System and method for managing router metadata

• US 7,174,372 B1
• Filed: 09/13/2000
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fortinet Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fortinet Inc.
• Inventors: Sarkar, Manojit
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean; Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US09/663,484
• Time in Patent Office: 2,337 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218, 709/224, 709/228, 709/223, 709/220, 717/169, 717/170, 707/102
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A computerized method for managing network device metadata is provided. According to one embodiment, a metadata file is created which is an ASCII representation of objects in a router. The router metadata is read by an application such as a service management system application. The metadata is converted into a runtime object model. In one embodiment, the objects in the runtime object model are loaded onto a router or a service processing switch using SNMP functions. The objects are then inserted into the SNMP MIB.

Claims

1. A computerized method comprising:

creating a metadata file, said metadata file defining objects representative of a configuration of components of a router;

reading the metadata file;

converting the metadata file into an object model having at least one object;

configuring the router by loading the objects onto the router;

comparing by the router the objects of the object model to a runtime object model; and

updating the runtime object model with differences identified by the comparison.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein loading the objects onto the router loads the objects into an SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) MIB (Management Information Base).

3. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the metadata file comprises an American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) formatted file.

4. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein converting the metadata file includes creating a hash table of attribute names and attribute values from the metadata file.

5. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein converting the metadata file comprises converting a required subset of the metadata into an object model.

6. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading a runtime object model from the router;

comparing the runtime object model to metadata in the metadata file; and

updating the metadata file with differences identified by the comparison.

7. A method comprising:

defining a plurality of objects that represent components of a network device by providing, in one or more metadata files accessible by a plurality of applications, meta information regarding the plurality of objects, including descriptions of the plurality of objects, configuration information associated with each of the plurality of objects and information regarding relationships among the plurality of objects in the form of network component class descriptions;

configuring a network device based on the meta information by reading the meta information, converting the meta information into a meta runtime object model including the plurality of objects configured in accordance with the configuration information and loading the plurality of objects onto the network device;

updating a current configuration of the network device based on the meta information by

responsive to an update to the one or more metadata files, reading the meta information from the one or more metadata files;

converting the meta information into the meta runtime object model;

comparing objects of a current network device runtime object model to the meta runtime object model; and

updating the network device runtime object model to account for differences identified by said comparing.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said configuring a network device based on the meta information comprises restoring the network device to an original configuration.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising updating the one or more metadata files to reflect a current configuration of the network device by

identifying objects of a current network device runtime object model;

reading the meta information from the one or more metadata files;

converting the meta information into the meta runtime object model;

comparing the objects of the current network device runtime object model to the meta runtime object model;

updating appropriate files of the one or more metadata files to account for differences identified by said comparing.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said loading the plurality of objects onto the network device comprises loading the plurality of objects into a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Management Information Base (MIB).

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more metadata files comprise American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) formatted files.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein converting the meta information into a meta runtime object model comprises creating a hash table of attribute names and attribute values from the one or more metadata files.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein converting the meta information into a meta runtime object model comprises converting only a required subset of the meta information into the meta runtime object.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said updating the network device runtime object model to account for differences comprises disregarding unchanged meta information.

15. A system comprising:

a meta information means for defining meta information in one or more metadata files regarding a plurality of objects that represent components of a network device in the form of network component class descriptions, the network component class descriptions including descriptions of the plurality of objects, configuration information associated with each of the plurality of objects and information regarding relationships among the plurality of objects; and

a network device configuration means, responsive to the meta information means, for

configuring a network device based on the meta information by reading the meta information, converting the meta information into a meta runtime object model including the plurality of objects configured in accordance with the configuration information and loading the plurality of objects onto the network device; and

updating a current configuration of the network device based on the meta information by, responsive to the meta information means, reading the meta information from the one or more metadata files, converting the meta information into the meta runtime object model, comparing objects of a current network device runtime object model to the meta runtime object model, and updating the network device runtime object model to account for differences identified by said comparing.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the network device configuration means restores the network device to an original configuration based on the meta information.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the network device configuration means is further configured to update the one or more metadata files to reflect a current configuration of the network device by

identifying objects of a current network device runtime object model;

reading the meta information from the one or more metadata files;

converting the meta information into the meta runtime object model;

comparing the objects of the current network device runtime object model to the meta runtime object model; and

updating appropriate files of the one or more metadata files to account for differences identified by said comparing.