Method and apparatus for building network configuration database

• US 6,252,858 B1
• Filed: 09/18/1998
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Inoue, Yoshitsugi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOAKYE, ALEXANDER O
• Application Number:
  US09/157,006
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 370/221, 370/226, 370/217, 370/225, 370/255, 370/228, 370/254, 370/400, 370/409, 370/395, 370/392, 370/241, 370/242, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information

Abstract

A method and apparatus for building network configuration database, which eliminates manual data collection and verification tasks and thereby reduces the time and labor costs related to such tasks. A device data collection unit requests a plurality of transmission units on the network to report how they are configured. This request may be initiated at regular intervals or triggered by an external source on demand. Template data is previously prepared by modeling possible configurations of various types of transmission units, and stored in a template data storage unit. A data area management unit reserves a plurality of data storage areas in the physical connection database, according to the template data in the template data storage unit. A process decision unit stores the device configuration data collected by the device data collection unit into corresponding data storage areas reserved in the physical connection database.

Claims

1. An apparatus for building a network configuration database, which is connected to a plurality of transmission units constituting a network, said apparatus comprising:

device data collection means for collecting device configuration data from the plurality of transmission units, the device configuration data describing how each transmission unit is internally configured and how each transmission unit is linked to other transmission units;

template data storage means for storing template data that is previously prepared by modeling possible configurations of various types of transmission units;

physical connection data storage means for storing the device configuration data;

data area management means for reserving a plurality of data storage areas in said physical connection data storage means according to the template data stored in said template data storage means, said plurality of data storage areas being allocated respectively to the plurality of transmission units; and

process decision means for saving the device configuration data collected by said device data collection means into the corresponding data storage areas in said physical connection data storage means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of transmission units include first and second transmission units, and a first interface module installed in the first transmission unit is linked to a second interface module installed in the second transmission unit; and

the device configuration data of the first interface module comprises a first identification data set that identifies the first interface module and a second identification data set that identifies the second interface module.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

said first identification data set contains;

(a1) unit location, unit type, and identification number of the first transmission unit,

(a2) identification numbers of constituents of the first transmission unit, and

(a3) identification number and hierarchical level of the first interface module; and

said second identification data set contains;

(b1) unit location, unit type, and identification number of the second transmission unit,

(b2) identification numbers of constituents of the second transmission unit, and

(b3) identification number and hierarchical level of the second interface module.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of transmission units include a first transmission unit that falls under a category of multiplexer/demultiplexer devices;

the template data provides for a plurality of data entries to describe a plurality of interface modules installed in the first transmission unit; and

the data entry for a first interface module in the first transmission unit comprises;

(a) a first data field for storing information that indicates a hierarchical level of the first interface module,

(b) a second data field for storing information that indicates whether the first interface module has redundancy,

(c) a third data field for storing a first identification data set that identifies the first interface module, and

(d) a fourth data field for storing a second identification data set that identifies a second interface module installed in a second transmission unit that is linked to the first interface module.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of transmission units include a first transmission unit that falls under a category of path/channel rearrangement devices;

the template data provides for a plurality of data entries to describe cross-connections associated with a plurality of interface modules installed in the first transmission unit; and

the data entry for a first interface module installed in the first transmission unit comprises;

(a) a first data field for storing a first identification data set that identifies the first interface module,

(b) a second data field for storing a second identification data set that identifies a second interface module installed in a second transmission unit that is linked to the first interface module, and

(c) a third data field for storing information that describes cross-connections being made within a switch module of the first transmission unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said process decision unit comprises:

new data area setting means for setting up a new data storage area in said physical connection data storage means by activating said data area management means, when a unit identifier of a new transmission unit is found in the device configuration data collected by said device data collection means; and

data saving means for saving the device configuration data containing the unit identifier of the new transmission unit into a relevant part of the new data storage area that has been set up by said new data area setting means and said data area management means.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said process decision means comprises:

data deleting means for deleting the device configuration data of a first interface module which exists in one of the data storage areas in said physical connection data storage means, when a second interface module is identified, instead of the first interface module, in a set of device configuration data newly collected by said device data collection means; and

data saving means for saving the device configuration data of the second interface module into said one of the data storage areas in said physical connection data storage means, after said data deleting means has completed the deletion.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising logical connection data storage means for creating logical connection data by rearranging the device configuration data read out of said physical connection data storage means, and storing the logical connection data created.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising data retrieval and rearrangement means, responsive to a data request from an external source, for retrieving the device configuration data from said physical connection data storage means and the logical connection data from said logical connection data storage means, rearranging the retrieved data as requested, and outputting the resultant data as a response to the data request.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said data retrieval and rearrangement means comprises installation design data producing means for producing installation design data that describes unused paths and/or unused channels.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said data retrieval and rearrangement means comprises verification test data producing means for producing data for use in a network verification test, which aids a user in selecting a specific connection path between network devices at equal hierarchical levels.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said data retrieval and rearrangement means comprises fault data producing means for producing data that indicates which transmission units and/or what part of the transmission units are related to a faulty path.

13. A method of building a network configuration database, which is executed by a network configuration database builder that is connected to a plurality of transmission units constituting a network and comprises a physical connection database to store device configuration data, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing template data that is previously prepared by modeling possible configurations of various types of transmission units;

(b) reserving a plurality of data storage areas in the physical connection database according to the template data stored in said step (a);

(c) collecting device configuration data from the plurality of transmission units, which describes how each transmission unit is internally configured and how each transmission unit is linked to other transmission units; and

(d) storing the device configuration data collected in said step (c) into the corresponding data storage areas reserved in the physical connection database.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein:

the plurality of transmission units include first and second transmission units, and a first interface module installed in the first transmission unit is linked to a second interface module installed in the second transmission unit; and

the device configuration data of the first interface module comprises a first identification data set that identifies the first interface module, and a second identification data set that identifies the second interface module.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein

said first identification data set contains:

(x1) unit location, unit type, and identification number of the first transmission unit,

(x2) identification numbers of constituents of the first transmission unit, and

(x3) identification number and hierarchical level of the first interface module, and

said second identification data set contains;

(y1) unit location, unit type, and identification number of the second transmission unit,

(y2) identification numbers of constituents of the second transmission unit, and

(y3) identification number and hierarchical level of the second interface module.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein:

the plurality of transmission units include a first transmission unit that falls under a category of multiplexer/demultiplexer devices;

the template data provides for a plurality of data entries to describe a plurality of interface modules installed in the first transmission unit; and

the data entry for a first interface module in the first transmission unit comprises;

(x1) a first data field for storing information that indicates a hierarchical level of the first interface module,

(x2) a second data field for storing information that indicates whether the first interface module has redundancy,

(x3) a third data field for storing a first identification data set that identifies the first interface module, and

(x4) a fourth data field for storing a second identification data set that identifies a second interface module installed in a second transmission unit that is linked to the first interface module.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein:

the plurality of transmission units include a first transmission unit that falls under a category of path/channel rearrangement devices;

the template data provides for a plurality of data entries to describe cross-connections associated with a plurality of interface modules installed in the first transmission unit; and

the data entry for a first interface module installed in the first transmission unit comprises;

(x1) a first data field for storing a first identification data set that identifies the first interface module,

(x2) a second data field for storing a second identification data set that identifies a second interface module installed in a second transmission unit that is linked to the first interface module, and

(x3) a third data field for storing information that describes cross-connections being made within a switch module of the first transmission unit.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein

said step (d) comprises the substeps of:

(d1) setting up a new data storage area in the physical connection database, according to the template data stored in said step (a), when a unit identifier of a new transmission unit is found in the device configuration data collected in said step (c); and

(d2) saving the device configuration data containing the unit identifier of the new transmission unit into a relevant part of the new data storage area that has been set up in said substep (d1).

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein said step (d) comprises the substeps of:

(d1) deleting the device configuration data of a first interface module that exists in the data storage areas in the physical connection database, when a second interface module is identified, instead of the first interface module, in the device configuration data collected in said step (c); and

(d2) saving the device configuration data of the second interface module into the data storage areas in the physical connection database, after said step (d1) of deleting is executed.

20. The method according to claim 13, wherein:

the network configuration database builder has a logical connection database; and

the method further comprises the step of (e) creating logical connection data by rearranging the device configuration data read out of the physical connection database, and storing the created logical connection data into the logical connection database.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of (f) retrieving the device configuration data from the physical connection database and the logical connection data from the logical connection database in response to a data request from an external source, rearranging the retrieved data as requested, and outputting the resultant data as a response to the data request.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said step (f) comprises the substep of (f1) producing installation design data that describes unused paths and/or unused channels.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein said step (f) comprises the substep of (f1) producing data for use in a network verification test, which aids a user in selecting a specific connection path between network devices at equal hierarchical levels.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein said step (f) comprises the substep of (f1) producing data that indicates which transmission units and/or what part of the transmission units are related to a faulty path.