Using description files to configure components in a distributed system

• US 20050114083A1
• Filed: 11/03/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Bullis, George Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/18 Protocol analysers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

The present invention provides for using description files to configure components in a distribute system. Computer-readable media store data structures representing a component mapping and a component description. Computer systems can utilize the data structures to access components in a diagnostic chassis. In some embodiments, a computer system receives application instructions for accessing a component. The computer system refers to the component mapping to identify components that are to be configured to implement the received application instructions. The computer system generates mapped application instructions in accordance with the referred to component mapping. The computer system refers to the component description to identify compatible low-level instructions for configuring the identified components. The computer system sends the compatible low-level instructions to the identified components to configure the identified components to implement the received application instructions.

Claims

1. In a chassis, a method for configuring components to implement a network diagnostic function, the method comprising:

an act of receiving application instructions;

an act of referring to a component mapping to identify components that are to be configured to implement the received application instructions;

an act of generating mapped application instructions in accordance with the referred to component mapping;

an act of referring to a component description language to identify corresponding compatible low-level instructions for configuring the identified components; and

an act of sending compatible low-level instructions to the identified components to configure the identified components to implement the received application instructions.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of receiving application instructions comprises an act of receiving application instructions from a user-interface at a computer system that is network connectable to the chassis.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of receiving application instructions comprises an act of receiving application instructions for configuring a blade to implement a network diagnostic function.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the act of receiving application instructions for configuring a blade to implement a network diagnostic function comprises an act of receiving application instructions for configuring a blade to implement a network diagnostic function wherein the network diagnostic function is selected from among a jammer, an analyzer, a BERT, and a generator.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of receiving application instructions comprises an act of receiving XML instructions.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of referring to a component mapping to identify components that are to be configured to implement the received application instructions comprises an act of referring to a component mapping file to identify components that are to be configured to implement the received application instructions.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of referring to a component mapping to identify components that are to be configured to implement the received application instructions comprises an act of identifying the names of components that that are to be configured to implement the received application instructions.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of referring to a component mapping to identify components that are to be configured to implement the received application instructions comprises an act of referring to application to component mapping XML instructions.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of generating mapped application instructions in accordance with the referred to component mapping comprises an act of generating an application instruction for each component that is to be configured to implement the receive application instructions.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of referring to a component description language to identify corresponding compatible low-level instructions for configuring the identified components comprises an act of referring to a component description language file to identify values for accessing the identified components.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of referring to a component description language to identify corresponding compatible low-level instructions for configuring the identified components comprises an act of referring to a schema that constrains the meaning of mapped application instructions.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of referring to a component description language to identify corresponding compatible low-level instructions for configuring the identified components comprises an act of referring to component description XML instructions that define the meaning of the mapped application instructions.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

an act of utilizing the component description language to generate the compatible low-level instructions.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of sending compatible low-level instructions to the identified components to configure the identified components to implement the received application instructions comprises an act of sending low-level instructions to a blade.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of sending compatible low-level instructions to the identified components to configure the identified components to implement the received application instructions comprises an act of sending low-level instructions to a programmable logic module.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of sending compatible low-level instructions to the identified components to configure the identified components to implement the received application instructions comprises an act of sending low-level instructions for changing the configuration of a network diagnostic function.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of sending low-level instructions for changing the configuration of a network diagnostic function comprises an act of sending low-level instructions for changing the configuration of a network diagnostic function wherein the network diagnostic function is selected from among a jammer, an analyzer, a BERT, and a generator.

18. A computer program product for use at a chassis, the computer program product for implementing a method for configuring components to implement a network diagnostic function, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the chassis to perform the following:

receive application instructions;

refer to a component mapping to identify components that are to be configured to implement the received application instructions;

generate mapped application instructions in accordance with the referred to component mapping;

refer to a component description language to identify corresponding compatible low-level instructions for configuring the identified components; and

send the compatible low-level instructions to the identified components to configure the identified components to implement the received application instructions.

19. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive application instructions comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive XML instructions.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive application instructions comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive application instructions for configuring a blade to implement a network diagnostic function.

21. The computer program product as recited in claim 20, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive application instructions for configuring a blade to implement a network diagnostic function comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive application instructions for configuring a blade to implement a network diagnostic function wherein the network diagnostic function is selected from among a jammer, an analyzer, a BERT, and a generator.

22. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to a component mapping to identify components that are to be configured to implement the received application instructions comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to a component mapping file to identify components that are to be configured to implement the received application instructions.

23. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to a component mapping to identify components that are to be configured to implement the received application instructions comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to identify the names of components that that are to be configured to implement the received application instructions.

24. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to a component mapping to identify components that are to be configured to implement the received application instructions comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to application to component mapping XML instructions.

25. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to generate mapped application instructions in accordance with the referred to component mapping comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to generate an application instruction for each component that is to be configured to implement the receive application instructions.

26. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to a component description language to identify corresponding compatible low-level instructions for configuring the identified components comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to a component description language file to identify values for accessing the identified components.

27. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to a component description language to identify corresponding compatible low-level instructions for configuring the identified components comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to a schema that constrains the meaning of mapped application instructions.

28. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to a component description language to identify corresponding compatible low-level instructions for configuring the identified components comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to refer to component description XML instructions that define the meaning of the mapped application instructions.

29. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to

utilize the component description language to generate the compatible low-level instructions.

30. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to send compatible low-level instructions to the identified components to configure the identified components to implement the received application instructions comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to send low-level instructions to a blade.

31. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to send compatible low-level instructions to the identified components to configure the identified components to implement the received application instructions comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to send low-level instructions to a programmable logic module.

32. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to send compatible low-level instructions to the identified components to configure the identified components to implement the received application instructions comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to send low-level instructions for changing the configuration of a network diagnostic function.

33. The computer program product as recited in claim 32, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to send low-level instructions for changing the configuration of a network diagnostic function comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to send low-level instructions for changing the configuration of a network diagnostic function wherein the network diagnostic function is selected from among a jammer, an analyzer, a BERT, and a generator.