SYNTHESIZED IDENTIFIERS FOR SYSTEM INFORMATION DATABASE

• US 20140297643A1
• Filed: 03/26/2014
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infoblox Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Infoblox Incorporated
• Inventors: Bailey, Stuart M., Kagan, Richard, Boddu, Navin, Vigier, David, Clark, Thomas S., Head, Joseph D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,317,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication

Abstract

Techniques for managing system information are disclosed. In one embodiment, a piece of system information is received, a synthesized link is created linking a system information identifier corresponding to the system information to a synthesized group identifier, the synthesized group identifier represents a group to which the synthesized information/synthesized information identifier belongs.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A system for managing system information in an IF-MAP database, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive system information for storing in the IF-MAP database, wherein the IF-MAP database is a graph database including a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges each connecting one node to another node;

create a synthesized link linking a first system information identifier corresponding to the system information to a synthesized group identifier; and

in response to a search or subscription request based on a second system information identifier, a link between two system information identifiers, or associated metadata, traverse a plurality of synthesized links including the first synthesized link and the synthesized group identifier to reach the first system information identifier;

wherein the first and second system information identifiers and the synthesized group identifier are nodes in the graph database, and wherein each synthesized link corresponds to an edge in the graph database; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

28. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to identify the first system information identifier from a plurality of system information identifiers existing in the IF-MAP database;

and wherein the first system information identifier is not directly or indirectly linked to the second system information identifier without the first synthesized link.

29. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to create the first system information identifier, wherein the traversing operation comprises traversing a plurality of paths to reach the first system information identifier, each path including the first synthesized link, the first and second system information identifiers, and the synthesized group identifier.

30. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to extract the first system information identifier from the received system information.

31. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to store the first system information identifier and the first synthesized link in the IF-MAP database.

32. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the system information is a DHCP lease received from a DHCP server that includes an IP address and association of the IP address with a device identifier.

33. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the synthesized group identifier is a unique logical identifier that represents a logical group to which the first system information identifier belongs and is linked to all identifiers of the logical group.

34. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the synthesized group identifier is a synthesized root identifier.

35. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the synthesized group identifier is a synthesized root identifier, wherein all network information identifiers of the IF-MAP database are linked to the synthesized root identifier, and wherein the search or subscription request is capable of reaching all network information identifiers of the IF-MAP database.

36. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the synthesized group identifier is a non-root identifier representing a logical group selected from the group consisting of:

IP address, MAC address, device, identity, and access request.

37. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically create the synthesized group identifier based on a predefined rule.

38. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically create the synthesized group identifier based at least in part on a value of a system information identifier.

39. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically identify an appropriate synthesized group identifier from a plurality of synthesized group identifiers based on one or more predefined rules.

40. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically identify an appropriate synthesized group identifier from a plurality of synthesized group identifiers based at least in part on a value of a system information identifier.

41. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to create the synthesized group identifier based on user instructions.

42. The system recited in claim 27, wherein creating the synthesized link is automatically performed based on a predefined rule.

43. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the synthesized link includes a unidirectional link linking a system information identifier to the synthesized group identifier, and wherein the unidirectional link can only be traversed in the direction of synthesized group identifier to the system information identifier.

44. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the first synthesized link includes a bidirectional link linking the received system information identifier to the synthesized group identifier that can be traversed in both directions.

45. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the synthesized group identifier is a first synthesized group identifier representing a first logical group, and wherein the processor is further configured to create a second synthesized link linking the first system information identifier to a second synthesized group identifier representing a second logical group.

46. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a search request based on the synthesized group identifier, and in response traverse a synthesized link to produce a search result.

47. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a subscription request based on the synthesized group identifier, and in response traverse a synthesized link to produce a search result.

48. The system recited in claim 27, wherein the system information is received from client or a different IF-MAP server.

49. A method of managing system information in an IF-MAP database, comprising:

receiving system information for storing in the IF-MAP database, wherein the IF-MAP database is a graph database including a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges each connecting one node to another node;

creating a synthesized link linking a first system information identifier corresponding to the system information to a synthesized group identifier using a processor; and

in response to a search or subscription request based on a second system information identifier, a link between two system information identifiers, or associated metadata, traversing a plurality of synthesized links including the first synthesized link and the synthesized group identifier to reach the first system information identifier;

wherein the first and second system information identifiers and the synthesized group identifier are nodes in the graph database, and wherein each synthesized link corresponds to an edge in the graph database.

50. A computer program product for managing system information in an IF-MAP database, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving system information for storing in the IF-MAP database, wherein the IF-MAP database is a graph database including a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges each connecting one node to another node;

creating a synthesized link linking a first system information identifier corresponding to the system information to a synthesized group identifier; and

in response to a search or subscription request based on a second system information identifier, a link between two system information identifiers, or associated metadata, traversing a plurality of synthesized links including the first synthesized link and the synthesized group identifier to reach the first system information identifier;

wherein the first and second system information identifiers and the synthesized group identifier are nodes in the graph database, and wherein each synthesized link corresponds to an edge in the graph database.