Network device user interface

• US 10,462,020 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pathan, Aijaz
• Primary Examiner(s): Tang, Karen C
• Application Number:
  US15/434,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20180234306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system includes a first interface to receive a request to generate a user interface screen for a selected network device, a memory to store configuration data of the selected network device, a processor to generate, using the configuration data of the selected network device, a first user interface screen showing a graphical representation of an internal configuration of the selected network device in each of at least three different abstraction layers from a plurality of different abstraction layers, one of the at least three different abstraction layers including a physical layer showing a plurality of ports of the selected network device, and a second interface to send the first user interface screen for output to a display device. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first interface to receive a request to generate a user interface screen for a selected network device;

a memory to store configuration data of the selected network device;

a processor to generate, using the configuration data of the selected network device, a first user interface screen showing a graphical representation of an internal configuration of the selected network device in each of at least three different abstraction layers from a plurality of different abstraction layers, one of the at least three different abstraction layers including a physical layer representing the internal configuration of the selected device, the physical layer showing a plurality of ports of the selected network device, wherein the graphical representation of the internal configuration includes connection lines between one or more ports of the plurality of ports and each of the different abstraction layers associated with the one or more ports, and the at least three different abstraction layers except for the physical layer are expandable and contractible based on user selection; and

a second interface to send the first user interface screen for output to a display device.

2. The system according to claim 1, the plurality of different abstraction layers including a switching layer, a routing layer, an application layer and a slow-path layer.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

the processor is operative to generate a second user interface screen showing a graphical representation of the internal configuration of the selected network device in each of at least two different abstraction layers from the plurality of different abstraction layers, the at least two different abstraction layers including;

the physical layer showing the plurality of ports of the selected network device; and

at least one abstraction level of the plurality of the plurality of different abstraction layers;

the at least one abstraction layer included in the second user interface screen is user selectable from the plurality of different abstraction layers; and

the first interface is operative to receive a selection of the at least one abstraction layer.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least three abstraction layers are disposed in three different non-overlapping regions of the first user interface screen, respectively.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least three abstraction layers include a switching layer where Layer 2, data link layer, communication occurs, the graphical representation of the internal configuration of the selected network device in the switching layer showing how the plurality of ports in the physical layer are logically connected inside the selected network device using a plurality of lines, each one of the plurality of lines being associated with one of a plurality of virtual local area networks (VLANs).

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein each one line of the plurality of lines included in the graphical representation is presented using a presentation type according to one of the plurality of VLANs associated with the one line, each one VLAN of the plurality of VLANs having a different presentation type including at least one of the following:

a color;

a shading; and

a pattern.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein:

each one of the plurality of lines is user selectable;

the first interface is operative to receive a user selection of one line of the plurality of lines; and

in response to the user selection, the processor is operative to generate a second user interface screen including configuration details about one of the plurality of VLANs associated with the selected one line.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein the graphical representation of the internal configuration of the selected network device in the switching layer shows a trunk port connection as a group of lines disposed adjacent to one port of the plurality of port, the group of lines not being connected to plurality of lines.

9. The system according to claim 5, wherein the at least three abstraction layers include a routing layer where Layer 3, network layer, communication occurs, the graphical representation of the internal configuration of the selected network device in the routing layer showing a representation of at least one VLAN interface and at least one IP address associated with the at least one VLAN interface.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least three abstraction layers include a routing layer where Layer 3, network layer, communication occurs, the graphical representation of the internal configuration of the selected network device in the routing layer showing a representation of at least one virtual local area network (VLAN) interface and at least one IP address associated with the at least one VLAN interface.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least three abstraction layers include an application layer, the graphical representation of the internal configuration of the selected network device in the application layer showing at least one application.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least three abstraction layers include a slow-path layer, the graphical representation of the internal configuration of the selected network device in the slow-path layer showing where packets forwarded to a central processing unit (CPU) of the selected network device are processed.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

the processor is operative to generate a second user interface screen showing the physical layer with the plurality of ports of the selected network device and a first selectable symbol disposed adjacent to a first port of the plurality of ports;

the first interface is operative to receive a selection of the first selectable symbol; and

in response to receiving the selection of the first selectable symbol, the processor is operative to generate a third user interface screen showing information associated with the first selectable symbol, the information including one or more of the following;

quality of service of the first port;

which types of packets are subject to policing by the first port;

which types are packets are subject to shaping by the first port;

an access control list of the first port; and

which types of packets are discarded by the first port.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

the first interface is operative to receive;

a selection of a first packet type for a first packet; and

a selection of a first port of the plurality of ports in which to inject the first packet; and

the processor is operative to generate a second user interface screen showing a graphical representation of;

the internal configuration of the selected network device;

what would happen to the first packet in the selected network device if the first packet is injected into the first port; and

a path that the first packet would take in the selected network device in at least two of the at least three different abstraction layers if the first packet is injected into the first port.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the processor is operative to generate the second user interface screen to show an animation of movement of the first packet along the path in the selected network device.

16. A method comprising:

receiving a request to generate a user interface screen for a selected network device;

storing configuration data of the selected network device;

generating, using the configuration data of the selected network device, a first user interface screen showing a graphical representation of an internal configuration of the selected network device in each of at least three different abstraction layers from a plurality of different abstraction layers, one of the at least three different abstraction including a physical layer representing the internal configuration of the selected device, the physical layer showing a plurality of ports of the selected network device, wherein the graphical representation of the internal configuration includes connection lines between one or more ports of the plurality of ports and each of the different abstraction layers associated with the one or more ports, and the at least three different abstraction layers except for the physical layer are expandable and contractible based on user selection; and

sending the first user interface screen for output to a display device.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein:

the at least three abstraction layers include a switching layer where Layer 2, data link layer, communication occurs, the graphical representation of the internal configuration of the selected network device in the switching layer showing how the plurality of ports in the physical layer are logically connected inside the selected network device using a plurality of lines, each one of the plurality of lines being associated with one of a plurality of virtual local area networks (VLANs); and

the at least three abstraction layers include a routing layer where Layer 3, network layer, communication occurs, the graphical representation of the internal configuration of the selected network device in the routing layer showing a representation of at least one VLAN interface and at least one IP address associated with the at least one VLAN interface.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein:

receiving a selection of a first packet type for a first packet;

receiving a selection of a first port of the plurality of ports in which to inject the first packet;

generating a second user interface screen showing a graphical representation of;

the internal configuration of the selected network device;

what would happen to the first packet in the selected network device if the first packet is injected into the first port; and

a path that the first packet would take in the selected network device in at least two of the at least three different abstraction layers if the first packet is injected into the first port.

19. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing program instructions that cause a device to execute a process comprising:

receiving a request to generate a user interface screen for a selected network device;

storing configuration data of the selected network device;

generating, using the configuration data of the selected network device, a first user interface screen showing a graphical representation of an internal configuration of the selected network device in each of at least three different abstraction layers from a plurality of different abstraction layers, one of the at least three different abstraction layers including a physical layer representing the internal configuration of the selected device, the physical layer showing a plurality of ports of the selected network device, wherein the graphical representation of the internal configuration includes connection lines between one or more ports of the plurality of ports and each of the different abstraction layers associated with the one or more ports, and the at least three different abstraction layers except for the physical layer are expandable and contractible based on user selection; and

sending the first user interface screen for output to a display device.