Dynamic troubleshooting workspaces for cloud and network management systems

• US 10,708,342 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2015
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ebtekar, Ali, Garrison, Daniel Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhargava, Anil K
• Application Number:
  US14/798,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20160254968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,821 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• 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 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for dynamic troubleshooting workspaces. A system can collect network statistics for a network and, based on the statistics, present a first workspace having a first set of interface components, each of the first set of interface components representing a respective network context, and each of the first set of interface components including a first set of objects associated with the respective network context. Next, the system can associate selected interface components from the first set of interface components to yield associated interface components, and dynamically present a second workspace having a second set of interface components selected based on the associated interface components, each of the second set of interface components representing a different respective network context related to the associated interface components, and each of the second set of interface components including a second set of objects associated with the different respective network context.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

collecting network statistics for a network;

based on the network statistics, presenting a first workspace having a first plurality of interface components containing respective network objects;

associating interface components from the first plurality of interface components to yield a network context including an indication of a relationship between the associated interface components, the network context associated with at least a network device and a network event, the indication triggering a second workspace based on the relationship; and

in response to the triggering of the second workspace, dynamically presenting the second workspace comprising a second plurality of interface components, each of the second plurality of interface components containing one or more network objects according to the network context,

wherein

the indication is a link extending between the associated interface components, and

the first plurality of interface components and the second plurality of interface components comprise tiles.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network context is associated with the network device, the network event and at least one of a network service, a network parameter, and a virtual machine.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the network event comprises a network condition, wherein the network service comprises at least one of a cloud service, a virtual private network service, a firewall service, a remote access service, and a web security service, wherein the network device comprises one of a server, a router, a switch or a firewall, and wherein the network parameter comprises at least one of a location or a configuration.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein,

the collecting of the network statistics is performed via a cloud device, and

the first workspace and the second workspace are presented via a cloud-based dashboard.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically associating selected interface components from the second plurality of interface components based on one of an input or a system instruction, to yield a second set of associated interface components; and

presenting a third workspace having a third plurality of interface components selected based on the associated interface components, each of the third plurality of interface components representing a second different respective network context related to the second set of associated interface components, and each of the third plurality of interface components comprising a third set of objects associated with the second different respective network context.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a first component from the second plurality of interface components comprises a service model representation and a second component from the second plurality of interface components comprises a topology representation, the topology representation comprising at least one of an overlay topology and an underlay topology.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein associating the selected interface components comprises visually connecting the selected interface components.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

collecting network statistics for a network;

based on the network statistics, presenting a first workspace having a first plurality of interface components, each of the first plurality of interface components representing a respective network context associated with at least a network device and a network event, each of the first plurality of interface components comprising a first set of objects associated with the respective network context;

dynamically associating selected interface components from the first plurality of interface components to yield associated interface components and an indication of a relationship between the associated interface components, the indication triggering a second workspace based on the relationship; and

in response to the triggering of the second workspace, dynamically presenting the second workspace having a second plurality of interface components, the second plurality of interface components selected based on the associated interface components, each of the second plurality of interface components representing a different respective network context related to the associated interface components, and each of the second plurality of interface components comprising a second set of objects associated with the different respective network context,

wherein

the indication is a link extending between the associated interface components from the second plurality of interface components, and

the first plurality of interface components and the second plurality of interface components comprise tiles.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the respective network context is based on the network device and the network event and at least one of a network service, a network parameter, and a virtual machine.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the network event comprises a network condition, wherein the network service comprises at least one of a cloud service, a virtual private network service, a firewall service, a remote access service, and a web security service, wherein the network device comprises one of a server, a router, a switch or a firewall, and wherein the network parameter comprises at least one of a location or a configuration.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein a first component from the second plurality of interface components comprises a service model representation and a second component from the second plurality of interface components comprises a topology representation, the topology representation comprising at least one of an overlay topology and an underlay topology.

12. The system of claim 8, the operations further comprise:

dynamically associating selected interface components from the second plurality of interface components based on one of an input or a system instruction, to yield a second set of associated interface components; and

presenting a third workspace having a third plurality of interface components selected based on the associated interface components, each of the third plurality of interface components representing a second different respective network context related to the second set of associated interface components, and each of the third plurality of interface components comprising a third set of objects associated with the second different respective network context.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein associating the selected interface components comprises visually connecting the selected interface components.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

collecting network statistics for a network;

based on the network statistics, presenting a first workspace having a first plurality of interface components, each of the first plurality of interface components representing at least a network device and a network event, each of the first plurality of interface components comprising a first set of objects associated with the network device and the network event;

connecting selected interface components from the first plurality of interface components to yield connected interface components via an indication of a relationship between the connected interface components, the indication triggering a second workspace based on the relationship; and

in response to the triggering of the second workspace, dynamically presenting the second workspace having a second plurality of interface components, the second plurality of interface components, each of the second plurality of interface components representing one or more network services associated with the connected interface components, one or more network devices associated with the connected interface components, one or more network events associated with the connected interface components, and one or more appliances associated with the connected interface components,

wherein

the indication is a link extending between the connected interface components from the second plurality of interface components, and

the first plurality of interface components and the second plurality of interface components comprise tiles.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14,

wherein the connected interface components are associated with the one or more network services associated with the connected interface components, one or more network devices associated with the connected interface components, one or more network events associated with the connected interface components, or one or more appliances associated with the connected interface components.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the second plurality of interface components comprises a service model representation and a topology representation, the topology representation comprising at least one of an overlay topology and an underlay topology.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, storing additional instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

connecting selected interface components from the second plurality of interface components based on one of an input or a system instruction to yield a second set of connected interface components; and

dynamically presenting a third workspace having a third plurality of interface components selected based on the second set of connected interface components, each of the third plurality of interface components representing a particular network service associated with the second set of connected interface components.