Design of computer networks

• US 6,247,049 B1
• Filed: 08/17/1998
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Scott, Derham Leslie
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trim, Nkosi N
• Application Number:
  US09/125,379
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network

Abstract

A method of designing a computer network makes use of an object-based model enabling elements of the network to be displayed on screen, and manipulated by way of on-screen icons. A predefined rule list, acting directly on the objects, automatically updates the attributes of the objects to complete the network configuration. The rules are preferably Lisp-based, allowing users access to the standard Lisp functions in defining the rules.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a computer network having a predetermined topology said method comprising

(a) selecting a plurality of symbol objects, each symbol object being an object-based computer representation, having settable attributes, of a physical element in a computer network;

(b) defining associations between the selected symbol objects to produce an initial network configuration;

(c) applying at least one rule from a predefined set of rules to the selected symbol objects in the initial network configuration, the rules in said set being arranged to alter the settable attributes of symbol objects dependent upon predefined rule conditions, thereby automatically selecting specific hardware for the physical elements and updating the network configuration; and

(d) repeating (c) using, at each repetition, the updated network configuration arising from the immediately preceding application of (c) in place of the initial network configuration until the updated network configuration becomes substantially stable from one repetition to the next.

2. A method as in claim 1 in which a specific piece of physical hardware, from a specific manufacturer, is represented by a specific symbol object having specific predefined values for the settable attributes.

3. A method as in claim 1 in which the symbol objects are presented by display icons, the selection of symbol objects and the defining of associations being effected by on-screen manipulation of the display icons.

4. A method as in claim 1 in which each predefined rule consists of a rule condition portion and a rule conclusion portion, the rule conclusion portion defining an action to be taken in dependence upon a test applied to the rule condition portion.

5. A method as in claim 4 in which in (c) the initial configuration is first parsed by testing the rule condition portion of each rule in said set for each selected symbol object, and an agenda list of rules and corresponding objects is constructed for which the test was positive, and wherein said at least one rule being applied at (c) is selected from said agenda list of rules.

6. A method as in claim 5 in which c further includes sequentially visiting each rule in the agenda list, testing its rule condition portion again and, if the test is again positive, effecting the action defined by the rule conclusion portion.

7. A method as in claim 4 in which in (d) the updated configuration is first parsed by testing the rule condition portion of each rule in said set for each selected symbol object, and an agenda list of rules and corresponding objects is constructed for which the test was positive, and wherein said at least one rule being applied at (c) is selected from said agenda list of rules.

8. A method as in claim 4 in which (d) further includes sequentially visiting each rule in the agenda list, testing its rule condition portion again and, if the test is again positive, effecting the actions defined by the rule conclusion portion.

9. A method as in claim 1, including defining diagram objects, each diagram object defining a group of symbol objects representative of a portion of a computer network.

10. A method as in claim 9 in which the group is representative of a computer network.

11. A method as in claim 9 in which the group is representative of a WAN.

12. A method as in claim 9 including defining a first diagram object defining a group of symbols representative of a WAN, and a second diagram object defining a group of symbols representative of a LAN, a site object within the first diagram object being associated with the second diagram object.

13. A method as in claim 12 in which the user displays the second diagram object by selecting on screen an icon representative of the site object.

14. A method as in claim 12 in which WAN cloud object within the second drawing object is associatable with the site object thereby specifying a connection between the WAN and the LAN.

15. A method as in claim 1 in which a change in settable attributes, consequent upon application of the rules, is reflected by a change in a screen display.

16. A method as in claim 15 in which:

the symbol objects are represented by display icons, the selection of symbol objects and the defining of associations being effected by on-screen manipulation of the display icons; and

the display icon of a symbol object changes in dependence upon the settable attributes of that object.

17. A method as in claim 3 in which the values of at least some of the settable attributes for a symbol object are displayed on screen in association with the corresponding icon.

18. A method as in claim 1, in which the rules are Lisp-compatible, or compatible with a superset thereof.

19. A method as in claim 1 in which:

a specific piece of physical hardware, from a specific manufacturer, is represented by a specific symbol object having specific predefined values for the settable attributes; and

including a user-selectable conflict resolution method to prevent looping.

20. A method as in claim 19 in which:

a specific piece of physical hardware, from a specific manufacturer, is represented by a specific symbol object having specific predefined values for the settable attributes;

in (c) the initial configuration is first parsed by testing the rule condition portion of each rule in said set for each selected symbol object, and an agenda list of rules and corresponding objects is constructed for which the test was positive, and wherein said at least one rule being applied at (c) is selected from said agenda list of rules, and

the conflict resolution method includes selecting rules from the agenda list in reverse order.

21. A method as in claim 19 in which:

a specific piece of physical hardware, from a specific manufacturer, is represented by a specific symbol object having specific predefined values for the settable attributes;

in c the initial configuration is first parsed by testing the rule condition portion of each rule in said set for each selected symbol object, and an agenda list of rules and corresponding objects in constructed for which the test was positive, and wherein said at least one rule being applied at (c) is selected from said agenda list of rules; and

the conflict resolution method includes selecting only the first rule in the agenda list, or the last rule, and discarding the rest.