Modeling and Analysis of Computer Networks

• US 20090006449A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: MacLeod, Stewart P., Wong, Felix W.
• Application Number:
  US11/771,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20090006449A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models

Abstract

A computer network may be modeled using a declarative definition that includes classes and relationships between classes. A discovery tool may populate a database with instances of the classes and enable an analysis tool to apply a constraint model so that a subset of possible alternatives may be defined. In some cases, further analysis may be performed on items contained in the subset.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

defining a database model having class definitions and relationship definitions, said relationship definitions comprising relationships between at least two of said classes, said database model defining computing devices attached to a network;

populating said database with instances of said computing devices; and

analyzing said database by defining a constraint model, applying said constraint model to said database, and determining a subset of matching instances.

2. The method of claim 1, said classes comprising software items.

3. The method of claim 2, said software items comprising services.

4. The method of claim 2, said software items comprising applications installed on one of said computing devices.

5. The method of claim 1, a first of said classes being a subset of a second of said classes, said second of said classes having a set of properties, said set of properties being applied to said first set of classes through inheritance.

6. The method of claim 1, said analyzing further comprising a detailed analysis on each member of said subset of matching instances.

7. The method of claim 1, said populating said database being performed by crawling a network, discovering a device, and analyzing said device to determine said instances.

8. The method of claim 1, said constraint model defining a set of requirements for a proposed change to at least one of said computing devices.

9. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions adapted to perform the method of claim 1.

10. A system comprising:

a database comprising instances of a database model, said instances comprising data from a plurality of computing devices attached to a network, said database having a database model comprising class definitions and relationship definitions, said relationship definitions comprising relationships between at least two of said classes;

a crawler adapted to traverse said network, detect said computing devices, and populate said database with said instances;

an analyzer adapted to apply a constraint model against said database to determine a subset of matching instances.

11. The system of claim 10, said classes comprising software items.

12. The system of claim 11, said software items comprising services operating on said computing devices.

13. The system of claim 11, said software items comprising applications installed on said computing devices.

14. The system of claim 10, at least one of said classes being related by inheritance to a second of said classes.

15. A method comprising:

populating a database, said database being defined by a database model having classes and relationships, said populating comprising;

traversing a network;

detecting a device attached to said network;

analyzing said device to determine instances of said classes and relationships; and

storing said instances in said database; and

analyzing said database by defining a constraint model, applying said constraint model to said database, and determining a subset of matching instances.

16. The method of claim 15, said classes comprising software items.

17. The method of claim 16, said software items comprising services.

18. The method of claim 16, said software items comprising applications installed on said device.

19. The method of claim 15, at least one of said classes being related by inheritance to a second of said classes.

20. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions adapted to perform the method of claim 15.