Disparate network model synchronization

• US 20070043752A1
• Filed: 08/09/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Riverbed Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: OPNET Technologies Incorporated (Riverbed Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Singh, Pradeep, Shah, Amish, Vachery, Shibu, Middleton, Graham, Zacharla, George
• Application Number:
  US11/501,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20070043752A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/085 Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70

Abstract

Changes to the source network model are captured in a database schema independent fashion, and an update manager broadcasts the changes to a registered client as and when the changes occur. Alternatively, the update manager can be queried, and in response, returns a summary of changes corresponding to criteria specified in the query. The client assesses the change summary to determine whether to request the detailed information corresponding to one or more of the reported changes in the change summary. A combination of both approaches may include, for example, regularly broadcasting a change summary and responding to specific subsequent requests. To facilitate an efficient scheme for identifying and filtering changes of interest, associative change records are provided, wherein the devices or components of the network that are associated with each change are identified. To facilitate selective time based retrieval, each change record includes a date-time stamp.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a change to a first network element in a source network model,

determining one or more second network elements in the source network model that are associated with the first network element,

creating one or more associative change records that associates the change to each of the first network element and the second network elements, and

communicating information related to the change to one or more clients, based on the associative change records.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the one or more second network elements are associated with the first network element in a hierarchical manner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

communicating the information related to the change includes broadcasting the associative change records to the one or more clients.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

the change includes a corresponding time of the change, and

the one or more associative change records include the time of the change.

5. The method of claim 1, including

responding to one or more requests from the one or more clients.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein

the change includes a corresponding time of the change,

at least one of the one or more requests includes a time-range, and

communicating the information related to the change is based on the time-range and the time of the change.

7. The method of claim 1, including

receiving a change-notification preference from at least one client, and wherein

communicating the information related to the change to the at least one client is based on the change-notification preference.

8. The method of claim 1, including

defining change-notification preferences for the one or more clients, and

identifying select clients for receiving the information related to the change based on the change-notification preferences.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein

the associative change records are provided in a XML form.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein

communicating the information related to the change includes responding to one or more requests from the one or more clients, and

the one or more requests and the associative change records are provided in a common XML form.

11. The method of claim 1, including

identifying multiple changes to the first network element,

processing the multiple changes to create a set of recent changes, and

creating the one or more associative change records based on the set of recent changes.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein

the processing of the multiple changes includes filtering of at least one of:

redundant changes, and

superceded changes.

13. The method of claim 1, including associating a priority to the change, and

communicating the information related to the change based on the priority.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein

the information related to the change includes the associative change records.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein

the information related to the change includes the change to the first network element.

16. A system comprising:

a source network model, and

an update manager that is configured to;

identify a change to a first network element in the source network model,

determine one or more second network elements in the source network model that are associated with the first network element,

create one or more associative change records that associates the change to each of the first network element and the second network elements, and

communicate information related to the change to one or more clients, based on the associative change records.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein

the one or more second network elements are associated with the first network element in a hierarchical manner.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein

the update manager is configured to communicate the information related to the change by broadcasting the associative change records to the one or more clients.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein

the change includes a corresponding time of the change, and

the one or more associative change records include the time of the change.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein

the update manger is configured to respond to one or more requests from the one or more clients.

21. The system of claim 25, wherein

the change includes a corresponding time of the change,

at least one of the one or more requests includes a time-range, and

the update manager is configured to communicate the information related to the change based on the time-range and the time of the change.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein

the update manager is configured to:

receive a change-notification preference from at least one client, and

communicate the information related to the change to the at least one client based on the change-notification preference.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein

the update manager is configured to:

receive change-notification preferences for the one or more clients, and

identify select clients for receiving the information related to the change based on the change-notification preferences.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein

the update manager is configured to provide the associative change records in a XML form.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein

the update manager is configured to:

receive one or more requests from the one or more clients, and

communicate the information related to the change in response to the one or more requests, and

the one or more requests and the associative change records are provided in a common XML form.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein

the update manager is configured to:

identify multiple changes to the first network element,

process the multiple changes to create a set of recent changes, and

create the one or more associative change records based on the set of recent changes.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein

the update manager is configured to

associate a priority to the change, and

communicate the information related to the change based on the priority.

29. The system of claim 16, wherein

the information related to the change includes the associative change records.

30. The system of claim 16, wherein

the information related to the change includes the change to the first network element.

31. A computer program embodied on a computer media, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

identify a change to a first network element in the source network model,

determine one or more second network elements in the source network model that are associated with the first network element,

create one or more associative change records that associates the change to each of the first network element and the second network elements, and

communicate information related to the change to one or more clients, based on the associative change records.

27. The system of claim 31, wherein

the update manager is configured to process of the multiple changes by filtering of at least one of:

redundant changes, and

superceded changes.

32. The computer program of claim 31, wherein

the one or more second network elements are associated with the first network element in a hierarchical manner.

33. The computer program of claim 31, wherein

the update manager is configured to communicate the information related to the change by broadcasting the associative change records to the one or more clients.

34. The computer program of claim 31, wherein

the change includes a corresponding time of the change, and

the one or more associative change records include the time of the change.

35. The computer program of claim 31, which causes the processor to

respond to one or more requests from the one or more clients.

36. The computer program of claim 35, wherein

the change includes a corresponding time of the change,

at least one of the one or more requests includes a time-range, and

computer program causes the processor to communicate the information related to the change based on the time-range and the time of the change.

37. The computer program of claim 31, which causes the processor to

receive a change-notification preference from at least one client, and

communicate the information related to the change to the at least one client based on the change-notification preference.

38. The computer program of claim 31, which causes the processor to:

receive change-notification preferences for the one or more clients, and

identify select clients for receiving the information related to the change based on the change-notification preferences.

39. The computer program of claim 31, which causes the processor to

provide the associative change records in a XML form.

40. The computer program of claim 31, which causes the processor to

receive one or more requests from the one or more clients, and

communicate the information related to the change in response to the one or more requests, and

the one or more requests and the associative change records are provided in a common XML form.

41. The computer program of claim 31, which causes the processor to

identify multiple changes to the first network element,

process the multiple changes to create a set of recent changes, and

create the one or more associative change records based on the set of recent changes.

42. The computer program of claim 41, which causes the processor to process of the multiple changes filtering of at least one of:

redundant changes, and

superceded changes.

43. The computer program of claim 31, which causes the processor to

associate a priority to the change, and

communicate the information related to the change based on the priority.

44. The computer program of claim 31, wherein

the information related to the change includes the associative change records.

45. The computer program of claim 31, wherein

the information related to the change includes the change to the first network element.