of the smart NIC with a configuration of the connected network element according to a second configuration (paragraph [0024], “Sync with master”).
Based on Capper in view of Menezes and Berbam and further in view of Bidaralli, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate synchronizing configuration of a device with network element (taught by Bidaralli) with deploying the agent from a management system (taught by Berbam) with second configuration and synchronizing operation between network element and end device (taught by Menezes) with determining configuration for NIC (taught by Capper) in order to optimize performance of devices participating in a communication session as motivated by Menezes (paragraph [0017]), and in order to remotely install/update the agent as needed, and in order to make sure there is no issues when establishing a connection between the network element and the NIC.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABDULKADER M ALRIYASHI whose telephone number is (313)446-6551. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8AM - 5PM Alt, Friday, EST.
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/Abdulkader M Alriyashi/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2447 7/16/2026
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