Method, apparatus, and program for visual representation of an address space

• US 20040070632A1
• Filed: 10/10/2002
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wilkes, William Francis
• Granted Patent: US 7,146,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/850
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• 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 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming

Abstract

A mechanism is provided for generating visual representations of an address space. More particularly, the dotted quad notation of an Internet Protocol address space is illustrated. A discovery process is performed to identify addresses of entities in the network, as well as other information, such as device type, operating system, geographic location, and the like. Each unique address is represented by a graphical icon representing a value of the fourth quad of the address. The graphical icons may be three-dimensional and may be indicative of the type of device. These icons are formed into strings of icons, each string of icons representing a value of the third quad of the addresses. The strings of icons are formed into spokes on wheels, each wheel representing a value of the second quad of the addresses. The wheels are stacked into cylinders, each cylinder representing a value of the first quad of the addresses. The cylinders are formed into spokes of another wheel or disk that represents the entire address space. The address space disk may be presented in association with a geographic region. Address space disks may be captured and stored periodically. These address space disks then may be stacked to form cylinders, each cylinder representing a predetermined number of seconds. Alternatively, the time-stamped address space disks may be rotated to form spheres, each sphere representing, for example, sixty seconds.

Claims

1. A method for providing a visual representation of an address space, comprising:

providing a first visual representation of a first type, wherein the first visual representation represents a first subset of addresses within the address space; and

providing a second visual representation of a second type, wherein the second visual representation represents a plurality of subsets of addresses within the address space, wherein the plurality of subsets includes the first subset, and wherein the second visual representation is made up of a plurality of visual representations of the first type.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each address in the address space is represented in a dotted quad notation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first visual representation represents a value of one of a first quad in the dotted quad notation, a second quad in the dotted quad notation, a third quad in the dotted quad notation, and a fourth quad in the dotted quad notation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first type is one of a graphical icon, a three-dimensional graphical icon, a string of icons, a wheel, and a cylinder.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the second visual representation represents one of a first quad in the dotted quad notation, a second quad in the dotted quad notation, and a third quad in the dotted quad notation.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second visual representation comprises a string of icons, a wheel, a cylinder, and an address space disk.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second visual representation represents the address space.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second visual representation comprises an address space disk having spokes and wherein each spoke in the address space disk comprises a cylinder representing a value of the first quad in the dotted quad notation.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

presenting the address space disk in association with a geographic map, wherein the address space disk includes a first address value having a geographic location associated therewith; and

graphically connecting the first address value on the address space disk with the geographic location on the geographic map.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a third visual representation of a third type, wherein the third visual representation represents the address space over a first period of time, wherein the third visual representation is made up of a plurality of address space disks, and wherein each address space disk in the plurality of address space disks represents the address space at a given point in time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the third visual representation comprises one of a stack of address space disks, wherein the stack of address space disks forms a time cylinder, and a time sphere, wherein the time sphere is made up of a plurality of address space disks rotated about an axis.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing a fourth visual representation of a fourth type, wherein the fourth visual representation represents the address space over a second period of time, wherein the fourth visual representation is made up of a plurality of visual representations of the third type, and wherein the plurality of visual representations of the third type includes the third visual representation.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the second visual representation.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of presenting the second visual representation comprises one of displaying the second visual representation on a display, printing the second visual representation in hard copy form, and constructing the second visual representation as a three-dimensional model.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving from a user a selection of a selected visual representation of the first type; and

presenting the selected visual representation to the user.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving from a user a selection of a selected address value within the second visual representation; and

presenting entity information for an entity having the selected address value.

17. An apparatus for providing a visual representation of an address space, comprising:

means for providing a first visual representation of a first type, wherein the first visual representation represents a first subset of addresses within the address space; and

means for providing a second visual representation of a second type, wherein the second visual representation represents a plurality of subsets of addresses within the address space, wherein the plurality of subsets includes the first subset, and wherein the second visual representation is made up of a plurality of visual representations of the first type.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein each address in the address space is represented in a dotted quad notation.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first visual representation represents a value of one of a first quad in the dotted quad notation, a second quad in the dotted quad notation, a third quad in the dotted quad notation, and a fourth quad in the dotted quad notation.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first type is one of a graphical icon, a three-dimensional graphical icon, a string of icons, a wheel, and a cylinder.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the second visual representation represents one of a first quad in the dotted quad notation, a second quad in the dotted quad notation, and a third quad in the dotted quad notation.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the second visual representation comprises a string of icons, a wheel, a cylinder, and an address space disk.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second visual representation represents the address space.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the second visual representation comprises an address space disk having spokes and wherein each spoke in the address space disk comprises a cylinder representing a value of the first quad in the dotted quad notation.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

means for presenting the address space disk in association with a geographic map, wherein the address space disk includes a first address value having a geographic location associated therewith; and

means for graphically connecting the first address value on the address space disk with the geographic location on the geographic map.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

means for providing a third visual representation of a third type, wherein the third visual representation represents the address space over a first period of time, wherein the third visual representation is made up of a plurality of address space disks, and wherein each address space disk in the plurality of address space disks represents the address space at a given point in time.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the third visual representation comprises one of a stack of address space disks, wherein the stack of address space disks forms a time cylinder, and a time sphere, wherein the time sphere is made up of a plurality of address space disks rotated about an axis.

28. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for presenting the second visual representation.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the means for presenting the second visual representation comprises one of means for displaying the second visual representation on a display, means for printing the second visual representation in hard copy form, and means for constructing the second visual representation as a three-dimensional model.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:

means for receiving from a user a selection of a selected visual representation of the first type; and

means for presenting the selected visual representation to the user.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:

means for receiving from a user a selection of a selected address value within the second visual representation; and

means for presenting entity information for an entity having the selected address value.

32. A computer program product, in a computer readable medium, for providing a visual representation of an address space, comprising:

instructions for providing a first visual representation of a first type, wherein the first visual representation represents a first subset of addresses within the address space; and

instructions for providing a second visual representation of a second type, wherein the second visual representation represents a plurality of subsets of addresses within the address space, wherein the plurality of subsets includes the first subset, and wherein the second visual representation is made up of a plurality of visual representations of the first type.