Method and apparatus of providing a configuration script that uses connection rules to produce a configuration file or map for configuring a network device

• US 6,772,204 B1
• Filed: 10/05/1998
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hansen, Peter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prieto, Beatriz
• Application Number:
  US09/166,677
• Time in Patent Office: 2,129 Days
• Field of Search: 709/100, 709/220, 709/223, 709/222, 709/221, 709/224, 709/327, 709/329, 345/335, 345/733, 345/734, 717/121, 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 710/8, 710/10, 710/104, 370/254, 370/425, 375/212, 705/56
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0889 Techniques to speed-up the configuration process
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A computer-implemented method and apparatus includes displaying a plurality of network devices on a display screen, and enabling selection of one of the network devices for configuration. A configuration script for the selected one of the network devices is identified from a plurality of configuration scripts, where each of the configuration scripts is associated with a particular one of the network devices. The identified configuration script is executed to obtain configuration information, identify connection rules associated with the identified configuration script, and produce a configuration file for configuring the network device based on the connection rules and the configuration information.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium containing program code to configure a network device, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for displaying a plurality of network devices on a display screen;

computer program code for enabling selection of one of the network devices for configuration;

computer program code for identifying a configuration script for the selected one of the network devices from a plurality of configuration scripts, each of the configuration scripts being associated with a particular one of the network devices;

computer program code for executing the identified configuration script, the execution of the identified configuration script operates to obtain configuration information, identify connection rules associated with the identified configuration script, and produce a configuration file for configuring the network device based on the connection rules and the configuration information.

2. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the configuration scripts comprise at least one connection rule, each of the network devices has at least one connection interface, and the at least one connection rule specifies what types of network devices are able to connect to the corresponding at least one connection interface.

3. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the configuration file is uploaded to the network device that is coupled to a network.

4. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the configuration scripts comprise configuration commands which generate requests for configuration information.

5. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer code that enables selection of one of the network devices for selection enables the selection by a user, and

wherein said computer program code for executing the identified configuration script obtains the configuration information from the user.

6. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the configuration scripts comprise an image file containing an image representative of the associated one of the network devices.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

computer program code executable in a first system to upload the configuration file to a remote network device coupled over a network to the first system.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

computer program code executable in a first system to construct a file to enable unattended remote configuration of a remote network device coupled over a network to the first system.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

computer program code to receive a request for configuration information from the remote network device; and

computer program code to send the configuration information to the remote network device in response to detecting that the file is present.

10. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 1,

wherein each of the configuration scripts comprise at least one connection rule, each of the network devices has at least one connection interface, and the at least one connection rule specifies what types of network devices are able to connect to the corresponding at least one connection interface,

wherein each of the configuration scripts comprise configuration commands which generate requests for configuration information,

wherein said computer code that enables selection of one of the network devices for configuration enables the selection by a user, and

wherein said computer program code for executing the identified configuration script obtains the configuration information from the user by executing the configuration commands to generate requests for the configuration information and then receive the user response to the requests.

11. A method for constructing a configuration file for a network device, said configuration file suitable for upload to said network device to enable configuration thereof, said method comprising:

providing a configuration script containing a series of executable instructions for constructing a configuration file for a first specified type of network device, said configuration script including a set of connection rules for connecting said first specified type of network device to at least one other specified type of network device, the set of connection rules including a connection rule for at least one connection interface of said first specified type of network device; and

constructing said configuration file for said first specified type of network device in accordance with said configuration script.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising uploading the configuration file from a first system over a network to a remote network device to configure the remote network device.

13. A computer readable medium including computer program code for constructing a configuration file for a network device, said configuration file suitable for upload to said network device to enable configuration thereof, said computer readable medium comprising:

a configuration script containing a series of executable instructions for constructing a configuration file for a first specified type of network device, said configuration script including a set of connection rules for connecting said first specified type of network device to at least one other specified type of network device, the set of connection rules including a connection rule for at least one connection interface of said first specified type of network device; and

computer program code for constructing said configuration file for said first specified type of network device in accordance with said configuration script.

14. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein said configuration script further includes a series of configuration commands, and wherein said computer program code for constructing of said configuration file uses at least information received in response to requests for information generated by executing said configuration commands contained in said configuration script.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising;

computer program code to upload the configuration file from a first system over a network to a remote network device to configure the remote network device.

16. A computer readable medium for constructing a network configuration map comprising at least two interconnected network entities selected from a series of network entities, said computer readable medium comprising:

a series of configuration scripts, each of which corresponds to one of said series of network entities and includes a first section comprising first and second portions, said first portion of each one of said series of configuration scripts containing an icon file for generating an icon representative of said corresponding one of said series of network entities, and said second portion of each one of said series of configuration scripts containing a set of connection rules for said corresponding one of said series of network entities, the set of said connection rules includes a connection rule for each connection for the corresponding one of said series of network entities;

computer program code for generating a first icon representative of a first one of said network entities;

computer program code for generating a second icon representative of a second one of said network entities;

computer program code for connecting said first and second icons if said set of connection rules contained in said second portion of said first section of said configuration scripts corresponding to first and second network entities represented by said first and second icons permit connection of said first and second network entities.

17. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein each of said series of configuration scripts includes a second section having a series of executable instructions for constructing a configuration file for said network entity.

18. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for selecting an icon placed on said network configuration map for configuration;

computer program code for constructing a configuration file for said network device represented by said icon if said configuration script for said network device represented by said selected icon is said configuration script having said second section;

computer program code for executing said series of instructions contained in said second section of said configuration script for said network device represented by said selected icon; and

computer program code for appending said constructed configuration file to said selected icon.

19. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein said second section of said configuration script comprises:

an identifier for each connection interface of said first specified type of network device; and

a list of network device types that can be connected to the connection interface associated therewith, said list being provided for each of said identifiers.

20. A computer system for constructing configuration files for network devices, said computer system having a processor and a memory coupled by a system bus for bi-directional exchanges therebetween, said computer system comprising:

a plurality of configuration scripts for various different types of network devices, said configuration scripts being stored in said memory and each of said configuration scripts being used to construct a configuration file, said configuration scripts including at least one connection statement for each connection port of the associated one of the network devices, the connection statements included in said configuration scripts comprise connection rules that specify permissible connections between the ports of the various different types of network devices and other of the network devices, the connection rules include an identifier for the associated port and a list of network devices that are permitted to connect to the associated port;

first computer program code for enabling selection of a particular one of the various different types of network devices; and

second computer program code for executing the one of said configuration scripts associated with the particular one of the various different types of network devices to produce a configuration file for the particular one of the various different types of network devices.

21. A computer system as recited in claim 20, wherein the configuration scripts further include a series of commands, the series of commands associated with a particular one of said configuration scripts are executed by said second computer program code when said computer program code executes the particular one of said configuration scripts.

22. A system as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

third computer program code for uploading said configuration file to a network device of the particular one of the various different types of network devices.

23. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein the executing of the one of said configuration scripts by said second computer program code prompts a user of said system to enter information, and the entered information is used by said second computer program code in producing the configuration file.

24. A system for coupling to a network, comprising:

a display to display a graphical representation of network devices;

a configuration tool to generate configuration information for a first one of the network devices in response to user activation;

an interface adapted to couple to the network, the configuration tool to upload the configuration information to the first one of the network devices through the interface and over the network; and

a configuration script accessible by tile configuration tool, the configuration script being associated with the first one of the network;

devices,

the configuration script executable to obtain user-entered information, identify connection rules for the first one of the network devices, and produce a configuration file containing the configuration information based on the user-entered information and connection rules.