Comparing configuration information for a data forwarding device
First Claim
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1. A processor-executable method comprising:
- a) accepting at least a part of a selected set of configuration information for a data forwarding device;
b) accepting at least a part of a set of candidate configuration information for the data forwarding device; and
c) determining, using at least one processor, differences, if any, between the at least a part of the set of candidate configuration information for the data forwarding device, andthe at least a part of the selected set of configuration information for the data forwarding device,wherein the set of candidate configuration information for the data forwarding device includes a plurality of statements,wherein a first statement of the plurality of statements of the set of candidate configuration information for the data forwarding device contains a second statement of the plurality of statements to define at least a part of a hierarchical configuration,wherein the selected set of configuration information for the data forwarding device includes a plurality of statements,wherein a first statement of the plurality of statements of the selected set of configuration information for the data forwarding device contains a second statement of the plurality of statements to define at least a part of a hierarchical configuration,wherein the at least the part of the set of candidate configuration information only includes a defined first statement and any of the plurality of statements that are descendants of the defined first statement in the hierarchical configuration, andwherein the at least the part of the selected set of configuration information includes a corresponding first statement and any of the plurality of statements that are descendants of the defined first statement in the hierarchical configuration.
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Abstract
Techniques for comparing sets of configuration information for data forwarding devices, such as routers, are disclosed. Scoping may be used to limit comparisons to particular hierarchical levels and/or categories of sets of configuration information. Different users may have different permissions regarding viewing, or editing different parts of configuration information.
30 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A processor-executable method comprising:
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a) accepting at least a part of a selected set of configuration information for a data forwarding device; b) accepting at least a part of a set of candidate configuration information for the data forwarding device; and c) determining, using at least one processor, differences, if any, between the at least a part of the set of candidate configuration information for the data forwarding device, and the at least a part of the selected set of configuration information for the data forwarding device, wherein the set of candidate configuration information for the data forwarding device includes a plurality of statements, wherein a first statement of the plurality of statements of the set of candidate configuration information for the data forwarding device contains a second statement of the plurality of statements to define at least a part of a hierarchical configuration, wherein the selected set of configuration information for the data forwarding device includes a plurality of statements, wherein a first statement of the plurality of statements of the selected set of configuration information for the data forwarding device contains a second statement of the plurality of statements to define at least a part of a hierarchical configuration, wherein the at least the part of the set of candidate configuration information only includes a defined first statement and any of the plurality of statements that are descendants of the defined first statement in the hierarchical configuration, and wherein the at least the part of the selected set of configuration information includes a corresponding first statement and any of the plurality of statements that are descendants of the defined first statement in the hierarchical configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method comprising:
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a) accepting at least a part of a selected set of configuration information for a data forwarding device; b) accepting at least a part of a set of candidate configuration information for the data forwarding device; and c) determining differences, if any, between the at least a part of the set of candidate configuration information for the data forwarding device, and the at least a part of the selected set of configuration information for the data forwarding device, wherein the act of accepting at least a part of a selected set of configuration information for a data forwarding device is performed by accessing a storage device of the data forwarding device, wherein the act of accepting at least a part of a set of candidate configuration information for the data forwarding device is performed by accessing a storage device of the data forwarding device; and wherein the act of determining differences, if any, between the at least the part of the set of candidate configuration information for the data forwarding device, and the at least the part of the selected set of configuration information for the data forwarding device, is performed by a component of the data forwarding device. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A processor-executable method comprising:
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a) accepting at least a part of a selected set of configuration information for a data forwarding device; b) accepting at least a part of a set of candidate configuration information for the data forwarding device; and c) determining, using at least one processor, differences, if any, between the at least a part of the set of candidate configuration information for the data forwarding device, and the at least a part of the selected set of configuration information for the data forwarding device, wherein the set of candidate configuration information for the data forwarding device includes a plurality of statements, wherein the selected set of configuration information for the data forwarding device includes a plurality of statements, and wherein the act of determining differences, if any, between the at least a part of the set of candidate configuration information for the data forwarding device, and the at least a part of the selected set of configuration information for the data forwarding device, considers changes to statements without regard to parameter values. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. In a data forwarding device, a facility for checking at least a part of a set of candidate configuration information, the facility comprising:
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a) a storage device for storing at least one set of configuration information for the data forwarding device; b) an input facility for i) accepting at least a part of a selected one of the at least one set of configuration information for a data forwarding device accessed from the storage device of the data forwarding device, and ii) accepting at least a part of a set of candidate configuration information for the data forwarding device accessed from the storage device of the data forwarding device; and c) a configuration comparison facility for determining differences, if any, between the at least a part of the set of candidate configuration information for the data forwarding device, and the at least a part of the selected one of the at least one set of configuration information for the data forwarding device.
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16. A method for determining differences in at least a part of sets of configuration information, comprising:
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a) accepting at least a part of a first set of configuration information for a data forwarding device, wherein the first set of configuration information has not been saved on the data forwarding device as a committed configuration, and wherein no copied instance of the first set of configuration information has been saved on the data forwarding device as a committed configuration; b) accepting at least a part of a second set of configuration information for the data forwarding device, wherein the second set of configuration information has been saved on the data forwarding device; c) determining, using at least one processor, differences, if any, between the first set of configuration information for a data forwarding device, and the second set of configuration information for a data forwarding device; and d) displaying using a display device the determined differences, wherein the determined differences are indicated by at least one of special characters preceding changed lines of configuration information, special symbols preceding changed lines of configuration information, special font characteristics applied to changed versus unchanged lines of the configuration information, and special font characteristics applied to changed versus unchanged sections of the configuration information. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. In a data forwarding device, a facility for comparing at least a part of sets of configuration information, the facility comprising:
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a) a storage device for storing at least two sets of configuration information for the data forwarding device; b) an input facility for i) accepting at least a part of a first selected one of the at least two sets of configuration information for the data forwarding device accessed from the storage device of the data forwarding device, and ii) accepting at least a part of a second selected one of the at least two sets of configuration information for the data forwarding device accessed from the storage device of the data forwarding device; and c) a configuration comparison facility for determining differences, if any, between the first selected one of the at least two sets of configuration information for the data forwarding device, and the second selected one of the at least two sets of configuration information for the data forwarding device.
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26. A method comprising:
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receiving with a data forwarding device, a first set of configuration information for the data forwarding device, wherein the first set of configuration information has not yet been committed on the data forwarding device, and wherein no copied instance of the first set of configuration information has been saved on the data forwarding device as a committed configuration; receiving with the data forwarding device, a second set of configuration information for the data forwarding device; determining with the data forwarding device, differences between the first and second sets of configuration information; and displaying, using a display device, the determined differences, wherein the determined differences are indicated by at least one of special characters preceding changed lines of configuration information, special symbols preceding changed lines of configuration information, special font characteristics applied to changed versus unchanged lines of the configuration information, and special font characteristics applied to changed versus unchanged sections of the configuration information. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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Specification