Global GUI interface for network OS

• US 20020069275A1
• Filed: 03/06/2001
• Published: 06/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Focus Global Solutions LLC (Jeffrey M. Gross)
• Original Assignee: Intelliden, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Tindal, Glen D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,978,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0266 using meta-data, objects or commands for formatting management information, e.g. using eXtensible markup language [XML]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0859 by keeping history of different configuration generations or by rolling back to previous configuration versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0863 by rolling back to previous configuration versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0879 Manual configuration through operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A system and method for communicating with network devices without regard to the device type and/or manufacturer is described. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a global graphical user interface (GUI) for communicating with various network devices. The global GUI includes an intuitive interface driven by a template library. For each device type and each device manufacturer, this template library can store both the attribute fields required for device configuration and the format for communicating those attribute fields. When a network administrator wants to communicate with a particular network device, the template associated with that device can be retrieved from the template library. The network administrator can then populate the attribute fields of that template with the appropriate data. This attribute data can be formatted and provided to the network device.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with a network device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a network device identifier, the network device identifier corresponding to the network device;

retrieving a configuration template associated with the received network device identifier, wherein the retrieved configuration template comprises at least an attribute field;

populating the attribute field with attribute data;

formatting the attribute data; and

providing the formatted attribute data to the network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of retrieving the configuration template comprises the step of:

retrieving the configuration template from a central repository, wherein the central repository is configured to store a plurality of configuration templates, each of which correspond to at least one of a plurality of network devices.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of retrieving the configuration template comprises the step of:

traversing a directory tree to identify the configuration template in the plurality of configuration templates that corresponds to the received network device identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of retrieving the configuration template comprises the step of:

retrieving formatting data associated with the configuration template.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of populating the attribute field comprises the step of:

receiving the attribute data from a network administrator.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of populating the attribute field comprises the step of:

receiving the attribute data from a network manager unit.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of formatting the attribute data comprises the step of:

forming an XML message comprising at least an indication of the formatted attribute data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of formatting the attribute data comprises the step of:

forming an HTTP message comprising at least an indication of the network device identifier.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of formatting the attribute data comprises the step of:

forming a frame comprising the XML message and the HTTP message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of formatting the attribute data comprises the step of:

forming a frame comprising at least an indication of the formatted attribute data and at least an indication of the network device identifier.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of providing the formatted attribute data to the network device comprises the step of:

pushing the frame to the network device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

extracting the attribute data from the frame.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

altering the operation of the network device in accordance with the extracted attribute data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of generating the network device instruction comprises the step of:

forming an XML message comprising at least an indication of the attribute data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of generating the network device instruction comprises the step of:

forming an HTTP message comprising at least an indication of an identifier associated with the network device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of generating the network device instruction comprises the step of:

forming a frame comprising the XML message and the HTTP message.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of generating the network device instruction comprises the step of:

forming a frame comprising at least an indication of the attribute data and at least an indication of a network device identifier.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of populating the attribute field comprises the step of:

retrieving a configuration record associated with the network device; and

extracting the attribute data from the retrieved configuration record.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of retrieving the configuration record comprises the step of:

retrieving the configuration record from a central storage location configured to store a plurality of configuration records, each of the plurality of configuration records corresponding to at least one of a plurality of network devices.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

extracting the attribute data from the generated network device instruction.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of:

altering the operation of the network device in accordance with the extracted attribute data.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the payload portion is formed by:

retrieving the configuration template from a central repository, wherein the central repository is configured to store a plurality of configuration templates, each of which correspond to at least one of a plurality of network devices.

25. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the payload portion is formed by:

retrieving a configuration record associated with the network device; and

extracting the attribute data from the retrieved configuration record.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the payload portion is formed by:

retrieving a configuration record associated with the network device; and

extracting the attribute data from the retrieved configuration record.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause the processor to retrieve the configuration template by:

retrieving the configuration template from a central repository, wherein the central repository is configured to store a plurality of configuration templates, each of which correspond to at least one of a plurality of network devices.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause the processor to format the attribute data by:

forming an XML message comprising at least an indication of the formatted attribute data.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause the processor to format the attribute data by:

forming an HTTP message comprising at least an indication of the network device identifier.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause the processor to format the attribute data by:

forming a frame comprising the XML message and the HTTP message.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause the processor to format the attribute data by:

forming a frame comprising at least an indication of the formatted attribute data and at least an indication of the network device identifier.

14. A method for communicating with a network device, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving an attribute field from a central repository, the attribute field being associated with the network device, wherein the central repository is configured to store a plurality of attribute fields, each corresponding to at least one of a plurality of network devices;

retrieving a formatting instruction, the formatting instruction being associated with the network device;

populating the retrieved attribute field with attribute data;

generating a network device instruction wherein the generated network device instruction comprises at least an indication of the populated attribute field and wherein the generated configuration instruction is formatted according to the retrieved formatting instruction; and

providing the generated network device instruction to the network device.

23. A computer program product comprising:

a header portion; and

a payload portion, wherein the payload portion is formed by;

receiving a network device identifier, the network device identifier corresponding to a network device;

retrieving a configuration template associated with the received network device identifier, wherein the retrieved configuration template comprises at least an attribute field and a formatting instruction;

populating the attribute field with attribute data; and

formatting the attribute data according to the formatting instruction.

26. A computer program product comprising:

a header portion; and

a payload portion, wherein the payload portion is formed by;

retrieving an attribute field from a central repository, the attribute field being associated with a network device, wherein the central repository is configured to store a plurality of attribute fields each corresponding to at least one of a plurality of network devices;

retrieving a formatting instruction, the formatting instruction being associated with the network device;

populating the attribute field with attribute data; and

generating a network device instruction wherein the generated network device instruction comprises at least an indication of the populated attribute field and wherein the generated configuration instruction is formatted according to the retrieved formatting instruction.

28. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer readable medium;

a plurality of instructions stored on the computer readable medium, the plurality of instructions configured to cause a processor to;

process a received a network device identifier, the network device identifier corresponding to a network device;

retrieve a configuration template associated with the received network device identifier, wherein the retrieved configuration template comprises at least an attribute field;

populate the attribute field with attribute data;

format the attribute data; and

provide the formatted attribute data to the network device.