Identifying and analyzing network configuration differences

• US 20070058570A1
• Filed: 08/16/2006
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Riverbed Technology, LLC (Riverbed Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: OPNET Technologies Incorporated (Riverbed Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Singh, Pradeep, Agarwal, Ankit, Cohen, Alain
• Granted Patent: US 8,493,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0859 by keeping history of different configuration generations or by rolling back to previous configuration versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration

Abstract

A contextual and semantic analysis of network entities facilitates a mapping and comparison of the entities between network models. The system includes a plurality of refine handler and match handler pairs that use rules that are specific to the type of network entities being analyzed. The refine handler analyzes the network model to identify the entities for which its rules apply, and the match handler processes these identified entities to establish a pairing between corresponding entities in each model. A sequence of refine-match processes are applied to the network models, typically in accordance with a hierarchy of rules until each entity is identified as a matched, added, or removed entity. A difference handler processes the identified pairings to provide a difference analysis that facilitates a meaningful interpretation of the configuration changes, and a user interface provides an interactive environment to view the differences from different perspectives.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

mapping entities of a first network model to a second network model,

identifying added, removed, and matched entities based on the mapping,

comparing the matched entities to identify modified entities having one or more configuration differences, and

reporting configuration differences between the first and second network models based on the added, removed, and modified entities,

wherein

the mapping includes a sequence of refinements of objects in each of the first and second network models,

the sequence of refinements correspond to mapping to different network entities, and

each refinement is based on a set of rules associated with the corresponding network entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the mapping at each refinement includes providing a label to each network object associated with the network entity,

combining each label from each refinement of the sequence of refinements to identify each network object by a composite label, and

identifying the matched entities in each of the first and second network models as those having the same composite label.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

the entities include physical entities and logical entities.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein

the logical entities include logical groups.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein

the logical groups include at least one of:

IP Subnets, OSPF Areas, HSRP Groups, BGP ASes, QoS Devices, and AAA Devices.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein

the physical entities include physical devices.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein

the entities include links between the physical devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein

reporting the configuration differences includes providing an interactive user interface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein

the user interface includes a plurality of menu panes, each menu pane being associated with a predefined type of entity.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein

each menu pane is configured to facilitate a selection from among a plurality of options, and the method includes, upon selection of an option:

providing information about one or more network entities, and

providing a sub-menu containing additional options.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein

the predefined types of entities include physical entities and logical entities.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein

the logical entities include logical groups.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein

the logical groups include at least one of:

IP Subnets, OSPF Areas, HSRP Groups, BGP ASes, QoS Devices, and AAA Devices.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein

the physical entities include physical devices.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein

the predefined types of entities include links between the physical devices.

16. A system comprising:

a plurality of identification modules, each identification module being configured to identify select entities of a first network model and a second network model, based on rules that are specific to the select entities, and

a control engine that is configured to selectively enable each identification module in a sequence that effects an identification of each of the entities of the first network model and the second network model, and

a difference processor that is configured to compare entities having corresponding identifications in each of the first and second network models, to determine configuration differences between corresponding entities of the first and second network models.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein

the control engine is configured to selectively enable each identification module to progressively refine the identification of each entity in each of the first and second network models.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein

each identification module includes:

a refine handler that is configured to provide an identification of each of the select entities in each of the first and second network models, and

a match handler that is configured to compare entities in the first and second network models having corresponding identifications to further refine the identifications.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein

the refine handler is configured to:

select the select entities for each identification module based on the rules, and

provide the identification based on the rules.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein

the match handler is configured to refine the identification based on the rules.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein

the match handler is configured to refine the identification based on the rules.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein

the control engine is configured to create a composite identifier of one or more entities, based on the identifier provided by the refine handler and match handler during the sequence of comparisons.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein

the difference processor is configured to distinguish changed entities, added entities, and removed entities.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein

the entities include physical entities and logical entities.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein

the logical entities include logical groups.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein

the logical groups include at least one of:

IP Subnets, OSPF Areas, HSRP Groups, BGP ASes, QoS Devices, and AAA Devices.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein

the physical entities include physical devices.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein

the entities include links between the physical devices.

29. The system of claim 16, including

an interactive user interface that is configured to report the configuration differences.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein

the user interface includes a plurality of menu panes, each menu pane being associated with a predefined type of entity.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein

each menu pane is configured to facilitate a selection from among a plurality of options, and the system includes, upon selection of an option:

providing information about one or more network entities, and

providing a sub-menu containing additional options.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein

the predefined types of entities include physical entities and logical entities.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein

the logical entities include logical groups.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein

the logical groups include at least one of:

IP Subnets, OSPF Areas, HSRP Groups, BGP ASes, QoS Devices, and AAA Devices.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein

the physical entities include physical devices.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein

the predefined types of entities include links between the physical devices.