Method and apparatus for restoring the configuration of a network device

• US 20030204578A1
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Yip, Michael, Zhong, Yeeping Chen
• Granted Patent: US 7,689,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided to restore the configuration of a network device. A configuration manager in a network device saves a version of the configuration of the network device by storing the configuration data in an format that conforms to a standard markup language such as the extended markup language (XML). The format includes a sequence of corresponding tags and values that represent the content of the internal data structures in the memory of the router that comprise the saved version of the configuration. At the time of restoration, an parser is used to parse the values from the tags and the configuration manager restores the contents of the internal data structures in the memory of the router to the parsed values in accordance with the corresponding tags.

Claims

1. A method of storing a configuration of a network device, comprising:

mapping a configuration data in a portion of an internal data structure to a unique language tag;

saving the configuration data in a value corresponding to the unique language tag; and

storing the value and corresponding tag in a non-volatile storage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique language tag and corresponding value conforms to the extended markup language (XML).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal data structure is vendor-specific.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

restoring the configuration data to the portion of the internal data structure from the stored value in accordance with the corresponding unique language tag.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein restoring the configuration data comprises:

parsing the stored value in accordance with the corresponding unique language tag; and

saving the stored value in the portion of the internal data structure.

6. A method of restoring a configuration of a network device comprising:

parsing a previously stored value in accordance with a corresponding unique language tag; and

saving the parsed value in a portion of an internal data structure in accordance with the corresponding unique language tag, wherein the internal data structure represents a configuration of a network device.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

editing the previously stored value to a new value; and

saving the new value in the portion of the internal data structure in accordance with the corresponding unique language tag.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the unique language tag and corresponding value conforms to the extended markup language (XML).

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the internal data structure is vendor-specific.

10. A configuration restoration system comprising:

a configuration data in a portion of an internal data structure in volatile memory;

a command to save the configuration data in a value corresponding to a tag, wherein the portion of the internal data structure is mapped to the tag;

a configuration manager to generate the command; and

a processor to execute the command.

11. The configuration restoration system of claim 10, further comprising:

a second command to restore the configuration data from the saved value to the portion of the internal data structure mapped to the tag.

12. The configuration restoration system of claim 10, wherein the value and tag are saved in a non-volatile storage medium.

13. The configuration restoration system of claim 10, wherein the tag and value conform to the extended markup language (XML).

14. The configuration restoration system of claim 10, wherein the internal data structure is vendor-specific.

15. A network device comprising;

a processor;

a current configuration data stored in a volatile memory coupled with the processor;

a saved configuration data stored in a non-volatile memory coupled with the processor; and

a restore command executable on the processor to restore the saved configuration to the current configuration, wherein the saved configuration comprises at least one tag-value pair that maps to a portion of the current configuration data.

16. The network device of claim 15, wherein the at least one tag-value pair conforms to the extended markup language (XML).

17. The network device of claim 15, wherein the portion of the current configuration data conforms to a vendor specific internal data structure.

18. A article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-accessible medium including a data that, when accessed by a machine cause the machine to,

map a configuration data in a portion of an internal data structure to a unique language tag;

save the configuration data in a value corresponding to the unique language tag; and

store the value and corresponding tag in a non-volatile storage.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the data that causes the machine to map the configuration data is performed in accordance with the extended markup language (XML).

20. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the internal data structure is vendor-specific.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the data further causes the machine to,

restore the configuration data to the portion of the internal data structure from stored value in accordance with the corresponding unique language tag.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the data that causes the machine to restore the configuration data includes causing the machine to:

parse the stored value in accordance with the corresponding unique language tag; and

save the stored value in the portion of the internal data structure.