System and method for modeling a network device's configuration

• US 7,200,548 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2001
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wrp IP Management, LLC
• Original Assignee: Intelliden, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Courtney, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THAI Q
• Application Number:
  US09/942,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20030046370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,043 Days
• Field of Search: 703/27, 703/26, 703/21, 709/223, 370/401, 717/109, 719/326
• US Class Current: 703/27
• 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 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/328 in the presentation layer [OSI layer 6]

Abstract

A system and method for modeling the configuration of a network device is described. Such a system could include, for example, a CLI-to-XML converter connected to a schema storage device or a CLI-to-XML converter in combination with document object model (DOM) generator. Other embodiments could include a CLI-to-XML converter, a schema hash system, and a DOM generator.

Claims

1. A method for modeling a configuration corresponding to a network device, wherein the configuration includes a plurality of configuration commands, the method comprising:

determining a characteristic of the network device, wherein determining the characteristic of the network device comprises determining one of a network device manufacturer, network device model, and network device operating system version;

retrieving a representation of a configuration schema, the representation of a configuration schema corresponding to the determined characteristic of the network device, wherein the representation of the configuration schema comprises a plurality of schema portions and wherein retrieving the representation of the configuration schema comprises;

retrieving an intermediate representation of the configuration schema, wherein the intermediate representation comprises a plurality of keys;

wherein each of the plurality of keys is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of schema portions; and

retrieving a first of the plurality of configuration commands from the network device configuration corresponding to the network device; and

generating an XML object corresponding to the retrieved configuration command;

wherein the XML object is generated according to at least a portion of the retrieved representation of the configuration schema.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the intermediate representation of the configuration schema comprises:

retrieving a hash table.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a look-up key for the retrieved configuration command.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

identifying a first of the plurality of keys in the intermediate representation, the first of the plurality of keys corresponding to the generated look-up key; and

retrieving a first of the plurality of schema portions, the first of the plurality of schema portions corresponding to the first of the plurality of keys;

wherein the XML object is generated according to the first of the plurality of schema portions.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

converting the XML object to an XML document.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

converting the XML document into a document object model (DOM).

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

verifying the DOM against the at least the representation of the configuration schema.

8. A method for modeling a configuration corresponding to a network device, wherein the configuration includes a plurality of configuration commands, the method comprising:

determining a characteristic of the network device, wherein determining the characteristic of the network device comprises determining one of a network device manufacturer, network device model, and network device operating system version;

retrieving a representation of a configuration schema, the representation of a configuration schema corresponding to the determined characteristic of the network device, wherein the representation of the configuration schema comprises a plurality of schema portions and wherein retrieving the representation of the configuration schema comprises;

retrieving an intermediate representation of the configuration schema, wherein the intermediate representation comprises a plurality of keys;

wherein each of the plurality of keys is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of schema portions; and

retrieving a first of the plurality of configuration commands from the network device configuration corresponding to the network device; and

generating a standard-format representation of the retrieved configuration command;

wherein the standard-format representation is generated according to at least a portion of the retrieved representation of the configuration schema.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating a look-up key for the retrieved configuration command.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying a first of the plurality of keys in the intermediate representation, the first of the plurality of keys corresponding to the generated look-up key; and

retrieving a first of the plurality of schema portions, the first of the plurality of schema portions corresponding to the first of the plurality of keys;

wherein the standard-format representation is generated according to the first of the plurality of schema portions.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the standard-format representation comprises an XML object.

12. A system for modeling a configuration corresponding to a network device, wherein the configuration includes a plurality of configuration commands, the system comprising:

a processor;

a storage device connected to the processor; and

a plurality of instructions stored on the storage device, the plurality of instructions configured to cause the processor to;

determine a characteristic of the network device, wherein the instructions configured to determine the characteristic of the network device comprise instructions configured to determine one of a network device manufacturer, network device model, and network device operating system version;

retrieve representation of a configuration schema, the representation of a configuration schema corresponding to the determined characteristic of the network device, wherein the representation of the configuration schema comprises a plurality of schema portions and wherein the plurality of instructions to retrieve the representation of the configuration schema include instructions to;

retrieve an intermediate representation of the configuration schema, wherein the intermediate representation comprises a plurality of keys;

wherein each of the plurality of keys is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of schema portions; and

retrieve a first of the plurality of configuration commands from the network device configuration corresponding to the network device; and

generate a standard-format representation of the retrieved configuration command;

wherein the standard-format representation is generated according to at least a portion of the retrieved representation of the configuration schema.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:

generate a look-up key for the retrieved configuration command.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:

identify a first of the plurality of keys in the intermediate representation, the first of the plurality of keys corresponding to the generated look-up key;

and retrieve a first of the plurality of schema portions, the first of the plurality of schema portions corresponding to the first of the plurality of keys;

wherein the standard-format representation is generated according to the first of the plurality of schema portions.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:

convert the XML object to an XML document.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:

convert the XML document into a document object model (DOM).

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the processor to:

verify the DOM against the at least the representation of the configuration schema.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the standard-format representation comprises an XML object.