System and method browsing a network topology using a character driven interface

• US 20040041833A1
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Dikhit, Aniruddh Singh
• Granted Patent: US 7,254,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/738
• 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 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

In a computer network system, a command line interface system is described having a text-based browser for browsing details of host devices coupled to the network. The command line interface system data includes logic to monitor and manage network devices by allowing a user to traverse the network using text-based commands to view hierarchy and topology information of the network and the hosts. The command line interface browsing system advantageously ensures a command status state change in one hierarchy level of the host device being browsed is retained and communicated to other hierarchy levels as the user browses the network.

Claims

1. A computer network system, comprising:

a server comprising a text-based console interface, said server maintaining hierarchical and topology information of said computer network system;

a plurality of computer network hosts;

a text-based console; and

a command line interface browsing system for allowing text-based browsing of said plurality of computer network hosts.

2. The computer network system of claim 1, wherein said command line interface browsing system comprises a session module for connecting a user of said text-based console to said server.

3. The computer network system of claim 2, wherein said session module further maintains said user'"'"'s login status in said server.

4. The computer network system of claim 3, wherein said command line interface browsing system further comprises a command browsing state module for retaining the browsing states of a user traversing the hierarchy and the topology of said plurality of computer network hosts.

5. The computer network system of claim 4, wherein said command line interface browsing system further comprises a command module for providing a set of text-based commands for enabling said user to traverse said computer network system.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein said set of text-based commands comprise predefined parameters that enable users to retrieve and manipulate named objects from the hierarchy and the topology information of said plurality of computer network hosts.

7. The computer network system of claim 6, wherein said set of text-based commands comprise a basic command set for allowing users to execute said set of text-based commands in a foreground mode on said text-based console.

8. The computer network system of claim 7, wherein said set of text-based commands further comprise an extended command set for allowing users to execute said set of text-based commands in a background mode on said text-based consoles.

9. The computer network system of claim 8, wherein said command line interface system further comprises a command implementation module for implementing command parameters issued by a user to traverse said computer network system.

10. The computer network system of claim 9, wherein said command line interface system further comprises a topology search module for providing hierarchical and topological browsing of objects of said computer network system.

11. A command line text-based browsing system, comprising:

a computer network server comprising a text-based interface;

a computer network topology information manager for maintaining network hierarchical and topology information of a computer network;

a text-command based browser for providing text-based browsing commands to traverse said computer network; and

a text-based console for providing a text-based interface to connect to the computer network server.

12. The command line text-based browsing system of claim 11, further comprising a client application programs interface module for facilitating connection of said text-based console to application programs on said computer network server.

13. The command line text-based browsing system of claim 11, further comprising a command line user interface module for defining user environments in said computer network.

14. The command line text-based browsing system of claim 13, wherein said text-command based browser comprises a user login session module for connecting a user of said text-based console to said computer network server.

15. The command line text-based browsing system of claim 14, wherein said text command based browser further comprises a command browsing state module for retaining the browsing state of a user traversing the hierarchy and the topology of said computer network state.

16. The command line text-based browsing system of claim 15, wherein said text command based browser further comprises a command module for providing a set of text-based commands for enabling said user to traverse said computer network.

17. The command line text-based browsing system of claim 16, wherein said set of text-based commands comprise predefined parameters that enable users to retrieve and manipulate named objects from the hierarchy and the topology of said computer network.

18. The command line text-based browsing system of claim 17, wherein said set of text-based commands comprise basic command set for allowing users to execute said set of text-based commands in a foreground mode on said text-based console.

19. The command line text-based browsing system of claim 18, wherein said set of commands further comprise an extended command set for allowing users to execute said set of commands in a background mode on said text-based console.

20. The command line text-based browsing system of claim 19, further comprises command implementation module for implementing command parameters issued by a user to traverse said computer network.

21. The command line text-based browsing system of claim 20, further comprising a topology search module for providing hierarchical and topological browsing of objects of said computer network.

22. The command line text-based system of claim 16, wherein said command module further comprises a command listing module for providing a traversing scheme to traversing the network hierarchy and topology the computer network.

23. The command line text-based browsing system of claim 22, wherein said command module further comprises a network topology information module for providing a user with topology specific information for specified topology named objects.

24. The command line text-based browsing system of claim 23, wherein said command module further comprises a network attributes module for providing a network traversing scheme to display attributes of a topology object.

25. A method of browsing a computer network system using a text-based command line browsing system, said method comprising:

connecting to said system using a low bandwidth computer interface device;

communicating with said low bandwidth interface device using a network server, said network server comprising a command line interface and wherein said network server is coupled to a plurality of network hosts; and

allowing a user to browse said plurality of network hosts using text-based commands of a command text-based browsing system.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising responding to a set of commands with predefined parameters to allow a user to browse said plurality of network hosts.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising retaining command status state for each command a user uses while browsing said plurality of network hosts during a browsing session.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising maintaining session information of a user when said user logs into said network server to browse said plurality of network hosts.