Detecting and managing recurring patterns in device and service configuration data

• US 10,462,010 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bevemyr, Johan, Moberg, Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Jonathan A
• Application Number:
  US15/621,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20180359146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2246 Trees, e.g. B+trees
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/085 Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems, methods, and computer-readable media for orchestrating and managing configuration data of network devices and services. In one aspect, a device includes one or more processors and memory. The memory is configured to store computer-readable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to obtain configuration parameters of services and devices of a network infrastructure, the configuration parameters having a tree representation, create a copy of the tree representation of the configuration parameters and generate a template having a plurality of matched pattern instances based on the copy of the tree presentation of the configuration parameters, each of the plurality of matched pattern instances being a single representation of configuration parameters for at least two different services or devices of the network infrastructure.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining configuration parameters of services and devices of a network infrastructure, the configuration parameters having a tree representation;

creating a copy of the tree representation of the configuration parameters;

generating a template having a plurality of matched pattern instances based on the copy of the tree presentation of the configuration parameters, each of the plurality of matched pattern instances being a single representation of configuration parameters for at least two different services or devices of the network infrastructure; and

sending the template to a network management application layer and modifying at least one configuration parameter within the template to yield a revised template.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generating generates the template as a format-independent and structure-independent representation of the configuration parameters.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generating the template comprises:

traversing the copy of the tree representation of the configuration parameters;

determining a list node in the copy of the tree representation of the configuration parameters, the list node being a configuration parameter having one or more sub-nodes, each of the one or more sub-nodes having a value; and

determining whether the list node matches one or more previously determined list nodes in the copy of the tree representation of the configuration parameters.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

generating one of the plurality of matched pattern instances upon determining that the list node matches at least one of the one or more previously determined list nodes.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the generating one of the plurality of matched pattern instance includes:

determining first configuration parameter values that are the same in the list node and the at least one of the one or more previously determined list nodes;

determining second configuration parameters values that have different values in the list node and the at least one of the one or more previously determined list nodes;

maintaining the first configuration parameter values in the matched pattern instance; and

generating an indicator to replace the second configuration parameters values in the matched pattern instance, the indicator indicating variability of corresponding configuration parameters between the list node and the at least one of the one or more previously determined list nodes.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the list node matches one or more previously determined list nodes if the detected list node has a same structure as at least one of the one or more previously determined list nodes, the detected list node having the same structure as the at least one of the one or more previously determined list nodes if both the detected list node and the at least one of the one or more previously determined list nodes have a same set of internal sub-nodes.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exporting the generated template including the plurality of matched pattern instances to a network management application layer.

8. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory configured to store computer-readable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

obtain configuration parameters of services and devices of a network infrastructure, the configuration parameters having a tree representation;

create a copy of the tree representation of the configuration parameters;

generate a template having a plurality of matched pattern instances based on the copy of the tree presentation of the configuration parameters, each of the plurality of matched pattern instances being a single representation of configuration parameters for at least two different services or devices of the network infrastructure; and

sending the template to a network management application layer and modifying at least one configuration parameter within the template to yield a revised template.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to generate the template as a format-independent and structure-independent representation of the configuration parameters.

10. The device according to claim 8, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to manage the configuration parameters for the at least two different services or devices of the network infrastructure based on the template.

11. The device according to claim 8, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to generate the template by:

traversing the copy of the tree representation of the configuration parameters;

determining a list node in the copy of the tree representation of the configuration parameters, the list node being a configuration parameter having one or more sub-nodes, each of the one or more sub-nodes having a value; and

determining whether the list node matches one or more previously determined list nodes in the copy of the tree representation of the configuration parameters.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

generate one of the plurality of matched pattern instances upon determining that the list node matches at least one of the one or more previously determined list nodes.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to generate one of the plurality of matched pattern instances by:

determining first configuration parameter values that are the same in the list node and the at least one of the one or more previously determined list nodes;

determining second configuration parameters values that have different values in the list node and the at least one of the one or more previously determined list nodes;

maintaining the first configuration parameter values in the matched pattern instance; and

generating an indicator to replace the second configuration parameters values in the matched pattern instance, the indicator indicating variability of corresponding configuration parameters between the list node and the at least one of the one or more previously determined list nodes.

14. The device according to claim 11, wherein the list node matches one or more previously determined list nodes if the detected list node has a same structure as at least one of the one or more previously determined list nodes, the detected list node having the same structure as the at least one of the one or more previously determined list nodes if both the detected list node and the at least one of the one or more previously determined list nodes have a same set of internal sub-nodes.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

obtain configuration parameters of services and devices of a network infrastructure, the configuration parameters having a tree representation;

create a copy of the tree representation of the configuration parameters;

generate a template having a plurality of matched pattern instances based on the copy of the tree presentation of the configuration parameters, each of the plurality of matched pattern instances being a single representation of configuration parameters for at least two different services or devices of the network infrastructure; and

sending the template to a network management application layer and modifying at least one configuration parameter within the template to yield a revised template.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to generate the template as a format-independent and structure-independent representation of the configuration parameters.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to manage the configuration parameters for the at least two different services or devices of the network infrastructure based on the template.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to generate the template by:

traversing the copy of the tree representation of the configuration parameters;

determining a list node in the copy of the tree representation of the configuration parameters, the list node being a configuration parameter having one or more sub-nodes, each of the one or more sub-nodes having a value;

determining whether the list node matches one or more previously determined list nodes in the copy of the tree representation of the configuration parameters; and

generating one of the plurality of matched pattern instances upon determining that the list node matches at least one of the one or more previously determined list nodes.