Method and apparatus for detecting changes to network elements

• US 6,816,896 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2002
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Concord Communications Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lauer, Will C., Stabile, Lawrence A., Wallace, Richard, Fortin, Vincent H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Application Number:
  US10/223,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20030120760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/223, 709/245, 709/249, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0873 Checking configuration conflicts between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13092 Scanning of subscriber lines, monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13104 Central control, computer control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1329 Asynchronous transfer mode, ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management

Abstract

A method provides for merging lists of newly found and old network elements. The method comprises receiving the list of newly found elements and deriving a potential key value for a portion of the newly found elements from configuration data associated therewith and a key format. The method also updates one of the old elements with the configuration data of a newly found keyed element having the same key. The method compares attributes of newly found elements for components to attributes of old network elements for attribute matches and reports matches. The report lists matching old elements and newly found elements as unresolved if either one does not have a unique key.

Claims

1. A method of merging a list of newly found network elements and a list of old network elements, comprising:

receiving the list of newly found elements and associated configuration data;

deriving a potential key value for a portion of the newly found elements from a portion of the configuration data associated therewith and a key format;

determining whether each newly found element with a potential key value is keyed or unkeyed, a particular newly found element being unkeyed if two of the newly found elements have the same potential key value; and

updating one of the old elements with the configuration data of a specific newly found keyed element in response to the specific newly found and the one of the old elements having the same key.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration data is adapted to enable a network user to use an associated network element.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the portions of the configuration data used to derive potential key values are unaffected by a plurality of events, wherein the events change one of a device and a component of the network without creating or destroying elements.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that one of the newly found elements is unkeyed in response to the potential key value associated therewith being a potential key value of at least two of the old elements.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing siblings of elements from the list of newly found elements.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each network element represents one of a network device and a component of a network device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the updated one of the old elements corresponds to a component of a network device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein configuration data comprises network addresses, object identifier data from management information bases, management information base translation file data, and indexes for the object identifiers.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a particular portion of a key of a selected old element has changed in response to finding a match between selected attributes of the selected old element and a newly found element, the particular portion of the key of the selected old and the matching newly found elements being different; and

updating the particular portion of the key of the selected old element with of the key of the matching newly found element.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the particular portion of the key is derived from a system name.

11. A method of updating a list of old network elements with a list of newly found network elements, comprising:

receiving the list of newly found elements and associated configuration data; and

updating the configuration data of one of the old elements with the configuration data of one of the newly found elements in response to a proper subset of the attributes of the one of the old elements matching attributes of the one of the newly found elements, the proper subset comprising at least two attributes.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the attributes of an element for a device consist of a proper subset of the device'"'"'s configuration data, at least two of the device'"'"'s attributes are unchanged by special events, the special events change the device without creating or destroying an element.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the one of the old elements is a network device.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13,

wherein the attributes of a network device comprise an associated network address, an associated hardware identifier, and an associated system name assigned to a local database of the network device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the proper subset comprises two out of three of the attributes.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the attributes for a component of a network device comprise attributes of the network device, indexes for object identifiers of the component in a database of the network device, and translation file values for the object identifiers of the component.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

reporting a second of the newly found elements for a device as unresolved in response to an attribute of the second of the newly found elements matches an attribute of an old element for a device and less than a majority of the attributes of the second of the newly found elements matches attributes of the old element for a device.

18. A method of reporting updates and new network elements, comprising:

receiving a list of newly found elements for components and associated configuration data;

comparing a plurality of attributes of each of the newly found elements with attributes of old network elements for attribute matches; and

reporting one of the matches by listing a pair of matching elements as unresolved in response to one element of the pair not having a unique key.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

reporting another of the attribute matches as unresolved in response two elements matching and having different keys.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of reporting includes indicating that the one of the matches is an unresolved update in response to one element of the pair being an unkeyed new element.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

reporting a particular newly found element as an unresolved new element in response to the step of comparing finding no attribute matches for the particular newly found element.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the attributes for a component of a network device comprise attributes of the network device, indexes for object identifiers of the component in a local database of the device, and translation file values for the component in the local database.

23. A method of merging newly found and old network elements, comprising:

receiving newly found elements and associated configuration data;

deriving a potential key value for a first portion of the newly found elements from the configuration data and a key format;

determining whether the elements of the first portion are keyed or unkeyed, an element being unkeyed if two newly found elements have the same potential key value;

updating one old element for a component with the configuration data of one newly found keyed element if the one newly found and the one old element have the same key;

comparing attributes a second portion of newly found elements for components with attributes of old elements for attribute matches; and

reporting one of the matches by listing a pair of matching elements as unresolved in response to one element of the pair not having a unique key.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

updating one of the old elements for a device with the configuration data of one of the newly found elements in response to a proper subset of the attributes of the one of the old elements matching attributes of the one of the newly found elements, the proper subset comprising at least two attributes.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

reporting a second of the newly found elements for a component as unresolved in response to the step of comparing resulting in no matches.

26. A program storage device readable by a computer tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method of merging found and old network elements, the method comprising:

receiving the list of newly found elements and associated configuration data;

deriving a potential key value for a portion of the newly found elements from a portion of the configuration data associated therewith and a key format;

determining whether each newly found element with a potential key value is keyed or unkeyed, a particular newly found element being unkeyed if two of the newly found elements have the same potential key value; and

updating one of the old elements with the configuration data of a specific newly found keyed element in response to the specific newly found and the one of the old elements having the same key.

27. The program storage device of claim 26, wherein the configuration data is adapted to enable a network user to use an associated network element.

28. The program storage device of claim 26, wherein the portions of the configuration data used to derive potential key values are unaffected by a plurality of events, wherein the events change one of a device and a component of the network without creating or destroying an element.

29. The program storage device of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that one of the newly found elements is unkeyed in response to the potential key value associated therewith being a potential key value of at least two of the old elements.

30. The program storage device of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises:

removing siblings of elements from the list of newly found elements.

31. The program storage device of claim 26, wherein each network element of the lists represents one of a network device and a component of a network device.

32. The program storage device of claim 31, wherein the updated one of the old elements corresponds to a component of a network device.

33. The program storage device of claim 31, wherein configuration data comprises network addresses, object identifier data from management information bases, management information base translation file data, and indexes for the object identifiers.

34. The program storage device of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that a particular portion of a key of a selected old element has changed in response to finding a match between selected attributes of the selected old element and a newly found element, the particular portion of the key of the selected old and the matching newly found elements being different; and

updating the particular portion of the key of the selected old element with of the key of the matching newly found element.

35. The program storage device of claim 34, wherein the particular portion of the key is derived from a system name.

36. A program storage device readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method of updating a list of old network elements with a list of newly found network elements, the method comprising:

receiving the list of newly found elements and associated configuration data; and

updating the configuration data of one of the old elements with the configuration data of one of the newly found elements in response to a proper subset of the attributes of the one of the old elements matching attributes of the one of the newly found elements, the proper subset comprising at least two attributes.

37. The program storage device of claim 36, wherein the one of the old elements is a network device.

38. The program storage device as set forth in claim 36, wherein the attributes of a network device comprise an associated network address, an associated hardware identifier, and an associated system name assigned to a local data base of the network device.

39. The program storage device of claim 36, wherein the attributes for a component of a network device comprise attributes of the network device, indexes for object identifiers of the component in a database of the network device, and translation file values for the object identifiers of the component.

40. The program storage device of claim 36, the method further comprising:

reporting a second of the newly found elements as unresolved if an attribute of the second of the newly found elements matches an attribute of an old element for a device and less than a majority of the attributes of the second of the newly found elements matches attributes of the old element for a device.

41. A program storage device readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method of reporting updates and new network elements, the method comprising:

receiving a list of newly found elements for components and associated configuration data;

comparing a plurality of attributes of each of the newly found elements with attributes of old network elements for attribute matches; and

reporting one of the matches by listing a pair of matching elements as unresolved in response to one element of the pair not having a unique key.

42. The program storage device of claim 41, the method further comprising:

reporting another of the attribute matches as unresolved in response two elements matching and having different keys.

43. The program storage device of claim 41, wherein the method step of reporting includes indicating that the one of the matches is an unresolved update in response to one element of the pair being an unkeyed new element.

44. The program storage device of claim 41, the method further comprising:

reporting a particular newly found element as an unresolved new element in response to the step of comparing finding no attribute matches for the particular newly found element.

45. The program storage device of claim 41, wherein the attributes for a component of a network device comprise attributes of the network device, indexes for object identifiers of the component in a local database of the device, and translation file values for the component in the local database.

46. A program storage device readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method of merging newly found and old network elements, the method comprising:

receiving newly found elements and associated configuration data;

deriving a potential key value for a first portion of the newly found elements from the configuration data and a key format;

determining whether the elements of the first portion are keyed or unkeyed, an element being unkeyed if two newly found elements have the same potential key value;

updating one old element for a component with the configuration data of one newly found keyed element if the one newly found and the one old element have the same key;

comparing attributes of newly found elements for components with attributes of old elements for attribute matches; and

reporting one of the matches by listing a pair of matching elements as unresolved in response to one element of the pair not having a unique key.

47. The program storage device of claim 46, the method further comprising:

updating one of the old elements for a device with the configuration data of one of the newly found elements in response to a proper subset of the attributes of the one of the old elements matching attributes of the one of the newly found elements, the proper subset comprising at least two attributes.

48. The program storage device of claim 46, the method further comprising:

reporting a second of the newly found elements for a component as unresolved in response to the step of comparing resulting in no matches.