Designing networks

• US 5,831,610 A
• Filed: 02/23/1996
• Issued: 11/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ryobi North America (Techtronic Industries Company Limited), Visionael Corp. (Upland Software, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NetSuite Development LP (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Maloney, Kevin M., Tonelli, Daniel L., Katz, Martin H., Cronin, Kevin W.
• Primary Examiner(s): KATBAB, ABDOLLAH
• Application Number:
  US08/606,327
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 395/335, 395/200.02, 395/200.3, 395/200.48, 395/200.51, 395/200.53, 395/200.54, 395/200.5
• US Class Current: 715/735
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A method for designing networks including placing device icons representing intelligent device objects on a network design sheet, selecting a media type representing an intelligent media object, and connecting the media type to a first one of the device icons. The method further includes validating the connection to the first one of the device icons.

Claims

1. A method for designing networks comprising:

placing device icons representing intelligent device objects on a network design sheet;

selecting a media type representing an intelligent media object;

connecting the media type to a first one of the device icons; and

validating the connection to the first one of the device icons prior to connecting the media type to any of the other device icons.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preventing the connection from being made if the validation indicates an invalid connection.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting a user to take additional actions before completing the connection if the validation indicates that the connection is invalid but can be made valid.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the additional actions include:

configuring the first one of the device icons to include an adapter card.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the additional actions include:

adding an additional device icon to the network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

connecting the media type to a second one of the device icons after validating the connection to the first one of the device icons; and

validating the connection to the second one of the device icons.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

validating the media connection between the first and second ones of the device icons.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

preventing the connection to the second one of the device icons from being made if the validation indicates an invalid connection.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting a user to take additional actions before completing the connection to a second one of the device icons if the validation indicates that the connection is invalid but can be made valid.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the additional actions include:

configuring the second one of the device icons to include an adapter card.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the additional actions include:

adding an additional device icon to the network.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the device icons in a device palette;

modifying a configuration of one of the device icons; and

customizing the device palette by adding the modified device icon to the device palette.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

grouping connected device icons into a collection.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

connecting a device icon from the collection to a device icon in another collection to form a computer network hierarchy.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

adding a device icon to the collection by dropping the device icon on a collection icon.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a spreadsheet including data corresponding to a designed computer network.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a layout in the network design sheet.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the layout represents an office layout.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the layout represents a country with marked office locations.

20. A computer program for designing computer networks, the computer program being stored on a media readable by a general purpose computer, for configuring the computer upon being read and executed by the computer to perform functions comprising:

displaying device icons representing intelligent devices objects on a display screen of the computer;

displaying media types for connecting the device icons on the display screen;

displaying a network design sheet on the display screen;

allowing a user to design a computer network by selecting at least two device icons from the displayed device icons, placing the at least two device icons on the network design sheet, selecting a media type from the displayed media types, and connecting the media type to a first one of the at least two device icons on the network design sheet; and

validating the connection between the at least two device icons prior to connecting the media type to any other of the at least two device icons.

21. The computer program of claim 20, wherein the device icons are displayed in a palette on the display screen.

22. The computer program of claim 20, wherein the media types are displayed in a pull-down menu on the display screen.

23. The computer program of claim 20, further comprising:

storing the intelligent device objects in a memory accessible by the computer.

24. The computer program of claim 20, wherein the computer is further configured upon the computer program being read and executed to perform functions comprising:

preventing the media type connection to the first of the at least two device icons if the validation indicates an invalid connection.

25. The computer program of claim 20, wherein the computer is further configured upon the computer program being read and executed to perform functions comprising:

prompting a user to take additional actions before completing the connection to the first one of the at least two device icons if the validation indicates that the connection is invalid but can be made valid.

26. The computer program of claim 25, wherein the additional actions include:

configuring the first one of the device icons to include an adapter card.

27. The computer program of claim 20, further comprising:

connecting the media type to a second one of the at least two device icons after validating the connection to the first one of the device icons;

validating the connection to the second one of the at least two device icons;

prompting the user to take additional actions before completing the connection to the second one of the at least two device icons if the validation indicates that the connection is invalid but can be made valid, wherein the additional actions include;

adding an additional device icon to the network being designed.

28. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for assisting a user in designing a computer network, the computer readable program code in the article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code for causing a computer to display device icons representing intelligent devices objects on a display screen of the computer;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to display media types for connecting the device icons on the display screen;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to display a network design sheet on the display screen;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to allow the user to design the computer network by selecting at least two device icons from the displayed device icons, placing the at least two device icons on the network design sheet, selecting a media type from the displayed media types, and connecting the media type to a first one of the at least two device icons on the network design sheet; and

computer readable program code for causing the computer to validate the connection to the first of the at least two device icons prior to connecting the media type to any other of the at least two device icons.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 28 further comprising:

computer readable program code for causing the computer to prevent the media type connection to the first one of the at least two device icons if the validation indicates an invalid connection.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 28 further comprising:

computer readable program code for causing the computer to prompt the user to take additional actions before completing the connection to the first one of the at least two device icons if the validation indicates that the connection is invalid but can be made valid.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the additional actions include:

configuring the first one of the device icons to include an adapter card.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 30, further comprising:

computer readable program code for causing the computer to allow the user to design the computer network by connecting the media type to a second one of the at least two device icons after validating the connection to the first one of the device icons;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to validate the connection to the second one of the at least two device icons;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to prompt the user to take additional actions before completing the connection to the second one of the at least two device icons if the validation indicates that the connection is invalid but can be made valid, wherein the additional actions include;

adding an additional device icon to the network being designed.

33. A method for designing computer networks comprising:

displaying device icons representing intelligent device objects in a device palette;

modifying a configuration of the intelligent device object being represented by one of the device icons;

customizing the device palette by adding the modified device icon to the device palette; and

using one of the device icons from the modified devices palette in a displayed network sheet.

34. A computer program for designing computer networks, the computer program being stored on a media readable by a general purpose computer, for configuring the computer upon being read and executed by the computer to perform functions comprising:

displaying device icons representing intelligent device objects in a device palette;

modifying configuration of the intelligent device object being represented by one of the device icons;

customizing the device palette by adding the modified device icon to the device palette; and

allowing a user to use one of the device icons from the modified device palette in a network design sheet.

35. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for assisting a user in designing a computer network, the computer readable program code in the article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code for causing a computer to display device icons representing intelligent device objects in a device palette;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to modify a configuration configuration the intelligent device object being represented by one of the device icons;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to customize the device palette by adding the modified device icon to the device palette; and

computer readable program code for causing the computer to allow the user to use one of the device icons from the modified device palette in a network design sheet.

36. A method of designing computer networks comprising:

displaying device icons on a design sheet;

grouping connected device icons on the design sheet into a collection; and

representing the collection with a collection icon.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

connecting a device icon from the collection to a device icon in another collection to form a computer network hierarchy.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

adding a device icon to the collection by dropping the device icon on a collection icon.

39. A computer program for designing computer networks, the computer program being stored on a media readable by a general purpose computer, for configuring the computer upon being read and executed by the computer to perform functions comprising:

displaying a design sheet populated with device icons;

grouping connected device icons on the design sheet into a collection; and

representing the collection with a collection icon.

40. The computer program of claim 39, wherein the computer is configured to perform further functions comprising:

connecting a device icon from the collection to a device icon in another collection to form a computer network hierarchy.

41. The computer program of claim 39, wherein the computer is configured to perform further functions comprising:

adding a device icon the collection by dropping the device icon on the collection icon.

42. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for assisting a user in designing a computer network, the computer readable program code in the article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code for causing a computer to display a design sheet populated with device icons;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to group connected device icons on the design sheet into collection; and

computer readable program code for causing the computer to represent the collection with a collection icon.

43. The article of manufacture of claim 42, wherein the computer readable program code further includes:

computer readable program code for causing the computer to connect a device icon from the collection to a device icon in another collection to form a computer network hierarchy.

44. The article of manufacture of claim 42, wherein the computer readable program code further includes:

computer readable program code for causing the computer to add a device icon to the collection by dropping the device icon on the collection icon.