Method for network management using a virtual machine in a network device

• US 7,412,701 B1
• Filed: 04/22/2002
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mitra, Somnath
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): WU, QING YUAN
• Application Number:
  US10/127,961
• Time in Patent Office: 2,304 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-226, 709/250, 709238-248, 718/1, 717168-178, 370/241, 370/254, 370351-430, 370465-467
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45504 Abstract machines for programme code execution, e.g. Java virtual machine [JVM], interpreters, emulators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

An approach for improving a network management system by using a virtual machine in a network device is described. Applets are created and downloaded to the network device via flash memory or trivial file transfer protocol (“TFTP”). A loader environment in the virtual machine loads the applet for execution. The virtual machine converts the applet into machine code and executes said applet in said network device. This approach is supported by porting a virtual machine that executes a high level operating language to an operating system in a network device is described. A build process is executed wherein makefiles of the operating system and virtual machine are modified. Modifying the operating system code comprises providing an entry point to the virtual machine by starting an operating system process using a command line interface (“CLI”), the CLI accepting the class file as a parameter to start the application, and terminating the operating system process for the virtual machine upon exit from the application. Further, modifying virtual machine code comprises transforming the virtual machine code to pertain to the operating system platform. Finally, a set of interfaces for users is provided. As a result, Java® applets, for example, may be executed in a router.

Claims

1. A method of performing network management operations using a virtual machine that executes a high-level programming language and is hosted by a network routing device, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving one or more applets expressed in the high-level programming language at the network routing device;

loading the one or more applets for execution;

converting the one or more applets into one or more sets of machine code;

executing the sets of machine code in the network device, wherein executing the sets of machine code provides immediate access to real-time data of the device, performs dynamic management of network protocols, and displays the real-time data synchronized to a system clock of the network routing device;

consolidating event logs, user specific control tasks, and user specific monitoring tasks at the network routing device, and providing periodic updates from the network routing device; and

providing the virtual machine in the network routing device by executing a build process of an operating system, wherein the build process performs a build of the virtual machine.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said network routing device is a router in a packet-switched data network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of receiving one or more applets comprises the steps of downloading one or more Java applets.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of receiving one or more applets comprises the steps of transferring said applets to the virtual machine via router flash memory.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of receiving one or more applets comprises the steps of transferring said applets to the virtual machine via trivial file transfer protocol.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of loading the one or more applets for execution comprises the steps of loading the one or more applets into a loader environment of the virtual machine.

7. A computer-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for improving a network management system by performing network management operations using a virtual machine that executes a high-level programming language and is hosted by a network routing device, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

receiving one or more applets expressed in the high-level programming language at the network routing device;

loading the one or more applets for execution;

converting the one or more applets into one or more sets of machine code;

executing the sets of machine code in the network device, wherein executing the sets of machine code provides immediate access to real-time data of the device, performs dynamic management of network protocols, and displays the real-time data synchronized to a system clock of the network routing device;

consolidating event logs, user specific control tasks, and user specific monitoring tasks at the network routing device, and providing periodic updates from the network routing device; and

providing the virtual machine in the network routing device by executing a build process of an operating system, wherein the build process performs a build of the virtual machine.

8. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7 wherein said network routing device is a router in a packet-switched data network.

9. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the instructions for receiving one or more applets comprise instructions which when executed cause downloading one or more Java applets.

10. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7 wherein the instructions for receiving one or more applets comprise instructions which when executed cause transferring said applets to the virtual machine via router flash memory.

11. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7 wherein the instructions for receiving one or more applets comprise instructions which when executed cause transferring said applets to the virtual machine via trivial file transfer protocol.

12. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7 wherein the instructions for loading the one or more applets for execution comprise instructions which when executed cause loading the one or more applets into a loader environment of the virtual machine.

13. A network routing device for performing network management operations using a virtual machine that executes a high-level programming language, the network routing device comprising:

means for receiving one or more applets expressed in the high-level programming language at the network routing device;

means for loading the one or more applets for execution;

means for converting the one or more applets into one or more sets of machine code;

means for executing the sets of machine code in the network device, wherein the means for executing the sets of machine code provides immediate access to real-time data of the device, performs dynamic management of network protocols, and displays the real-time data synchronized to a system clock of the network routing device;

means for consolidating event logs, user specific control tasks, and user specific monitoring tasks at the network routing device, and for providing periodic updates from the network routing device; and

means for providing the virtual machine in the network routing device by

executing a build process of an operating system, wherein the build process performs a build of the virtual machine.

14. The network routing device of claim 13, wherein said network routing device is a router in a packet-switched data network.

15. The network routing device of claim 13, wherein the means receiving the one or more applets comprise means for downloading one or more Java applets.

16. The network routing device of claim 13, wherein the means for receiving the one or more applets comprise means for transferring said applets to the virtual machine via router flash memory.

17. The network routing device of claim 13, wherein the means for receiving one or more applets comprise means for transferring said applets to the virtual machine via trivial file transfer protocol.

18. A network routing device for performing network management operations using a virtual machine that executes a high-level programming language, the network routing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory comprising one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising;

receiving one or more applets expressed in the high-level programming language at the network routing device;

loading the one or more applets for execution;

converting the one or more applets into one or more sets of machine code;

executing the sets of machine code in the network device, wherein executing the sets of machine code provides immediate access to real-time data of the device, performs dynamic management of network protocols, and displays the real-time data synchronized to a system clock of the network routing device;

consolidating event logs, user specific control tasks, and user specific monitoring tasks at the network routing device, and providing periodic updates from the network routing device; and

providing the virtual machine in the network routing device by

executing a build process of an operating system, wherein the build process performs a build of the virtual machine.

19. The network routing device of claim 18, wherein said network routing device is a router in a packet-switched data network.

20. The network routing device of claim 18, wherein the instructions for receiving one or more applets comprise instructions which when executed cause downloading one or more Java applets.

21. The network routing device of claim 18, wherein the instructions for receiving one or more applets comprise instructions which when executed cause transferring said applets to the virtual machine via router flash memory.

22. The network routing device of claim 18, wherein the instructions for receiving one or more applets comprise instructions which when executed cause transferring said applets to the virtual machine via trivial file transfer protocol.

23. The network routing device of claim 18, wherein the instructions for loading the one or more applets for execution comprise instructions which when executed cause loading the one or more applets into a loader environment of the virtual machine.