Geospatial based management of configuration profiles

• US 10,164,828 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2016
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kalyana, Shankar S., Karia, Jigneshkumar K., Sivakumar, Gandhi
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US15/374,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20170093632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 709220, 709221, 709222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies

Abstract

A system, method and program product for managing profiles for devices in a network. A computer system is disclosed having a configuration management system for managing configuration profiles for a set of devices within a network, and includes: a boundary definition system that employs a computerized process for defining a plurality of geospatial boundaries; a device manager that employs a computerized process for interfacing with remote agents associated with respective devices to recognize when a device has migrated into a new geospatial boundary; and a profile management system that employs a computerized process for uploading an updated configuration profile to the remote agent in response to the device being migrated to the new geospatial boundary.

Claims

1. A computer system having a configuration management system for dynamically managing configuration profiles for a set of devices within a network, comprising:

a boundary definition system that employs a computerized process for defining a plurality of geospatial boundaries;

a device manager that employs a computerized process for interfacing with remote agents associated with respective devices to recognize when a device has migrated into a new geospatial boundary of the plurality of geospatial boundaries; and

a profile management system that employs a computerized process for uploading an updated configuration profile to the remote agent in response to the device being migrated to the new geospatial boundary, the updated configuration profile including;

a set of sub-profiles, each sub-profile of the set of sub-profiles associated with a corresponding geospatial boundary of the plurality of geospatial boundaries,

wherein in response to recognizing the device is migrated to the new geospatial boundary, a corresponding sub-profile of the set of sub-profiles associated with the new geospatial boundary is uploaded to the remote agent.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein each sub-profile is associated with a set of multidimensional spatial coordinates within the new geospatial boundary.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the set of multidimensional spatial coordinates are stored and managed in a hierarchical configuration.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the new geospatial boundary is selected from a group consisting of:

a geographic area on a map, a three dimensional space, an area within a facility, a floor within a building, and a room on a floor.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the device manager receives a notification with location coordinates from a remote agent in response to a device being powered on.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the device manager receives a notification with location coordinates from a remote agent in response to the remote agent detecting that a change of location of a device has occurred.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the device manager receives periodic location coordinates from each remote agent and determines whether a change of location has occurred.

8. A program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, which when executed by a computer system, manages profiles for a set of devices within a network and comprises:

program code for defining a plurality of geospatial boundaries;

program code for interfacing with remote agents associated with respective devices to recognize when a device has migrated into a new geospatial boundary; and

program code for uploading an updated configuration profile to the remote agent in response to the device being migrated to the new geospatial boundary, the updated configuration profile including;

a set of sub-profiles, each sub-profile of the set of sub-profiles associated with a corresponding geospatial boundary of the plurality of geospatial boundaries,

wherein in response to recognizing the device is migrated to the new geospatial boundary, a corresponding sub-profile of the set of sub-profiles associated with the new geospatial boundary is uploaded to the remote agent.

9. The program product of claim 8, wherein each sub-profile is associated with a set of multidimensional spatial coordinates within the new geospatial boundary.

10. The program product of claim 9, wherein the set of multidimensional spatial coordinates are stored and managed in a hierarchical configuration.

11. The program product of claim 8, wherein the new geospatial boundary is selected from a group consisting of:

a geographic area on a map, and a three dimensional space, an area within a facility, a floor within a building, and a room on a floor.

12. The program product of claim 8, wherein a notification is received with location coordinates from a remote agent in response to a device being powered on.

13. The program product of claim 8, wherein a notification is received with location coordinates from a remote agent in response to the remote agent detecting that a change of location of a device has occurred.

14. The program product of claim 8, wherein a notification is received with periodic location coordinates from each remote agent to determine whether a change of location has occurred.

15. A computerized method for managing profiles for a set of devices within a network, comprising:

defining a plurality of geospatial boundaries;

interfacing with remote agents associated with respective devices to recognize when a device has migrated into a new geospatial boundary; and

uploading an updated configuration profile to the remote agent in response to the device being migrated to the new geospatial boundary, the updated configuration profile including;

a set of sub-profiles, each sub-profile of the set of sub-profiles associated with a corresponding geospatial boundary of the plurality of geospatial boundaries,

wherein in response to recognizing the device is migrated to the new geospatial boundary, a corresponding sub-profile of the set of sub-profiles associated with the new geospatial boundary is uploaded to the remote agent.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each sub-profile is associated with a set of multidimensional spatial coordinates within the new geospatial boundary.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the set of multidimensional spatial coordinates are stored and managed in a hierarchical configuration.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the new geospatial boundary is selected from a group consisting of:

a geographic area on a map, and a three dimensional space, an area within a facility, a floor within a building, and a room on a floor.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein a notification is received with location coordinates from a remote agent in response to a device being powered on.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein a notification is received with location coordinates from a remote agent in response to the remote agent detecting that a change of location of a device has occurred.