System and/or method relating to managing a network

• US 20070061432A1
• Filed: 09/09/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army (Government of the United States of America), Network Appliance Incorporated (NetApp, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Network Appliance Incorporated (NetApp, Inc.)
• Inventors: Plotkin, Serge, Bojinov, Hristo
• Granted Patent: US 7,739,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

Embodiments of methods and/or systems relating to managing a network, such as a multi-layer network, are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a graphical representation for a multi-layer network, said multi-layer network including at least a front end layer and a back end layer; and

associating at least one particular front end unit with at least one particular back end unit by graphically associating a graphical representation of said at least one particular front end unit and a graphical representation of said at least one particular back end unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said front end layer comprises one or more units adapted to store unencrypted data and said back end layer comprises one or more units adapted to store encrypted data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least some of said units comprise storage devices.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein at least some of said units comprise logically combined portions of discrete, physically separate storage devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the graphical association between said particular front end units and said particular back end units changes said multi-layer network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said multi-layer network includes at least one middle layer comprising one or more middle units.

7. The method of claim 6, and further comprising associating at least a particular one of the middle units with at least a particular one of the front end units by graphically associating a graphical representation of said at least particular one of the middle units and a graphical representation of said at least particular one of the front end units.

8. A method comprising:

displaying a graphical representation for a network having multiple layers; and

at least graphically associating one or more units of a one layer capable of accessing data from one or more units of another layer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein being capable of accessing data includes being capable of decrypting encrypted data.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein being capable of accessing data includes having sufficient authority via network protocols.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein changing the graphical association of units across said one layer and said another layer changes the capability of said units to access data.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said one layer comprises a first layer and said another layer comprises a third layer, and further comprising at least graphically associating, for a second layer, one or more units capable of accessing data from graphically associated units of said third layer.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the units of at least one of said layers comprises users.

15. The article of claim 13, wherein said storage medium further comprises instructions that, if executed, further result in:

displaying said graphical representation for said multi-layer network, so that changing the graphical association of units across said one layer and said another layer changes the capability of said units to access data.

14. An article comprising:

a storage medium, said storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, if executed, result in;

displaying a graphical representation for a multi-layer network, said multi-layer network including at least a front end layer and a back end layer so that graphically associating a graphical representation of at least one particular front end unit with a graphical representation of at least one particular back end unit associates said at least one particular front end unit and said at least one particular back end unit.

16. An article comprising:

a storage medium, said storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, if executed, result in;

displaying a graphical representation for a network having multiple layers so that at least graphically associating one or more units of a one layer with one or more units of another layer provides said one or more units of said one layer the capability to access data from said one or more units of said another layer.

17. The article of claim 16, wherein said storage medium further includes instructions that, if executed, further result said graphical representations of one or more units of at least one of said one layer or said another layer representing users.