Method for modeling and documenting a network
First Claim
1. A computer-based method for documenting a network comprising:
- receiving a configuration of elements within said network;
representing said elements by nodes in a model of said network, each of said nodes being defined by one of a plurality of node types, each of said node types governing structure rules for descendable ones of said nodes; and
presenting said nodes in a network graph in accordance with said structure rules to document said network.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network documentation system computer program (302) for documenting a network (100) receives a configuration of elements (205) within the network (100). Methodology (320) of the program represents the elements (205) by nodes (336) in a model of the network (100). Each of the nodes (336) is defined by one of a plurality of nodes types (402), and each of the node types (402) governs structure rules (504) for child nodes (808) and connectivity rules (508) for defining links (338) between nodes (336). The nodes (336) are presented in a network graph (312) in accordance with the structure rules (504) to document the network (100), with the child nodes (808) associated with their respective parent nodes (806). The links (338) are depicted between the nodes (336) in the network graph (312) in accordance with the connectivity rules (508), and represent connections between pairs of elements (205) in the network (100).
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A computer-based method for documenting a network comprising:
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receiving a configuration of elements within said network;
representing said elements by nodes in a model of said network, each of said nodes being defined by one of a plurality of node types, each of said node types governing structure rules for descendable ones of said nodes; and
presenting said nodes in a network graph in accordance with said structure rules to document said network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computer-readable storage medium containing a computer program for documenting a network comprising:
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a library of node types constructed in accordance with a node type template, said node type template including a structure rule field for entry of structure rules, said structure rules identifying descendable ones of said node types; and
executable code for instructing a processor to create a network graph, said executable code instructing said processor to perform operations comprising;
receiving a configuration of elements within said network;
representing said elements by nodes in a model of said network, said representing operation comprising;
selecting, a parent node of said nodes, a node type defining said parent node from said library of node types;
obtaining a range of said descendable ones of said node types for said each node in response to said structure rules defining said each node, said each node representing a first one of said elements in said network; and
creating a child node defined by a first node type within said range of said descendable ones of said node types, said child node representing a second one of said elements in said network, said second element being descendent from said first element; and
presenting said child node in association with said each node in a network graph to document said network. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A computer-based method for documenting a network comprising:
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receiving a configuration of elements within said network;
representing said elements by nodes in a model of said network, each of said nodes being defined by one of a plurality of node types, each of said node types governing structure rules for descendent ones of said nodes and connectivity rules for defining links between said nodes, said representing operation including;
obtaining a range of said node types descendable from a first one of said nodes in response to said structure rules associated with said first node, said first node representing a first one of said elements in said network; and
creating a child node defined by a first node type within said range of said node types, said child node representing a second one of said elements in said network, said second element being descendent from said first element;
presenting said nodes in a network graph in accordance with said structure rules to document said network, said child node being portrayed in association with said first node; and
depicting said links between said nodes in said network graph in accordance with said connectivity rules, each of said links representing connections between two of said elements in said network. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification