Constraint-based language configuration files for updating and verifying system constraints

• US 6,560,699 B1
• Filed: 10/20/1999
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Konkle, Timothy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRUJILLO, JAMES K
• Application Number:
  US09/420,917
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/100
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

Configuration files may define settings and parameters for hardware and software devices in a computer system. In an embodiment of the present invention, constraint-based language configuration files may be used for the dynamic update of configuration files, as well as for verification of accuracy or compatibility of these configuration files.

Claims

1. A method for initializing a hardware device, the hardware device having a configuration file and a memory, said configuration file including values, the method including:

loading a specification file into the memory, said specification file having constraints;

loading a fail-safe specification file into the memory, said fail-safe specification file having constraints;

adjusting the constraints of said specification file to conform to the constraints in said fail-safe specification file;

loading said configuration file into the memory;

loading a fail-safe configuration file into the memory, said fail-safe configuration file having values; and

performing a translation test between the values in the configuration file, said values in said fail-safe configuration file, and said constraints in said specification file to determine if they are consistent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjusting includes:

representing said specification file as a binary tree;

representing said fail-safe specification file as a binary tree;

overlaying said specification file binary tree onto said fail-safe specification file binary tree; and

pruning said specification file binary tree to match at least a portion of said fail-safe specification file binary tree if said specification file binary tree does not match at least a portion of said fail-safe specification file binary tree.

3. The method of claim 1, further including modifying the values in said configuration file to make them consistent with said values in said fail-safe configuration file and said constraints in said specification file if necessary.

4. The method of claim 1, further including updating said fail-safe configuration file to match the configuration file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said values in said configuration file includes hardware settings and the method further includes executing commands to configure the hardware device to match said hardware settings.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said commands include initializing hardware registers.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said commands include software commands.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said software commands include starting an operating system kernel.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said software commands include starting application services.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein said commands include setting global values as runtime parameters.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said hardware device is a router.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said configuration file is stored in Flash ROM on said router.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said specification file is stored in Flash ROM on said router.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuration file, fail-safe configuration file, specification file, and fail-safe specification file are created using constraint-based programming.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuration file and said fail safe-configuration file are XML documents.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said specification file and said fail-safe configuration file are XML Document Type Declarations.

17. The method of claim 2, further including modifying the values in said configuration file to make them consistent with said values in said fail-safe configuration file and said constraints in said specification file if necessary.

18. The method of claim 2, further including updating said fail-safe configuration file to match the configuration file.

19. The method of claim 2, wherein said values in said configuration file includes hardware settings and the method further includes executing commands to configure the hardware device to match said hardware settings.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said commands include initializing hardware registers.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said commands include software commands.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said software commands include starting an operating system kernel.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said software commands include starting application services.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein said commands include setting global values as runtime parameters.

25. The method of claim 2, wherein said hardware device is a router.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said configuration file is stored in Flash ROM on said router.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said specification file is stored in Flash ROM on said router.

28. The method of claim 2, wherein said configuration file, fail-safe configuration file, specification file, and fail-safe specification file are created using constraint-based programming.

29. The method of claim 2, wherein said configuration file and said fail safe-configuration file are XML documents.

30. The method of claim 2, wherein said specification file and said fail-safe configuration file are XML Document Type Declarations.

31. A method for verifying a specification file on a hardware device, the hardware device having a memory, said specification file including constraints, the method including:

loading the specification file into the memory;

loading a fail-safe specification file into the memory, said fail-safe specification file having constraints;

representing said specification file as a binary tree;

representing said fail-safe specification file as a binary tree;

overlaying said specification file binary tree onto said fail-safe specification file binary tree; and

pruning said specification file binary tree to match at least a portion of said fail-safe specification file binary tree if said specification file binary tree does not match at least a portion of said fail-safe specification file binary tree.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said hardware device is a router.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein said specification file is stored in Flash ROM on said router.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein said specification file and fail-safe specification file are created using constraint-based programming.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein said specification file and said fail-safe configuration file are XML Document Type Declarations.

36. A method for verifying a configuration file on a hardware device, the hardware device having a memory, said configuration file including values, the method including:

loading said configuration file into the memory;

loading a fail-safe configuration file into the memory, said fail-safe configuration file having values;

loading a specification file into the memory, said specification file having constraints; and

performing a translation test between the values in the configuration file, said values in said fail-safe configuration file, and said constraints in said specification file to determine if they are consistent.

37. The method of claim 36, further including modifying the values in said configuration file to make them consistent with said values in said fail-safe configuration file and said constraints in said specification file if necessary.

38. The method of claim 36, further including updating said fail-safe configuration file to match the configuration file.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein said values in said configuration file includes hardware settings and the method further includes executing commands to configure the hardware device to match said hardware settings.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein said commands include initializing hardware registers.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein said commands include software commands.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said software commands include starting an operating system kernel.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein said software commands include starting application services.

44. The method of claim 39, wherein said commands include setting global values as runtime parameters.

45. The method of claim 36, wherein said hardware device is a router.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein said configuration file is stored in Flash ROM on said router.

47. The method of claim 36, wherein said configuration file and fail-safe configuration file are created using constraint-based programming.

48. The method of claim 36, wherein said configuration file and said fail safe-configuration file are XML documents.

49. A hardware initializer for initializing a hardware device, the hardware device having a configuration file and a memory, said configuration file including values, the intializer including:

a specification file loader configured to load a specification file into the memory, said specification file having constraints;

a fail-safe specification file loader configured to load a fail-safe specification file into the memory, said fail-safe specification file having constraints;

a specification file binary tree representer configured to represent said specification file as a binary tree and coupled to said specification file loader;

a fail-safe specification file representer configured to represent said fail-safe configuration file as a binary tree and coupled to said fail-safe specification file loader;

a specification file binary tree to fail-safe specification file binary tree overlayer configured to overlay said specification file binary tree onto said fail-safe specification file binary tree and coupled to said specification file binary tree representer and said fail-safe specification file representer;

a specification file binary tree pruner configured to prune said specification file binary tree to match at least a portion of said fail-safe specification file binary tree if said specification file binary tree does not match at least a portion of said fail-safe specification file binary tree and coupled to said specification file binary tree to fail-safe specification file binary tree overlayer;

a configuration file loader configured to load a configuration file into the memory;

a fail-safe configuration file loader configured to load a fail-safe configuration file loader into the memory, the fail-safe configuration file having values; and

a translation tester configured to perform a translation test between the values in the configuration file, said values in said fail-safe configuration file, and said constraints in said specification file to determine if they are consistent and coupled to said configuration file loader, said fail-safe configuration file loader, and said specification file loader.

50. The hardware initializer of claim 49, further including a fail-safe configuration file updater coupled to said configuration file loader and said fail-safe configuration file loader.

51. The hardware initializer of claim 49, further including a fail-safe configuration file modifier coupled to said configuration file loader.

52. The hardware initializer of claim 49, wherein said values in said configuration file includes hardware settings and the hardware initializer further includes a command executor coupled to said configuration file loader.

53. The hardware initializer of claim 49, wherein said hardware device is a router.

54. The hardware initializer of claim 53, wherein said configuration file is stored in Flash ROM on said router.

55. The hardware initializer of claim 53, wherein a specification file is stored in Flash ROM on said router.

56. The hardware initializer of claim 49, wherein said configuration file is created using constraint-based programming.

57. The hardware initializer of claim 49, wherein said configuration file is an XML document.

58. A hardware initializer for verifying a specification file on a hardware device, the hardware device having a memory, said specification file including constraints, the intializer including:

a specification file loader configured to load the specification file into the memory;

a fail-safe specification file loader configured to load a fail-safe specification file into the memory, said fail-safe specification file having constraints;

a specification file binary tree representer configured to represent said specification file as a binary tree and coupled to said specification file loader;

a fail-safe specification file representer configured to represent said fail-safe configuration file as a binary tree and coupled to said fail-safe specification file loader;

a specification file binary tree to fail-safe specification file binary tree overlayer configured to overlay said specification file onto said fail-safe specification file binary tree and coupled to said specification file binary tree representer and said fail-safe specification file representer; and

a specification file binary tree pruner configured to prune said specification file binary tree to match at least a portion of said fail-safe specification file binary tree if said specification file binary tree does not match at least a portion of said fail-safe specification file binary tree and coupled to said specification file binary tree to fail-safe specification file binary tree overlayer.

59. The hardware initializer of claim 58, wherein said hardware device is a router.

60. The hardware initializer of claim 59, wherein said specification file is stored in Flash ROM on said router.

61. The hardware initializer of claim 58, wherein said specification file is created using constraint-based programming.

62. The hardware initializer of claim 58, wherein said specification file is an XML document.

63. A hardware initializer for verifying a configuration file on a hardware device, the hardware device having a memory, said configuration file including values, the intializer including:

a configuration file loader configured to load said configuration file into the memory;

a fail-safe configuration file loader configured to load a fail-safe configuration file into the memory, said fail-safe configuration file having values;

a specification file loader configured to load a specification file into the memory; and

a translation tester configured to perform a translation test between the values in the configuration file, said values in said fail-safe configuration file, and said constraints in said specification file to determine if they are consistent and coupled to said configuration file loader, said fail-safe configuration file loader, and said specification file loader.

64. The hardware initializer of claim 63, further including a fail-safe configuration file updater coupled to said configuration file loader and said fail-safe configuration file loader.

65. The hardware initializer of claim 63, further including a fail-safe configuration file modifier coupled to said configuration file loader.

66. The hardware initializer of claim 63, wherein said values in said configuration file includes hardware settings and the hardware initializer further includes a command executor coupled to said configuration file loader.

67. The hardware initializer of claim 63, wherein said hardware device is a router.

68. The hardware initializer of claim 63, wherein said configuration file is stored in Flash ROM on said router.

69. The hardware initializer of claim 63, wherein said configuration file is created using constraint-based programming.

70. The hardware initializer of claim 63, wherein said configuration file is an XML document.

71. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for initializing a hardware device, the hardware device having a configuration file and a memory, said configuration file including values, the method including:

loading a specification file into the memory, said specification file having constraints;

loading a fail-safe specification file into the memory, said fail-safe specification file having constraints;

adjusting the constraints of said specification file to conform to the constraints in said fail-safe specification file;

loading said configuration file into the memory;

loading a fail-safe configuration file into the memory, said fail-safe configuration file having values; and

performing a translation test between the values in the configuration file, said values in said fail-safe configuration file, and said constraints in said specification file to determine if they are consistent.

72. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for initializing a hardware device, the hardware device having a configuration file and a memory, said configuration file including values, the method including:

loading a specification file into the memory, said specification file having constraints;

loading a fail-safe specification file into the memory, said fail-safe specification file having constraints;

representing said specification file as a binary tree;

representing said fail-safe specification file as a binary tree;

overlaying said specification file binary tree onto said fail-safe specification file binary tree;

pruning said specification file binary tree to match at least a portion of said fail-safe specification file binary tree if said specification file binary tree does not match at least a portion of said fail-safe specification file binary tree;

loading said configuration file into the memory;

loading a fail-safe configuration file into the memory, said fail-safe configuration file having values; and

performing a translation test between the values in the configuration file, said values in said fail-safe configuration file, and said constraints in said specification file to determine if they are consistent.

73. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for verifying a specification file on a hardware device, the hardware device having a memory, said specification file including constraints, the method including:

loading the specification file into the memory;

loading a fail-safe specification file into the memory, said fail-safe specification file having constraints;

representing said specification file as a binary tree;

representing said fail-safe specification file as a binary tree;

overlaying said specification file binary tree onto said fail-safe specification file binary tree; and

pruning said specification file binary tree to match at least a portion of said fail-safe specification file binary tree if said specification file binary tree does not match at least a portion of said fail-safe specification file binary tree.

74. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for verifying a configuration file on a hardware device, the hardware device having a memory, said configuration file including values, the method including:

loading said configuration file into the memory;

loading a fail-safe configuration file into the memory, said fail-safe configuration file having values;

loading a specification file into the memory; and

performing a translation test between the values in the configuration file, said values in said fail-safe configuration file, and said constraints in said specification file to determine if they are consistent.