System and method for synchronizing the configuration of distributed network management applications

• US 7,523,184 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2003
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kortright, Kris
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALL, EL HADJI MALICK
• Application Number:
  US10/456,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20040128370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,146 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/220, 709/221, 709/223
• 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 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A change management system to synchronize the configuration of network management applications. Traditional network management systems are maintained by hand-entering device lists into individual network management applications with no common-ties between the different applications. Whenever a network management application is changed or upgraded, it frequently becomes necessary to insure that the upgrade is populated throughout the network in order for devices to talk to one another in an error free way. The present invention is a system and method that automates the change management process in a real-time using a two-way communications model that permits a central database to affect changes on all or some network management applications/systems in the field, while also allowing those same field systems to affect the central database thereby reducing the time required for updating and monitoring a system when device changes take place.

Claims

1. A change management system comprising:

a plurality of network management objects connected to a network, wherein each network management object is associated with network management object configuration information;

a plurality of network application servers, wherein one or more applications reside on each network application server;

a datastore, wherein the datastore comprises last known configuration information associated with the network management objects; and

a core engine connected to the network, wherein the core engine comprises instructions for;

polling the plurality of network management objects for current configuration information of each of the plurality of network management objects;

receiving the current configuration information from each of the plurality of network management objects; and

for each of the network management objects,

making a determination as to whether a current network management object configuration information is different from a last known network management object configuration information as stored in the datastore;

if the current network management object configuration information is different from the last known network management object configuration information, then processing the current network management object configuration information received from the network management object to obtain a new network management object configuration file;

identifying an application that uses the configuration information of the network management object; and

sending the new network management object configuration file to each of the plurality of application servers on which the identified application resides.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the network management object comprises a configurable device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of a switch, a modem, and a server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the network management object comprises a configurable application.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the configurable application is selected from the group consisting of a poller, a reporting engine, a network portal, and an access control server.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the core engine further comprises instructions for updating the datastore with the current network management object configuration information of the network management object.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the network management object has no last known configuration information.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a controller server associated with at least one of the plurality of application servers on which the identified application resides, wherein the controller server comprises instructions for:

receiving the new network management object configuration file;

converting the new network management object configuration file into a format accepted by the identified application; and

updating a configuration of the identified application with an appropriate converted configuration.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller server further comprises instructions for:

determining whether the identified application is successfully updated; and

if the identified application is not successfully updated, issuing an alert.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a controller server associated with one of the plurality of application servers and with a buddy application server, wherein the controller server comprises instructions for:

monitoring connectivity between the one of the plurality of network application servers and the buddy network application server;

if the connectivity between the one of the plurality of network application servers and the buddy network application server is lost, then launching on the one of the plurality of network application servers a backup instance of an application operated by the buddy network application server;

operating the back-up instance of the application on the one of the plurality of network application servers so as to perform the tasks of the buddy network application server;

monitoring the connectivity between the one of the plurality of network application servers and the buddy network application server; and

if connectivity between the one of the plurality of network application servers and the buddy network application server is restored, then shutting down the backup instance of the application on the one of the plurality of network application servers.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is selected from the group consisting of a hybrid fiber network, a wired network, and a wireless network.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is an intranet.

14. A method for managing change on a network, wherein the network comprises a plurality of network application servers, wherein one or more applications reside on each network application server, and a plurality of network management objects connected to the network, wherein each network management object is associated with network management object configuration information, the method comprising:

polling the plurality of network management objects for current configuration information;

receiving the current network management object configuration information from each of the plurality of network management objects;

accessing a datastore comprising last known configuration information associated with a network management object;

determining whether the current network management object configuration information is different from the last known network management object configuration information as stored in the datastore;

if the current network management object configuration information is different from the last known network management object configuration information, then processing the current network management object configuration information received from the network management object to obtain a new network management object configuration file;

identifying an application that uses the configuration information of the network management object; and

sending the new network management object configuration file to each of the plurality of application servers on which the identified application resides.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the network management object comprises a configurable device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of a switch, a modem, and a server.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the network management object comprises a configurable application.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the configurable application is selected from the group consisting of a poller, a reporting engine, a network portal, and an access control server.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising updating the datastore with the current network management object configuration information of the network management object.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the network management object has no last known network management object configuration information.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the network further comprises a controller server associated with at least one of the plurality of application servers on which the identified application resides and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving at the controller server the new network management object configuration file;

converting the new network management object configuration file into a format accepted by the identified application; and

updating a configuration of the identified application with an appropriate converted configuration.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

determining whether the identified application is success fully updated; and

if the identified application is not successfully updated, issuing an alert.

23. The method of claim 14 wherein the network further comprises a buddy network application server and wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring connectivity between one of the plurality of network application servers and a buddy network application server;

if the connectivity between the one of the plurality of network application servers and the buddy network application server is lost, then launching on the one of the plurality of network application servers a backup instance of an application operated by the buddy network application server;

operating the backup instance of the application on the one of the plurality of network application servers so as to perform the tasks of the buddy network application server on the network application server;

monitoring the connectivity between the one of the plurality of network application servers and the buddy network application server; and

if connectivity between the one of the plurality of network application servers and the buddy network application server is restored, then shutting down the backup instance of the application on the one of the plurality of network application servers.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the network is selected from the group consisting of a hybrid fiber network, a wired network, and a wireless network.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the network is the Internet.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein the network is an intranet.