Network router management interface with API invoked via login stream

• US 7,072,946 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2001
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Shafer, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US09/871,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20020191619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/224, 709/227, 709/310, 709/300, 709/204, 709/226, 709/313, 709/220, 707/2, 707/102, 705/14, 719/328, 719/313, 715/513
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• 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 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/56 Routing software
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A network router management interface for use in configuring a router and obtaining operational information provides an application programming interface (API) that permits clients to formulate requests and receive replies according to an extensible markup language such as XML. The router may transform a login stream at a router command line interface (CLI) to implement the XML-based API. For example, the management server accepts input from the CLI and, upon receipt of a particular command from the client, transforms the CLI into a programmatic interface for exchange of XML-tagged requests and XML-tagged replies according to the XML-based API. Providing access to the XML-based API via the CLI login shell enables the use of standard login, security, authentication and authorization techniques.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a secure connection between a network router and a client;

initiating a command line interface (CLI) process on the network router;

receiving from the client a CLI command; and

in response to the CLI command, accepting commands encoded in accordance with an extensible markup language, wherein accepting commands comprises replacing the CLI process with a management server process in response to the CLI command, wherein the management server process provides an extensible markup language-based application programming interface (API) to the client.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the client configuration requests and operational requests encoded with extensible markup language tags;

accessing a network management interface schema that maps the extensible markup language tags to configuration and operational information associated with software modules running on the network router, the software modules including a chassis software module that defines an inventory of components in the network router chassis, a device configuration software module that defines a physical configuration of the network router, and a routing protocol module that administers protocols supported by the network router;

parsing the configuration requests and the operational requests;

accessing the corresponding configuration and operational information associated with the chassis software module, the device configuration software module, and the routing control software module according to the network management interface schema; and

emitting replies encoded with extensible markup language tags according to the network management interface schema.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the tags include chassis tags that define output for the chassis software module, device configuration tags that define output for the routing protocol software module.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving at least some of the replies encoded with extensible markup language tags from one or more of the software modules.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising encoding at least some of the replies with extensible markup language tags based on non-encoded replies received from one or more of the software modules.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the non-encoded replies include ASCII replies, the method further comprising encoding the ASCII replies in extensible markup language tags to form the encoded replies.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the extensible markup language tags are defined by one or more data type of definition (DTD) files.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the extensible markup language tags are defined by one or more XML Schema Language files.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuration requests includes requests to change an existing configuration of the network router, the method further comprising interacting with one or more of the software modules to effect the requested change.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the extensible markup language is XML.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the network router includes a packet routing engine that specifies one or more routes for data packets, and a packet forwarding engine that forwards the data packets according to the specified routes, and the method is performed in part as a process within an operating environment executing on the packet routing engine.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving from the client, following the replacement of the CLI process, configuration requests and operational requests encoded with extensible markup language tags;

accessing a schema that maps the tags to configuration and operational information associated with a chassis module, a device configuration module, and a routing protocol module running on a network router;

accessing the information associated with the software modules; and

emitting replies encoded with extensible markup language tags according to the schema.

13. A computer-readable medium carrying instructions to cause a programmable processor to:

establish a secure connection between a network router and a client;

initiate a command line interface (CLI) process on the network router;

receive from the client a CLI command; and

in response to the CLI command, accept commands encoded in accordance with an extensible markup language by replacing the CLI process with a management server process in response to the CLI command, wherein the management server process provides an extensible markup language-based application programming interface (API) to the client.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the processor to:

receive from the client configuration requests and operational requests encoded with extensible markup language tags;

access a network management interface schema that maps the extensible markup language tags to configuration and operational information associated with software modules running on the network router, the software modules including a chassis software module that defines an inventory of components in the network router chassis, a device configuration software module that defines a physical configuration of the network router, and a routing protocol module that administers protocols supported by the network server;

parse the configuration requests and the operational requests;

access the corresponding configuration and operational information associated with the chassis software module, the device configuration software module, and the routing control software module according to the network management interface schema; and

emit replies encoded with extensible markup language tags according to the network management interface schema.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the tags include chassis tags that define output for the chassis software module, device configuration tags that define output for the device configuration software module, and routing protocol tags that define output for the routing protocol software module.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein at least some of the replies encoded with extensible markup language tags from one or more of the software modules.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions cause the processor to encode at least some of the replies with extensible markup language tags based on non-encoded replies received from one or more of the software modules.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the non-encoded replies include ASCII replies, the method further comprising encoding the ASCII replies in extensible markup language tags to form the encoded replies.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the extensible markup language tags are defined by one or more data type definition (DTD) files.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the extensible markup language tags are defined by one or more XML Schema Language files.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the configuration requests include requests to change an existing configuration of the network router, wherein the instructions cause the processor to interact with one or more of the software modules to effect the requested change.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the extensible markup language is XML.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the network router includes a packet routing engine that specifies one or more routes for data packets, and a packet forwarding engine that forwards the data packets according to the specified routes, and wherein the instructions cause the processor to execute a process within an operating environment executing on the packet routing engine.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving from the client, following the replacement of the CLI process, configuration requests and operational requests encoded with extensible markup language tags;

accessing a schema that maps the tags to configuration and operational information associated with a chassis module, a device configuration module, and a routing protocol module running on a network router;

accessing the information associated with the software modules; and

emitting replies encoded with extensible markup language tags according to the schema.

25. A network router management interface comprising:

a secure protocol module that provides a secure connection between a network router and a client;

a command line interface (CLI) module that receives CLI commands from a client; and

a management server module that receives the CLI commands from the CLI module and, in response to one of the CLI commands, accepts commands encoded in accordance with an extensible markup languages,

wherein the management server module replaces the CLI module with an extensible markup language-based application programming interface (API) to the client.

26. The network router management interface of claim 25, wherein the management server module:

receives from the client configuration requests and operational requests encoded with extensible markup language tags,

accesses a network management interface schema that maps the extensible markup language tags to configuration and operational information associated with software modules running on the network router, the software modules including a chassis software module that defines an inventory of components in the network router chassis, a device configuration software module that defines a physical configuration of the network router, and a routing protocol module that administers protocols supported by the network router,

parses the configuration requests and the operational requests,

accesses the corresponding configuration and operational information associated with the chassis software module, the device configuration software module, and the routing control software module according to the network management interface schema, and

emits replies encoded with extensible markup language tags according to the network management interface schema.

27. The network router management interface of claim 26, wherein the tags include chassis tags that define output for the chassis software module, device configuration tags that define output for the device configuration software module, and routing protocol tags that define output for the routing protocol software module.

28. The network router management interface of claim 27, wherein the management server module receives at least some of the replies encoded with extensible markup language tags from one or more of the software modules.

29. The network router management interface of claim 26, wherein the management server module encodes at least some of the replies with extensible markup language tags based on non-encoded replies received from one or more of the software modules.

30. The network router management interface of claim 29, wherein the non-encoded replies include ASCII replies, and the management server module encodes the ASCII replies in extensible markup language tags to form the encoded replies.

31. The network router management interface of claim 26, wherein the extensible markup language tags are defined by one or more data type definition (DTD) files.

32. The network router management interface of claim 26, wherein the extensible markup language tags are defined by one or more XML Schema Language files.

33. The network router management interface of claim 26, wherein the configuration requests include requests to change an existing configuration of the network router, the management server module interacting with one or more of the software modules to effect the requested change.

34. The network router management interface of claim 26, wherein the extensible markup language is XML.

35. The network router management interface of claim 26, wherein the network router includes a packet routing engine that specifies one or more routes for data packets, and a packet forwarding engine that forwards the data packets according to the specified routes, and the management server module executes as a process within an operating environment on the packet routing engine.

36. A method comprising:

establishing a secure connection between a network router and a client;

initiating a command line interface (CLI) process on the network router;

receiving from the client a CLI command;

in response to the CLI command, providing an application programming interface (API) to receive configuration requests and operational requests encoded with extensible markup language tags;

accessing a network management interface schema that maps the extensible markup language tags to configuration and operational information associated with software modules running on the network router;

parsing the configuration requests and the operational requests;

accessing the corresponding configuration and operational information associated with the software modules according to the network management interface schema; and

emitting replies encoded with extensible markup language tags according to the network management interface schema.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein providing an API comprises replacing the CLI process with a management server process that provides an extensible markup language-based API to the client.

38. A network router comprising:

a secure protocol module that provides a secure connection between a network router and a client;

a command line interface (CLI) module that receives CLI commands from a client; and

a management server module that, wherein, in response to one of the CLI commands, the management server module;

receives from the client configuration requests and operational requests encoded with extensible markup language tags,

accesses a network management interface schema that maps the extensible markup language tags to configuration and operational information associated with software modules running on the network router,

parses the configuration requests and the operational requests,

accesses the corresponding configuration and operational information associated with the software modules according to the network management interface schema, and

emits replies encoded with extensible markup language tags according to the network management interface schema.

39. The network router of claim 38, wherein the management server module replaces the CLI module with the management server module and provides an extensible markup language-based application programming interface (API) to the client.