System and method for configuring a network device

• US 6,978,301 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2001
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Focus Global Solutions LLC (Jeffrey M. Gross)
• Original Assignee: Intelliden, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Tindal, Glen D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat
• Application Number:
  US09/799,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20020069275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-203, 709220-224, 709238-242, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0266 using meta-data, objects or commands for formatting management information, e.g. using eXtensible markup language [XML]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• 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 41/0859 by keeping history of different configuration generations or by rolling back to previous configuration versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0863 by rolling back to previous configuration versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0879 Manual configuration through operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A system and method for communicating with network devices without regard to the device type and/or manufacturer is described. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a global graphical user interface (GUI) for communicating with various network devices. The global GUI includes an intuitive interface driven by a template library. For each device type and each device manufacturer, this template library can store both the attribute fields required for device configuration and the format for communicating those attribute fields. When a network administrator wants to communicate with a particular network device, the template associated with that device can be retrieved from the template library. The network administrator can then populate the attribute fields of that template with the appropriate data. This attribute data can be formatted and provided to the network device.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with a network device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a network device identifier, the network device identifier corresponding to the network device;

retrieving a command-format template from a repository containing a plurality of command-format templates, wherein the command-format template indicates how to construct a device-specific command for the network device and includes an attribute field;

identifying attribute data corresponding to the attribute field;

generating the device-specific command for the network device using the retrieved command-format template and the identified attribute data; and

providing the generated device-specific command to the network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of retrieving the command-format templates comprises the step of:

traversing a directory tree to identify the command-format template in the plurality of command-format template that corresponds to the received network device identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the device-specific command comprises the step of:

forming an XML message comprising at least an indication of the attribute data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of generating the device-specific command comprises the step of:

forming an HTTP message comprising at least an indication of the network device identifier.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of generating the device-specific command comprises the step of:

forming a frame comprising the XML message and the HTTP message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the device-specific command comprises the step of:

forming a frame comprising at least an indication of the generated device-specific command and at least an indication of the network device identifier.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of providing the generated device-specific command to the network device comprises the step of:

pushing the frame to the network device.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

extracting, at the network device, the attribute data from the frame.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

altering the operation of the network device in accordance with the extracted attribute data.

10. A method for configuring a network device located in a network formed of a plurality of network devices, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving an attribute field from a central repository, the attribute field being associated with the network device;

retrieving a command-format template from a repository containing a plurality of command-format templates, wherein the command-format template indicates how to construct a device-specific command for the network device;

populating the retrieved attribute field with attribute data;

generating the device-specific command for the network device using the retrieved command-format template, wherein the generated device-specific command comprises at least an indication of the populated attribute field and is in the proper syntax and format for the network device; and

providing the generated device-specific command to the network device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of generating the device-specific command comprises the step of:

forming an XML message comprising at least an indication of the attribute data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of generating the device-specific command comprises the step of:

forming an HTTP message comprising at least an indication of an identifier associated with the network device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of generating the device-specific command comprises the step of:

forming a frame comprising the XML message and the HTTP message.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of generating the device-specific command comprises the step of:

forming a frame comprising at least an indication of the attribute data and at least an indication of a network device identifier.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of populating the attribute field comprises the step of:

retrieving a configuration record associated with the network device; and

extracting the attribute data from the retrieved configuration record.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of retrieving the configuration record comprises the step of:

retrieving the configuration record from a central storage location configured to store a plurality of configuration records, each of the plurality of configuration records corresponding to at least one of a plurality of network devices.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

extracting the attribute data from the generated device-specific command.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

altering the operation of the network device in accordance with the extracted attribute data.

19. A computer program product comprising:

a header portion; and

a payload portion, wherein the payload portion is formed by;

receiving a network device identifier, the network device identifier corresponding to a network device;

retrieving a command-format template associated with the received network device identifier, wherein the retrieved command-format template comprises at least an attribute field and a command-format instruction;

populating the attribute field with attribute data; and

generating a device-specific command according to the command-format instruction and the attribute data.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the payload portion is formed by:

retrieving the command-format template from a central repository, wherein the central repository is configured to store a plurality of command-format templates.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the payload portion is formed by:

retrieving a configuration record associated with the network device; and

extracting the attribute data from the retrieved configuration record.

22. A computer program product comprising:

a header portion; and

a payload portion, wherein the payload portion is formed by;

retrieving an attribute field from a central repository, the attribute field being associated with the network device;

retrieving a command-format template from a repository containing a plurality of command-format templates, wherein the command-format template indicates how to construct a device-specific command for the network device;

populating the retrieved attribute field with attribute data;

generating the device-specific command for the network device using the retrieved command-format template, wherein the generated device-specific command comprises at least an indication of the populated attribute field and is in the proper syntax and format for the network device; and

providing the generated device-specific command to the network device.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the attribute value is identified by:

retrieving a configuration record associated with the network device; and

extracting the attribute data from the retrieved configuration record.

24. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer readable medium;

a plurality of instructions stored on the computer readable medium, the plurality of instructions configured to cause a processor to;

retrieve a command-format template from a repository containing a plurality of command-format templates, wherein the command-format template indicates how to construct a device-specific command for the network device and includes an attribute field;

identify attribute data corresponding to the attribute field;

generate the device-specific command for the network device using the retrieved command-format template and the identified attribute data; and

provide the generated device-specific command to the network device.