Messaging mechanism for retrieving large amounts of configuration data

• US 20050097192A1
• Filed: 10/29/2003
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bigband Networks Bas Inc (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Broadband Access Systems, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mao, Wei, Li, Huimin, Boyle, Craig, Byron, Daniel J., Dobransky, Peter
• Application Number:
  US10/696,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097192A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

A system of retrieving large amounts of configuration data in a communication system. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed that comprises initiating a request for configuration data from a user interface. Sending the configuration request to a data source. Placing the configuration data into a data file in a user interface format at the data source and sending the data file to the user interface.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between electronic devices, the method comprising;

initiating a request for configuration data from a user interface;

sending the configuration request to a data source;

placing the configuration data into a data file in a user interface friendly format at the data source; and

sending the data file to the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the data file at the user interface;

parsing the configuration data; and

displaying the configuration data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

grouping configuration requests from two or more user interfaces to a data source; and

sharing the received data file from the data source among the two or more user interfaces.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the configuration data request to the data source further comprises:

using a switched socket connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the data file to the user interface, further comprises:

using a trivial interface transfer protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the configuration data in a data file in a cache in the data source upon receiving the configuration data request.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

including a header in the data file.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the header includes the version of information and a count of the number of records of configuration data being transferred.

9. A method of retrieving a large amount of configuration data in a telecommunication system having one or more command line interfaces, a management module and one or more head-ends, the method comprising:

generating a configuration request from one of the command line interfaces;

receiving the configuration request in an associated local access module;

outputting configuration data in a data file that is in a command line interface friendly format to a management module; and

passing the data file to the command line interface that requested the configuration data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing the configuration data in a cache of the local access module upon receiving the configuration request.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein outputting the configuration data further comprises:

using a trivial transfer interface protocol.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

parsing the data file with the command line interface; and

displaying the data.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

using a switched socket connection to send the configuration request to the local access module.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

grouping configuration data requests from multiple command line interfaces to a local access module; and

sharing the response to the request between the multiple command line interfaces.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the grouping of configuration requests further comprises:

grouping configuration requests occurring within a relatively short time interval.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein grouping of configuration requests further comprises:

checking if a request has already been sent to the local access module; and

when a request has already been sent, providing command line interfaces with additional requests, the data file from the local access module.

17. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of command line interfaces;

a plurality of local access modules adapted to provide configuration data to select command line interface in a command line interface friendly format; and

a management module adapted to dispatch interface configuration data between the plurality of command line interfaces and plurality of local access modules.

18. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the management module is adapted to create a switch socket connection to dispatch and receive messages between the management module and the plurality of local access modules.

19. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of local access modules are adapted to use trivial interface transfer protocol when transferring configuration data to the management module.

20. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the management module further comprises:

a bas cluster manager adapted to receiving the configuration data; and

a server adapted to control communication functions between the plurality of control line interfaces and the plurality of local access modules.

21. The communication system of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of local access modules includes a cache adapted to contain configuration data in an associated command line interface friendly format.

22. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the management module is adapted to group configuration data requests from two or more command line interfaces to a select local access module in a single request.

23. The communication system of claim 17, wherein upon receiving the requested configuration data at a command line interface, the command line interface is adapted to read, parse and display the configuration data.

24. The communication system of claim 17, wherein each local access module is adapted to be coupled to at least one subscriber modem.

25. A head-end for a cable modem system, the head-end comprising:

an input adapted to receive configuration requests from one or more user interfaces;

a cache adapted to store configuration data of select subscriber modems in a user interface friendly format; and

an output adapted to output the configuration data in the cache.

26. The head-end of claim 25, wherein the output is adapted to trivial file transfer protocol.

27. The head-end of claim 25, wherein the cache stores the configuration data upon receiving the configuration request.

28. The head-end of claim 25, further comprising:

one or more ports adapted to be coupled to one or more subscriber cable modems.

29. The head-end of claim 25, further comprising:

a memory; and

a local controller, the local controller adapted to store the configuration data in the cache upon receiving the configuration request.

30. The head-end of claim 25, wherein the cache is further adapted to store a header.