System and method for transforming configuration commands

• US 20050265342A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intelliden, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intelliden, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Thakor, Sanjiv
• Application Number:
  US11/186,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20050265342A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates

Abstract

A system and method for generating network device-specific configuration commands from device-neutral configuration commands is described. To generate a device-specific configuration command from a device-neutral configuration command, the described device, in one embodiment, determines a target network device'"'"'s characteristics. Using that characteristic data, a lookup key is generated for the code that is being converted from a device-neutral format to a device-specific format. That lookup key can be used to access a configuration schema and to locate the information necessary for converting the command to a device-specific format. Using the configuration schema, the device-specific configuration command can be generated.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a network device associated with a device-neutral configuration code, the method comprising:

identifying configuration schema material corresponding to the network device;

locating, using the identified configuration schema material, a first portion of device-neutral configuration code and a second portion of the device-neutral configuration code, wherein the first portion corresponds to a first device-specific command and the second portion corresponds to a second device-specific command;

assembling the first device-specific command from the first portion of the device-neutral configuration code;

assembling the second device-specific command from the second portion of the device-neutral configuration code;

arranging the first device-specific command and the second device-specific command in an order expected by the network device; and

providing the arranged first and second device-specific commands for delivery to the network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device-neutral configuration code is an original device-neutral configuration code, the method comprising:

generating a marked-up device-neutral configuration code from the original device-neutral configuration code; and

identifying the difference between the original device-neutral configuration code and the marked-up device-neutral configuration code;

wherein the assembled first device-specific command corresponds to at least a portion of the identified difference.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the locating includes locating a device-specific command boundary in the device-neutral configuration code using the identified configuration schema material, the device-specific command boundary indicating the boundary between a first portion of the device-neutral configuration code and a second portion of the device-neutral configuration code.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a change made to the device-neutral configuration code;

wherein the assembled first device-specific command corresponds to the identified change.

5. A method for configuring a network device associated with a device-neutral configuration code, the method comprising:

determining a characteristic for the network device;

identifying configuration schema material corresponding to the determined characteristic;

assembling a first and second device-specific commands corresponding to the device-neutral configuration code and corresponding to the identified configuration schema material;

arranging the first and second device-specific commands in an order expected by the network device; and

sending the first and second device-specific commands to the network device in the order expected by the network device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

locating a device-specific command boundary in the device-neutral configuration code using the identified configuration schema material;

wherein assembling the first and second device-specific commands uses the located device-specific command boundary.

7. A method for configuring a network device associated with a device-neutral configuration code, the method comprising:

determining a characteristic for the network device;

identifying configuration schema material corresponding to the determined characteristic;

assembling at least a first device-specific command corresponding to the device-neutral configuration code and corresponding to the identified configuration schema material;

providing the assembled device-specific command for delivery to the network device; and

locating a device-specific command boundary in the device-neutral configuration code using the identified configuration schema material;

wherein assembling the at least a first device-specific command uses the located device-specific command boundary.

8. A method for configuring a network device associated with a device-neutral configuration code, the method comprising:

identifying configuration schema material corresponding to the network device;

locating a device-specific command boundary in the device-neutral configuration code using the identified configuration schema material, the device-specific command boundary indicating the boundary between a first portion of the device-neutral configuration code and a second portion of the device-neutral configuration code, wherein the first portion corresponds to a first device-specific command and the second portion corresponds to a second device-specific command;

assembling the first device-specific command from the first portion of the device-neutral configuration code;

assembling the second device-specific command from the second portion of the device-neutral configuration code; and

providing the assembled device-specific commands for delivery to the network device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the device-neutral configuration code is an original device-neutral configuration code, the method comprising:

generating a marked-up device-neutral configuration code from the original device-neutral configuration code; and

identifying the difference between the original device-neutral configuration code and the marked-up device-neutral configuration code;

wherein the assembled first device-specific command corresponds to at least a portion of the identified difference.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying a change made to the device-neutral configuration code;

wherein the assembled first device-specific command corresponds to the identified change.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

arranging the first device-specific command and the second device-specific command in an order expected by the network device.

12. A system for configuring a network device associated with a device-neutral configuration code, the system comprising:

at least a first processor;

at least a first memory device connected to the processor; and

a plurality of instruction stored on the at least a first memory device, the plurality of instructions configured to cause the at least a first processor to;

determine a characteristic for the network device;

identify configuration schema material corresponding to the determined characteristic;

assemble at least a first device-specific command corresponding to the device-neutral configuration code and corresponding to the identified configuration schema material; and

provide the assembled device-specific command for delivery to the network device.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a device-neutral configuration storage device.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a schema corresponding to the network device, the schema being storable on the device-neutral configuration storage device.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a device-neutral configuration generator.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a graphical user interface for modifying the device-neutral configuration code.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the at least a first processor to:

locate a device-specific command boundary in the device-neutral configuration code using the identified configuration schema material;

wherein assembling the at least a first device-specific command uses the located device-specific command boundary.