Method for automatically aggregating objects

• US 6,240,068 B1
• Filed: 01/28/1998
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Loran Network Management, Ltd.
• Inventors: Dawes, Nicholas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, MAN U
• Application Number:
  US09/014,686
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/254, 370/447, 370/442, 370/443, 370/444, 370/329, 370/337, 370/341, 370/343, 370/344, 395/200.11, 395/183.19, 395/200.42, 395/185.61, 395/200.13, 395/200.47
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies

Abstract

A method for automatically aggregating objects and determining a hierarchical organization of these objects and aggregates by exploiting known or computed priorities and correlations.

Claims

1. A method for automatically aggregating objects and determining a hierarchical organization of these objects and aggregates by exploiting known or calculated priorities and correlations, wherein

C:

is the current priority of objects being added to the package;

D;

is the current priority of objects being packaged;

L_max;

the highest priority of any object in this set;

L_min;

the lowest priority of any object in this set;

M;

the maximum number of objects to be placed in any package;

N(i);

the number of objects with priority=i in the set of objects; and

T;

the total number of objects placed in the package and then carrying out the following steps;

Set C=L_max

Set T=0

Set C0=C, then execute in sequence the following steps;

1;

add all objects with priority=C to this display

2;

calculate T=T+N(C)

3;

if C−

1<

L_min go to step 14

4;

if C=C0 go to step 6

5;

if T+N(C−

1)>

M go to step 8

6;

set C=C−

1

7;

go to step 1

8;

convert all objects in this set with priority C into packages, These packages also have priority C.

9;

set the current packaging priority D=D−

1

10;

map all objects in this set with priority D into the package (based on objects with priority C) with which they have the strongest coupling

11;

if D−

1<

L_min go to step 14

12;

set D=D−

1

13;

go to step 9

14;

finished.

2. A method as in claim 1 where the objects are communications objects.

3. A method as in claim 1 where the relation amplitude on communications paths connecting communications objects defines their correlation.

4. A method as in claim 1 where the objects are data communications objects.

5. A method as in claim 1 where the objects with only one connection are assigned the lowest priority.

6. A method as in claim 1 where the objects are data communications objects, and the correlations are defined by the number of hops on connections between them.

7. A method as in claim 6 where the objects with only one connection are assigned the lowest priority.

8. A method as in claim 1 where some objects are assigned priorities apriori and the objects with only one connection are assigned the lowest priority.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 where some objects are assigned priorities apriori and the objects with only one connection are assigned the lowest priority and the objects are communications objects.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 where some objects are connections and the volume carried on the connections defines the priority.

11. A method for automatically aggregating objects connected in a network comprising determining numerical measures of importance of objects in the network, establishing a hierarchy of the objects based on their measures of importance and displaying the objects in accordance with the hierarchy, wherein

C:

is the current priority of objects being added to the package;

D;

is the current priority of objects being packaged;

L_max;

the highest priority of any object in this set;

L_min;

the lowest priority of any object in this set;

M;

the maximum number of objects to be placed in any package;

N(i);

the number of objects with priority=i in the set of objects; and

T;

the total number of objects placed in the package and then carrying out the following steps;

Set C=L_max

Set T=0

Set C0=C, then execute in sequence the following steps;

1;

add all objects with priority=C to this display

2;

calculate T=T+N(C)

3;

if C−

1<

L_min go to step 14

4;

if C=C0 go to step 6

5;

if T+N(C−

1)>

M go to step 8

6;

set C=C−

1

7;

go to step 1

8;

convert all objects in this set with priority C into packages, These packages also have priority C.

9;

set the current packaging priority D=D−

1

10;

map all objects in this set with priority D into the package (based on objects with priority C) with which they have the strongest coupling

11;

if D−

1<

L_min go to step 14

12;

set D=D−

1

13;

go to step 9

14;

finished.