System and method for providing trickle resource discovery

• US 7,523,093 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2006
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fletcher, James C., Lake, John M., Dinger, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene; John E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kerzhner; Aleksandr
• Application Number:
  US11/325,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20070168554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer-usable medium for retrieving a first entry from a collection of trickle confirmation entries (associated with a first collection of resources that require configuration confirmation) from a trickle confirmation queue. A first resource among the first collection of resources associated with the first entry from the collection of trickle confirmation entries is queried for a potential change in configuration of the first resource. If a potential change in configuration is detected, the first entry from the collection of trickle confirmation entries is inserted on a trickle update queue. A first entry from a collection of trickle update entries (associated with a second collection of resources that require configuration update) is retrieved from the trickle update queue. Configuration information regarding a first resource associated with the first entry from the collection of trickle update entries is updated.

Claims

1. A computer-implementable method comprising:

retrieving a first entry from a plurality of trickle confirmation entries from a trickle confirmation queue stored in the memory of a computer, wherein the plurality of trickle confirmation entries from the trickle confirmation queue is associated with a first plurality of resources on a network, wherein the first plurality of resources require configuration confirmation, and wherein each entry in the trickle confirmation queue comprises;

a resource field that identifies a specific resource from the first plurality of resources,

a last confirmation time field that stores a last time that the specific resource was examined for resource changes, wherein the resource changes comprise changes to a driver for the specific resource,

a last update time field that indicates a last time that information stored in a discovery database was updated by a trickle update manager, wherein the discovery database stores information describing the resource changes, and wherein the trickle update manager monitors the specific resource for the resource changes to the specific resource, and

a potential change field that describes the resource changes for the specific resource;

in response to retrieving the first entry from the plurality of trickle confirmation entries, querying a first resource among the first plurality of resources associated with the first entry from the plurality of trickle confirmation entries for a potential change in configuration to the first resource;

in response to detecting a change to a configuration of the first resource, inserting the first entry from the plurality of trickle confirmation entries on a trickle update queue;

retrieving a first entry from a plurality of trickle update entries from the trickle update queue, wherein the plurality of trickle update entries from the trickle update queue is associated with a second plurality of resources on the network, wherein the first plurality of resources and the second plurality or resources are different sets of network resources, and wherein the second plurality of resources requires configuration update; and

in response to retrieving the first entry from the plurality of trickle update entries, updating configuration information regarding a first resource associated with the first entry from the plurality of trickle update entries.

2. The computer-implementable method according to claim 1, wherein querying the first resource for the potential change further comprises:

examining metadata in a configuration file associated with the first resource.

3. The computer-implementable method according to claim 1, wherein querying the first resource for the potential change further comprises:

computing a checksum over a configuration file associated with the first resource.

4. The computer-implementable method according to claim 1, further comprising:

writing the information to the discovery database.

5. A system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor; and

a computer-usable storage medium embodying computer program code, the computer-usable storage medium being coupled to the data bus, the computer program code comprising instructions executable by the processor and configured for;

retrieving a first entry from a plurality of trickle confirmation entries from a trickle confirmation queue, wherein the plurality of trickle confirmation entries from the trickle confirmation queue is associated with a first plurality of resources on a network, wherein the first plurality of resources require configuration confirmation, and wherein each entry in the trickle confirmation queue comprises;

a resource field that identifies a specific resource from the first plurality of resources,

a last confirmation time field that stores a last time that the specific resource was examined for resource changes, wherein the resource changes comprise changes to a driver for the specific resource,

a last update time field that indicates a last time that information stored in a discovery database was updated by a trickle update manager, wherein the discovery database stores information describing the resource changes, and wherein the trickle update manager monitors the specific resource for the resource changes to the specific resource, and

a potential change field that describes the resource changes for the specific resource;

in response to retrieving the first entry from the plurality of trickle confirmation entries, querying a first resource among the first plurality of resources associated with the first entry from the plurality of trickle confirmation entries for a potential change in configuration to the first resource;

in response to detecting change to a configuration of the first resource, inserting the first entry from the plurality of trickle confirmation entries on a trickle update queue;

retrieving a first entry from a plurality of trickle update entries from the trickle update queue, wherein the plurality of trickle update entries from the trickle update queue is associated with a second plurality of resources on the network, wherein the first plurality of resources and the second plurality or resources are different sets of network resources, and wherein the second plurality of resources requires configuration update; and

in response to retrieving the first entry from the plurality of trickle update entries, updating configuration information regarding a first resource associated with the first entry from the plurality of trickle update entries.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the instructions configured for querying the first resource for the potential change further include instructions configured for:

examining metadata in a configuration file associated with the first resource.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the instructions configured for querying the first resource for the potential change further include instructions configured for:

computing a checksum over a configuration file associated with the first resource.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein the instructions are further configured for:

writing the information to the discovery database.

9. A computer-usable storage medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

retrieving a first entry from a plurality of trickle confirmation entries from a trickle confirmation queue, wherein the plurality of trickle confirmation entries from the trickle confirmation queue is associated with a first plurality of resources on a network, wherein the first plurality of resources require configuration confirmation, and wherein each entry in the trickle confirmation queue comprises;

a resource field that identifies a specific resource from the first plurality of resources,

a last confirmation time field that stores a last time that the specific resource was examined for resource changes, wherein the resource changes comprise changes to a driver for the specific resource,

a last update time field that indicates a last time that information stored in a discovery database was updated by a trickle update manager, wherein the discovery database stores information describing the resource changes, and wherein the trickle update manager monitors the specific resource for the resource changes to the specific resource, and

a potential change field that describes the resource changes for the specific resource;

in response to retrieving the first entry from the plurality of trickle confirmation entries, querying a first resource among the first plurality of resources associated with the first entry from the plurality of trickle confirmation entries for a potential change in configuration to the first resource;

in response to detecting change to a configuration of the first resource, inserting the first entry from the plurality of trickle confirmation entries on a trickle update queue;

retrieving a first entry from a plurality of trickle update entries from the trickle update queue, wherein the plurality of trickle update entries from the trickle update queue is associated with a second plurality of resources on the network, wherein the first plurality of resources and the second plurality or resources are different sets of network resources, and wherein the second plurality of resources requires configuration update; and

in response to retrieving the first entry from the plurality of trickle update entries, updating configuration information regarding a first resource associated with the first entry from the plurality of trickle update entries.

10. The computer-usable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the computer executable instructions configured for querying the first resource for the potential change further comprises computer executable instructions configured for:

examining metadata in a configuration file associated with the first resource.

11. The computer-usable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the computer executable instructions configured for querying the first resource for the potential change further comprises computer executable instructions configured for:

computing a checksum over a configuration file associated with the first resource.

12. The computer-usable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the embodied computer program code further comprise computer executable instructions configured for:

writing the information to the discovery database.

13. The computer-usable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the computer executable instructions are deployable to a client computer from a server at a remote location.

14. The computer-usable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the computer executable instructions are provided by a service provider to a customer on an on-demand basis.