PROPAGATION OF CHANGES IN A NETWORK

• US 20110096714A1
• Filed: 04/21/2010
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: French, Paul Basil, Lucey, Niall Jude, Lucas, Mark Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,385,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

A network of nodes and connections is provided, each connection connecting two nodes. A method of operating a first node in the network includes detecting a change in a node connected to the first node, identifying that the number of nodes connected to the first node with the detected change is above a predetermined threshold, and executing the detected change at the first node and/or propagating the detected change to one or more nodes connected to the first node that do not have the detected change.

Claims

1. A method of operating a first node in a network of nodes and connections, each connection connecting two nodes, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

detecting a change in a node connected to the first node;

identifying that a number of nodes connected to the first node with the detected change is above a predetermined threshold; and

executing the detected change at the first node.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

propagating the detected change to one or more nodes connected to the first node that do not have the detected change.

3. A method according to claim 2, and further comprising storing a node group membership list defining a group of nodes comprising one or more nodes, and wherein the step of propagating the detected change to one or more nodes connected to the first node that do not have the detected change comprises propagating the detected change to the nodes defined in the node group membership list.

4. A method according to claim 2, and further comprising designating the first node as a gateway node and wherein the step of propagating the detected change to one or more nodes connected to the first node that do not have the detected change comprises propagating the detected change to one or more other gateway nodes.

5. A method according to claim 2, and further comprising storing one or more rules, ascertaining whether the detected change conflicts with the one or more rules, and only propagating the detected change if it does not conflict with the one or more rules.

6. A method according to claim 1, and further comprising storing one or more rules, ascertaining whether the detected change conflicts with the one or more rules, and only executing the detected change if it does not conflict with the one or more rules.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of detecting a change in a node connected to the first node comprises receiving a notification from the node detailing the change.

8. A method of operating a first node in a network of nodes and connections, each connection connecting two nodes, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

detecting a change in a node connected to the first node;

identifying that a number of nodes connected to the first node with the detected change is above a predetermined threshold; and

propagating the detected change to one or more nodes connected to the first node that do not have the detected change.

9. A method according to claim 8, and further comprising storing a node group membership list defining a group of nodes comprising one or more nodes, and wherein the step of propagating the detected change to one or more nodes connected to the first node that do not have the detected change comprises propagating the detected change to the nodes defined in the node group membership list.

10. A method according to claim 8, and further comprising designating the first node as a gateway node and wherein the step of propagating the detected change to one or more nodes connected to the first node that do not have the detected change comprises propagating the detected change to one or more other gateway nodes.

11. A method according to claim 8, and further comprising storing one or more rules, ascertaining whether the detected change conflicts with the one or more rules, and only propagating the detected change if it does not conflict with the one or more rules.

12. A first node in a network of nodes and connections, each connection connecting two nodes, the node comprising a processing device arranged to:

detect a change in a node connected to the first node;

identify that the number of nodes connected to the first node with the detected change is above a predetermined threshold; and

execute the detected change at the first node.

13. A node according to claim 12 wherein the processing device is further arranged to:

propagate the detected change to one or more nodes connected to the first node that do not have the detected change.

14. A node according to claim 13, wherein the processing device is further arranged to designate the first node as a gateway node and the processing device is arranged, when propagating the detected change to one or more nodes connected to the first node that do not have the detected change, to propagate the detected change to one or more other gateway nodes.

15. A node according to claim 13, and further comprising a storage device arranged to store a node group membership list defining a group of nodes comprising one or more nodes, and wherein the processing device is arranged, when propagating the detected change to one or more nodes connected to the first node that do not have the detected change, to propagate the detected change to the nodes defined in the node group membership list.

16. A node according to claim 13, and further comprising a storage device arranged to store one or more rules, and wherein the processing device is further arranged to ascertain whether the detected change conflicts with the one or more rules and only propagating the detected change if it does not conflict with the one or more rules.

17. A node according to claim 12, and further comprising a storage device arranged to store one or more rules, and wherein the processing device is further arranged to ascertain whether the detected change conflicts with the one or more rules and only executing the detected change if it does not conflict with the one or more rules.

18. A node according to claim 12, wherein the processing device is arranged, when detecting a change in a node connected to the first node, to receive a notification from the node detailing the change.

19. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for operating a first node in a network of nodes and connections, each connection connecting two nodes, wherein the product comprises instructions for:

detecting a change in a node connected to the first node;

identifying that the number of nodes connected to the first node with the detected change is above a predetermined threshold; and

executing the detected change at the first node.

20. A computer program product according to claim 19, wherein the product further comprises instructions for:

propagating the detected change to one or more nodes connected to the first node that do not have the detected change.

21. A computer program product according to claim 20, and further comprising instructions for storing a node group membership list defining a group of nodes comprising one or more nodes, and wherein the instructions for propagating the detected change to one or more nodes connected to the first node that do not have the detected change comprise instructions for propagating the detected change to the nodes defined in the node group membership list.

22. A computer program product according to claim 20, and further comprising instructions for designating the first node as a gateway node and wherein the instructions for propagating the detected change to one or more nodes connected to the first node that do not have the detected change comprise instructions for propagating the detected change to one or more other gateway nodes.

23. A computer program product according to claim 20, and further comprising instructions for storing one or more rules, ascertaining whether the detected change conflicts with the one or more rules and only propagating the detected change if it does not conflict with the one or more rules.

24. A computer program product according to claim 19, and further comprising instructions for storing one or more rules, ascertaining whether the detected change conflicts with the one or more rules and only executing the detected change if it does not conflict with the one or more rules.

25. A computer program product according to claim 19, wherein the instructions for detecting a change in a node connected to the first node comprise instructions for receiving a notification from the node detailing the change.