Network router management interface with API invoked via login stream

• US 7,363,351 B1
• Filed: 06/05/2006
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Shafer, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US11/446,839
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/224, 709/227, 709/220, 709/226, 707/2, 707/102, 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 connection between a network router and a client;

initiating a command line interface (CLI) process on the network router to receive non-encoded commands from the client;

receiving an “

XML mode”

command from the client by way of the CLI process, wherein the XML mode command is a non-encoded command that directs the network router to receive subsequent commands in an encoded format; and

in response to the XML mode command, accepting subsequent commands from the client that are encoded in accordance with an extensible markup language format.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein accepting subsequent commands comprises replacing the CLI process with a management server process that provides an extensible markup language-based application programming interface (API) to the client.

3. The method of claim 1, 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 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.

4. The method of claim 3, 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.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving at least some of the replies encoded with extensible markup language tags from one or more of the software modules.

6. The method of claim 3, 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.

7. The method of claim 6, 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.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the extensible markup language tags are defined by one or more data type definition (DTD) files.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the extensible markup language tags are defined by one or more XML Schema Language files.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the configuration requests include 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.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the extensible markup language is XML.

12. The method of claim 3, 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.

13. The method of claim 3, 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.

14. A network router management interface comprising:

a command line interface (CLI) module that receives non-encoded, text-based commands from a client; and

a management server module that receives the non-encoded, text-based commands from the CLI module and configures the network router in response to the non-encoded, text-based commands,

wherein in response in response to a non-encoded “

XML mode”

command received via the CLI, the management server accepts subsequent commands in an encoded format in accordance with an extensible markup language and configures the network router in response to the encoded subsequent commands.

15. The network router management interface of claim 14, wherein the management server module accepts the subsequent commands in encoded format by replacing the CLI module with the management server module and providing an extensible markup language-based application programming interface (API) to the client.

16. The network router management interface of claim 14, wherein the management server module:

receives from the client, following the replacement of the CLI module, 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.

17. The network router management interface of claim 16, 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.

18. The network router management interface of claim 17, 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.

19. The network router management interface of claim 16, 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.

20. The network router management interface of claim 19, 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.

21. The network router management interface of claim 16, wherein the extensible markup language tags are defined by one or more data type definition (DTD) files.

22. The network router management interface of claim 16, wherein the extensible markup language tags are defined by one or more XML Schema Language files.

23. The network router management interface of claim 16, 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.

24. The network router management interface of claim 16, wherein the extensible markup language is XML.

25. The network router management interface of claim 16, 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.