Configuration management utilizing generalized markup language

• US 7,155,496 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2002
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Calix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Occam Networks Incorporated (Calix Incorporated)
• Inventors: Little, Michael, Froyd, Stanley G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quang N.
• Application Number:
  US10/060,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20030115299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/220, 709/222, 709/223, 709/224, 709/227, 709/230, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• 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 41/0853 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 41/0859 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

Abstract

A framework is used for delivering data to and from a system. The framework consists of different delivery vehicles or forms to carry different types of data to and from the system. The data contains configuration information. When storing the configuration information, the framework allows the configuration information from the system to be filled in the forms. The configuration information is converted into a Generalized Markup Language (GML) format.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request to store current configuration data of a system;

generating one or more forms to carry the configuration data, wherein the one or more forms carry parameter data pulled from the system;

based on the generated one or more forms and responsive to the request to store the current configuration data, pulling the requested current configuration data from the system;

filling the one or more forms with the pulled requested configuration data, wherein each of the forms comprises one or more data fields and filling the one or more forms with the pulled requested configuration data comprises

determining if the pulled requested configuration data for a data field is different from its default setting value, and

if the pulled requested configuration data for the data field is the same as the default setting value, leaving the data field blank;

converting the requested configuration data on the one or more forms to a generalized markup language (GML) format; and

storing the current formatted configuration data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generalized markup language is extensible markup language (XML).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the GML formatted configuration data in a browser.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the GML formatted configuration data is stored in a configuration file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the GML formatted configuration data is subsequently converted from the GML format to a command line interface (CLI) format to form one or more CLI configuration commands.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more CLI configuration commands are used to restore the system to a desired configuration state.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the GML formatted configuration data is stored in a remote database for subsequent use to restore the system to a desired configuration state.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to store configuration data of the system is issued from a command line interface (CLI) or from an Internet browser.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the request identifies one or more components in the system to retrieve the configuration data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the forms are time-stamped.

11. A computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions which are executable by a digital processing system, and which, when executed by the digital processing system, cause the system to perform a method comprising:

receiving a request to store current configuration data of a system;

generating one or more forms to carry the configuration data, wherein the one or more forms carry parameter data pulled from the system;

based on the generated one or more forms and responsive to the request to store the current configuration data, pulling the requested current configuration data from the system;

filling the one or more forms with the pulled requested configuration data, wherein each of the forms comprises one or more data fields and filling the one or more forms with the culled requested configuration data comprises

determining if the pulled requested configuration data for a data field is different from its default setting value, and

if the pulled requested configuration data for the data field is the same as the default setting value, leaving the data field blank;

converting the requested configuration data on the one or more forms to a generalized markup language (GML) format; and

storing the current formatted configuration data.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the generalized markup language is extensible markup language (XML).

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising displaying the GML formatted configuration data in a browser.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the GML formatted configuration data is stored in a configuration file.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the GML formatted configuration data is subsequently converted from the GML format to a command line interface (CLI) format to form one or more CLI configuration commands.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more CLI configuration commands are used to restore the system to a desired configuration state.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the GML formatted configuration data is stored in a remote database for subsequent use to restore the system to a desired configuration state.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the request to store configuration data of the system is issued from a command line interface (CLI) or from an Internet browser.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the request identifies one or more components in the system to retrieve the configuration data.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the forms are time-stamped.

21. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled with the processor; and

a configuration agent coupled with the memory, wherein the configuration agent collects configuration information in the system using one or more forms responsive to a request to store the current configuration information, wherein the one or more forms carry parameter data associated with the configuration information and pulled from different components in the system as specified by the request, wherein the parameter is converted into a generalized markup language (GML) format, and wherein each of the forms comprises one or more data fields, and wherein the configuration agent is operable to fill the one or more forms with the corresponding parameter data by determining if the corresponding parameter data for a data field is different from its default setting value and leaving the data field blank if the corresponding parameter data is the same as its default value.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the GML is extensible markup language (XML).

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the GML formatted parameter data is viewed using an Internet browser.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the GML formatted parameter data is stored in a configuration file.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the GML formatted parameter data is subsequently converted from the GML format to a command line interface (CLI) format to form one or more CLI configuration commands.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the one or more CLI configuration commands are used to rescore the system to a desired configuration state.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the GML formatted parameter data is stored in a remote database for subsequent use to restore the system to a desired configuration state.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the request to store the configuration information is issued from a command line interface (CLI) or from an Internet browser.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the forms are time-stamped.