Systems and methods for automatically configuring an ip network

Abstract

Systems and methods for automatically configuring an Internet Protocol (IP) network are provided. The system can receive inputs including information specific to a building automation system (BAS) and information specific to the IP network. The system can identify network controllers and BAS devices supervised by the network controllers. The system can allocate BAS devices supervised by the network controllers to subnets and access switches. The system can consolidate two or more subnets under the same switch when determining that the two or more subnets can be consolidated under the same switch. The system can perform IP planning for the IP network and can generate a tailored configuration file for each access switch and aggregation switch in the IP network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for automatically configuring an Internet Protocol (IP) network, comprising:
 a memory; and   a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to:
 receive inputs comprising information specific to a building automation system (BAS) and information specific to the IP network; 
 identify a plurality of network controllers and identify, for each of the identified plurality of network controllers, a respective plurality of BAS devices supervised by the network controller based on the received inputs; 
 for each of the identified plurality of network controllers, allocate the respective plurality of BAS devices supervised by the network controller to one or more subnets and one or more access switches; 
 responsive to determining that at least two subnets can be consolidated under a same switch, consolidate the at least two subnets under the same switch; 
 perform IP planning for the IP network; and 
 generate a tailored configuration file for each access switch in the IP network. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 determine whether an aggregation switch is to be included in the IP network; and   responsive to determining that the aggregation switch is to be included, generate a tailored configuration file for the aggregation switch.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 generate an installation file indicating (i) how the BAS devices are to be connected to the access switches, (ii) how an access switch is to be connected to another access switch, an Information Technology (IT) network switch, or an aggregation switch, (iii) required configuration of static IP addresses in the network controllers, and (iv) configuration changes required to the IT network.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to identify the plurality of network controllers and identify the respective plurality of BAS devices supervised by the network controller by:
 determining whether a list of individual devices, a list of groups of devices, or high level inputs are specified based on the received inputs;   responsive to the list of individual devices being specified, determining, for each network controller in the list of individual devices, a number of BAS devices supervised by the network controller and how each BAS device supervised by the network controller is connected to the IP network;   responsive to the list of groups of devices being specified, identifying the plurality of network controllers by identifying a supervising network controller in each group of the list of groups, wherein each group includes the respective supervising network controller and a plurality of BAS devices supervised by the respective supervising network controller, and wherein devices in each group shares a same Ethernet connectivity method; and   responsive to the high level inputs being specified, determining a number of network switches to be used in the IP network and distributing a plurality of BAS devices across the network switches based on how the plurality of BAS devices are connected to the IP network.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to perform IP planning further by:
 determining a respective subnet to which each network controller is to be assigned;   reserving and assigning a static address to each network controller; and   reserving dynamic IP addresses for specific devices or allocated for groups of devices.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the configuration file for each access switch includes information of a respective Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server for each subnet in the IP network allocated to each access switch. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the configuration file for each access switch includes:
 a configuration for each physical switch port on the access switch;   one or more access control lists for the access switch; and   information indicating how messages are routed in order to reach destinations of the messages.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 for each access switch, determine whether the access switch supports an external media interface associated with an external media; and   responsive to the access switch supporting an external media interface, generate and store content on the external media for the access switch.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 calculate a total number of network switches required for the IP network; and   generate a bill of materials for required network infrastructure of the IP network.   
     
     
         10 . A method for automatically configuring an Internet Protocol (IP) network, comprising:
 receiving, by a processing circuit, inputs comprising information specific to a building automation system (BAS) and information specific to the IP network;   identifying, by the processing circuit, a plurality of network controllers and identifying, for each of the identified plurality of network controllers, a respective plurality of BAS devices supervised by the network controller based on the received inputs;   for each of the identified plurality of network controllers, allocating the respective plurality of BAS devices supervised by the network controller to one or more subnets and one or more access switches;   responsive to determining that at least two subnets can be consolidated under a same switch, consolidating the at least two subnets under the same switch;   performing IP planning for the IP network; and   generating a tailored configuration file for each access switch in the IP network.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining whether an aggregation switch is to be included in the IP network; and   responsive to determining that the aggregation switch is to be included, generating a tailored configuration file for the aggregation switch.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 generating an installation file indicating (i) how the BAS devices are to be connected to the access switches, (ii) how an access switch is to be connected to another access switch, an Information Technology (IT) network switch, or an aggregation switch, (iii) required configuration of static IP addresses in the network controllers, and (iv) configuration changes required to the IT network.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein identifying the plurality of network controllers and identifying the respective plurality of BAS devices supervised by the network controller comprises:
 determining whether a list of individual devices, a list of groups of devices, or high level inputs are specified based on the received inputs;   responsive to the list of individual devices being specified, determining, for each network controller, a number of BAS devices supervised by the network controller and how each BAS device supervised by the network controller is connected to the IP network;   responsive to the list of groups of devices being specified, identifying the plurality of network controllers by identifying a supervising network controller in each group of the list of groups, wherein each group includes the respective supervising network controller and a plurality of BAS devices supervised by the respective supervising network controller, and wherein devices in each group shares a same Ethernet connectivity method; and   responsive to the high level inputs being specified, determining a number of network switches to be used in the IP network and distributing a plurality of BAS devices across the network switches based on how the plurality of BAS devices are connected to the IP network.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein performing IP planning for the IP network comprises:
 determining a respective subnet to which each network controller is to be assigned;   reserving and assigning a static address to each network controller; and   reserving dynamic IP addresses for specific devices or allocated for groups of devices.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the configuration file for each access switch includes information of a respective Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server for each subnet in the IP network allocated to each access switch. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the configuration file for each access switch includes:
 a configuration for each physical switch port on the access switch;   one or more access control lists for the access switch; and   information indicating how messages are routed in order to reach destinations of the messages.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 for each access switch, determining whether the access switch supports an external media interface associated with an external media; and   responsive to the access switch supporting an external media interface, generating and storing content on the external media for the access switch.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 calculating a total number of network switches required for the IP network; and   generating a bill of materials for required network infrastructure of the IP network.   
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored therein, the instructions when executed by at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
 receiving inputs comprising information specific to a building automation system (BAS) and information specific to an Internet Protocol (IP) network;   identifying a plurality of network controllers and identifying, for each of the identified plurality of network controllers, a respective plurality of BAS devices supervised by the network controller based on the received inputs;   for each of the identified plurality of network controllers, allocating the respective plurality of BAS devices supervised by the network controller to one or more subnets and one or more access switches;   responsive to determining that at least two subnets can be consolidated under a same switch, consolidating the at least two subnets under the same switch;   performing IP planning for the IP network; and   generating a tailored configuration file for each access switch in the IP network.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the instructions when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations further comprising:
 determining whether a list of individual devices, a list of groups of devices, or high level inputs are specified based on the received inputs;   responsive to the list of individual devices being specified, determining, for each network controller, a number of BAS devices supervised by the network controller and how each BAS device supervised by the network controller is connected to the IP network;   responsive to the list of groups of devices being specified, identifying the plurality of network controllers by identifying a supervising network controller in each group of the list of groups, wherein each group includes the respective supervising network controller and a plurality of BAS devices supervised by the respective supervising network controller, and wherein devices in each group shares a same Ethernet connectivity method; and   responsive to the high level inputs being specified, determining a number of network switches to be used in the IP network and distributing a plurality of BAS devices across the network switches based on how the plurality of BAS devices are connected to the IP network.   
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the instructions when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations further comprising:
 determining whether an aggregation switch is to be included in the IP network; and   responsive to determining that the aggregation switch is to be included, generating a tailored configuration file for the aggregation switch.   
     
     
         22 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the instructions when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations further comprising:
 generating an installation file indicating (i) how the BAS devices are to be connected to the access switches, (ii) how an access switch is to be connected to another access switch, an Information Technology (IT) network switch, or an aggregation switch, (iii) required configuration of static IP addresses in the network controllers, and (iv) configuration changes required to the IT network.   
     
     
         23 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the instructions when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations further comprising:
 determining a respective subnet to which each network controller is to be assigned;   reserving and assigning a static address to each network controller; and   reserving dynamic IP addresses for specific devices or allocated for groups of devices.   
     
     
         24 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the configuration file for each access switch includes:
 information of a respective Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server for each subnet in the IP network allocated to each access switch;   a configuration for each physical switch port on the access switch;   one or more access control lists for the access switch; and   information indicating how messages are routed in order to reach destinations of the messages.   
     
     
         25 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the instructions when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations further comprising:
 for each access switch, determining whether the access switch supports an external media interface associated with an external media; and   responsive to the access switch supporting an external media interface, generating and storing content on the external media for the access switch.   
     
     
         26 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the instructions when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations further comprising:
 calculating a total number of network switches required for the IP network; and   generating a bill of materials for required network infrastructure of the IP network.