Accessing network device data through user profiles

• US 7,266,595 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2000
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: Black, Darryl, Perry, Thomas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US09/703,856
• Time in Patent Office: 2,498 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/229, 709/224, 713/201
• 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 41/0659 by isolating or reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• 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 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for accessing network device data through user profiles. User profiles may be created by network administrators, and the corresponding user profile data may be stored in a central network management system (NMS) database. When a user requests data from a particular network device, the NMS utilizes the user profile data in the central database to access the network device and retrieve the required network device data. Since the user profile data is stored in a central database, the user may log into the NMS from any location and connect to any network device in the network. Further, the user profile data may be used to limit which network devices and which network device configured resources the user may access as well as the user'"'"'s access level.

Claims

1. A method of managing a telecommunications network, comprising:

providing a network management system (NMS) client;

providing one or more network management system (NMS) servers;

storing user profile data corresponding to a user profile in a first data repository, the first data repository connected to the one or more NMS servers;

storing network device data corresponding to a network device in the telecommunications network in a second data repository;

detecting a request from a user by the NMS client for network device data corresponding to the network device, wherein the user request is associated with the user profile and the request is directed to an NMS server of the one or more NMS servers based on the user profile data;

generating a data access request by the NMS server to selectively retrieve network access data from the second data repository utilizing the user profile data from the first data repository;

retrieving network device data from the second data repository in accordance with the user request; and

wherein the user profile data comprises a user'"'"'s customized graphical user interface and network view preferences, the user'"'"'s defined management capabilities, addresses for the one or more NMS servers, and the user'"'"'s group access level for a network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data repository is a central data repository.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second data repositories are databases.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the retrieved network device data in a user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile data includes an IP address assigned to the network device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user profile data further includes a port identification for a port on the network device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile data includes a Domain Name Server name assigned to the network device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile data includes a group access level.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user profile data further includes a password corresponding to the group access level for gaining access to the network device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile data includes a simple network management protocol (SNMP) community string.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said method comprises:

providing the user profile data with a group name;

generating the data access request wherein the selectively retrieved network access data is by the group name; and

wherein retrieving network device data from the second data repository in accordance with the user request, comprises, for each data access request;

searching the second data repository for the group name corresponding to the data access request; and

retrieving network device data from the second data repository corresponding to the group name if the group name corresponding to the data access request is found in the second data repository.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the network device data retrieved from the second data repository comprises configured resource data.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein retrieving network device data from the second data repository corresponding to the group name, comprises:

using the group name to dynamically determine which data in the second data repository is retrieved.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second data repositories are, respectively, first and second databases, and wherein retrieving network device data from the second database corresponding to the group name, comprises:

using the group name in a database query to actively filter which data in the second database is retrieved.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein generating a data access request to the second database for each group name in the user profile data from the first database comprises:

generating a where clause including the group name; and

sending the where clause to the second database.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second data repositories are, respectively, first and second relational databases and the user profile data is stored in at least one table within the first database and network device data is stored in at least one table within the second database.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a user profile logical managed object (LMO) including at least a portion of the user profile data from the first data repository; and

utilizing the user profile LMO to generate the data access request to the second data repository utilizing the user profile data from the user profile LMO.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein prior to generating a user profile LMO, the method further comprises:

detecting a user log-on request.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a user profile logical managed object (LMO) at the NMS server, wherein the user profile LMO includes at least a portion of the user profile data from the first data repository;

sending the NMS client the user profile LMO; and

wherein generating a data access request to the second data repository utilizing the user profile data from the first data repository, comprises;

generating a data access request to the second data repository utilizing the user profile data from the user profile LMO.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a user profile LMO at the NMS server, wherein the user profile LMO includes at least a portion of the user profile data from the first data repository;

generating a client user profile LMO at the NMS server, wherein the client user profile LMO includes at least a portion of the user profile data from the first data repository in a format expected by the NMS client;

sending the client user profile LMO to the NMS client; and

wherein generating the data access request to the second data repository utilizing the user profile data from the first data repository, comprises;

generating the data access request to the second data repository utilizing the user profile data from the client user profile LMO.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the user request is a first user request, the network device is a first network device and the data access request is a first data access request, and wherein the method further comprises:

storing network device data corresponding to a second network device in the telecommunications network in a third data repository;

detecting a second user request from the user for network device data corresponding to the second network device, wherein the second user request is associated with the user profile;

generating a second data access request to the third data repository utilizing the user profile data from the first data repository; and

retrieving network device data from the third data repository in accordance with the second user request.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile data is first user profile data, the user is a first user, the user request is a first user request and the data access request is a first data access request, and wherein the method further comprises:

storing second user profile data corresponding to a second user profile in the first data repository;

detecting a second request from a second user for network device data corresponding to the network device, wherein the second user request is associated with the second user profile;

generating a second data access request to the second data repository utilizing the second user profile data from the first data repository; and

retrieving network device data from the second data repository in accordance with the second user request.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile data is first user profile data, the user is a first user, the user request is a first user request, the network device is a first network device and the data access request is a first data access request, and wherein the method further comprises:

storing second user profile data corresponding to a second user profile in the first data repository;

storing network device data corresponding to a second network device in the telecommunications network in a third data repository;

detecting a second request from a second user for network device data corresponding to the second network device, wherein the second user request is associated with the second user profile;

generating a second data access request to the third data repository utilizing the second user profile data from the first data repository; and

retrieving network device data from the third data repository in accordance with the second user request.

24. A method of managing a telecommunications network, comprising:

providing a network management system (NMS) client;

providing one or more network management system (NMS) servers;

storing user profile data corresponding to a user profile in a first data repository, the first data repository is a central data repository connected to the one or more NMS servers and the user profile data designates addresses and access priority for the one or more NMS servers;

storing network device data corresponding to a network device in the telecommunications network in a second data repository, wherein the second data repository is embedded within the network device;

detecting a request from a user by the NMS client for network device data corresponding to the network device, wherein the user request is directed to an NMS server of the one or more NMS servers based on the addresses and access priority in the user profile data;

generating a data access request by the NMS server designated by the user profile data in the detecting step to selectively retrieve network access data from the second data repository utilizing the user profile data from the first data repository;

retrieving network device data from the second data repository in accordance with the user request; and

wherein the one or more NMS servers comprise a profile selection module, the profile selection module is configured to set a user'"'"'s profile, to change a user'"'"'s profile, and to copy profiles between different users;

wherein the user profile data is associated with a user and the user profile data comprises;

the user'"'"'s customized graphical user interface and network view preferences;

the user'"'"'s defined management capabilities;

the user'"'"'s group access level for network device; and

policy settings to determine the extent the user can customize the user profile data.

25. A method of managing a telecommunications network, comprising:

providing a network management system (NMS) client;

providing one or more network management system (NMS) servers;

storing user profile data corresponding to a user profile in a first data repository, wherein the user profile data includes a group name and the user profile data designates addresses and access priority for the one or more NMS servers;

storing network device data corresponding to a network device in the telecommunications network in a second data repository;

detecting a request from a user by the NMS client for network device data corresponding to the network device, wherein the user request is directed to an NMS server of the one or more NMS servers based on the access priority in the user profile data;

generating a data access request by the NMS server to selectively retrieve network access data from the second data repository utilizing the user profile data from the first data repository, wherein the data access request includes the group name; and

retrieving network device data from the second data repository in accordance with the group name.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first data repository is a central data repository.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the second data repository is embedded within the network device.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the first and second data repositories are databases.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein retrieving network device data from the second data repository in accordance with the group name, comprises:

searching the second data repository for the group name; and

retrieving network device data from the second data repository corresponding to the group name if the group name is found in the second data repository.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the network device data retrieved from the second data repository comprises configured resource data associated with the group name.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein retrieving network device data from the second data repository corresponding to the group name, comprises:

using the group name to dynamically determine which data in the second data repository is retrieved.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the first and second data repositories are, respectively, first and second databases and wherein retrieving network device data from the second database corresponding to the group name, comprises:

using the group name in a database query to actively filter which data in the second database is retrieved.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein generating a data access request to the second database comprises:

generating a where clause including the group name; and

sending the where clause to the second database.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein the user profile data includes a plurality of group names and wherein generating a data access request to the second data repository utilizing the user profile data from the first data repository, comprises:

generating a data access request to the second data repository for each group name in the user profile data, wherein each data access request includes the corresponding group name; and

wherein retrieving network device data from the second data repository in accordance with the group name, comprises;

retrieving network device data from the second data repository in accordance with each group name.

35. A method of managing a telecommunications network, comprising:

providing a network management system (NMS) client;

providing one or more network management system (NMS) servers;

storing user profile data corresponding to a user profile in a first data repository, wherein the first data repository is a central data repository connected to the one or more NMS servers;

storing network device data corresponding to a network device in the telecommunications network in a second data repository, wherein the second data repository is embedded within the network device;

detecting a request from a user through the NMS client for network device data corresponding to the network device, wherein the user request is associated with the user profile and the request is directed to an NMS server of the one or more NMS servers based on the user profile;

generating a data access request by the NMS server to selectively retrieve network access data from the second data repository utilizing the user profile data from the first data repository;

retrieving network device data from the second data repository in accordance with the user request; and

wherein the user profile data comprises a user'"'"'s customized graphical user interface and network view preferences, the user'"'"'s defined management capabilities, and the user'"'"'s group access level for network device.