Configuration commit database approach and session locking approach in a two-stage network device configuration process
First Claim
1. A machine-implemented method, comprising:
- storing, at a network device, configuration commands of a previous request received from a particular user without applying the configuration commands on the network device until a first request to change a current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands is received from the particular user;
in response to receiving the first request to change the current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands, assigning an exclusive lock to the particular user, wherein the exclusive lock prevents any other user who is not assigned the exclusive lock from changing the current operational state of the network device;
changing, under the exclusive lock, the current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands, wherein changing the current operational state includes applying the stored configuration commands to the current operational configuration of the network device;
updating configuration history that describes a plurality of operational states of the network device to reflect the configuration commands;
receiving a second request from a client to view a subset of the configuration history data, wherein the second request identifies the subset by an association with a particular period of time or a particular operational state of the network device; and
transmitting the subset to the client.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for modifying the configuration of a network device, such as a router, using a two-stage configuration model is provided. A first request from a user for a change in configuration of a network device is received. Configuration data associated with the first request is stored. A second request to modify the configuration of the network device to reflect the configuration data is received. An exclusive lock on the network device is assigned to the user preventing other users from modifying the configuration of the network device. The current operational state of the network device is modified to reflect the configuration data, which is then stored in a device configuration database. Users can view configuration history data to view prior configurations of the network device. Multiple users may modify the network device without interfering with one another because conflicts are avoided through use of an exclusive lock.
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Citations
60 Claims
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1. A machine-implemented method, comprising:
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storing, at a network device, configuration commands of a previous request received from a particular user without applying the configuration commands on the network device until a first request to change a current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands is received from the particular user; in response to receiving the first request to change the current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands, assigning an exclusive lock to the particular user, wherein the exclusive lock prevents any other user who is not assigned the exclusive lock from changing the current operational state of the network device; changing, under the exclusive lock, the current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands, wherein changing the current operational state includes applying the stored configuration commands to the current operational configuration of the network device; updating configuration history that describes a plurality of operational states of the network device to reflect the configuration commands; receiving a second request from a client to view a subset of the configuration history data, wherein the second request identifies the subset by an association with a particular period of time or a particular operational state of the network device; and transmitting the subset to the client. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A machine-implemented method, comprising:
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storing, at a network device, configuration commands of a previous request received from a first user, of a plurality of users, without applying the configuration commands on the network device until a first request to change a current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands is received from the first user; in response to receiving the first request to change the current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands, assigning an exclusive lock to the first user, wherein the exclusive lock prevents any other user of the plurality of users who is not assigned the exclusive lock from changing the current operational state of the network device; in response to assigning the exclusive lock to the first user, updating a set of data that describes which user of the plurality of users is currently assigned the exclusive lock; changing, under the exclusive lock, the current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands, wherein changing the current operational state includes applying the stored configuration commands to the current operational configuration of the network device; and in response to receiving, from a second user of the plurality of users, a second request to change the current operational state of the network device, automatically transmitting a notification to the second user that the second request is rejected because another user of the plurality of users is assigned the exclusive lock. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A machine-readable volatile or non-volatile medium storing one or more sequences of instructions, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
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storing, at a network device, configuration commands of a previous request received from a particular user without applying the configuration commands on the network device until a first request to change a current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands is received from the particular user; in response to receiving the first request to change the current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands, assigning an exclusive lock to the particular user, wherein the exclusive lock prevents any other user who is not assigned the exclusive lock from changing the current operational state of the network device; changing, under the exclusive lock, the current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands, wherein changing the current operational state includes applying the stored configuration commands to the current operational configuration of the network device; updating configuration history that describes a plurality of operational states of the network device to reflect the configuration commands; receiving a second request from a client to view a subset of the configuration history data, wherein the second request identifies the subset by an association with a particular period of time or a particular operational state of the network device; and transmitting the subset to the client. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A machine-readable volatile or non-volatile medium storing one or more sequences of instructions, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
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storing, at a network device, configuration commands of a previous request received from a first user, of a plurality of users, without applying the configuration commands on the network device until a first request to change a current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands is received from the first user; in response to receiving the first request to change the current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands, assigning an exclusive lock to the first user, wherein the exclusive lock prevents any other user of the plurality of users who is not assigned the exclusive lock from changing the current operational state of the network device; in response to assigning the exclusive lock to the first user, updating a set of data that describes which user of the plurality of users is currently assigned the exclusive lock; changing, under the exclusive lock, the current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands, wherein changing the current operational state includes applying the stored configuration commands to the current operational configuration of the network device; and in response to receiving, from a second user of the plurality of users, a second request to change the current operational state of the network device, automatically transmitting a notification to the second user that the second request is rejected because another user of the plurality of users is assigned the exclusive lock. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An apparatus operable as a network device, comprising:
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means for storing configuration commands of a previous request received from a particular user without applying the configuration commands on the network device until a first request to change a current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands is received from the particular user; means for assigning, in response to receiving the first request to change the current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands, an exclusive lock to the particular user, wherein the exclusive lock prevents any other user who is not assigned the exclusive lock from changing the current operational state of the network device; means for changing, under the exclusive lock, the current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands, wherein the means for changing the current operational state include means for applying the stored configuration commands to the current operational configuration of the network device; means for updating configuration history that describes a plurality of operational states of the network device to reflect the configuration commands; means for receiving a second request from a client to view a subset of the configuration history data, wherein the second request identifies the subset by an association with a particular period of time or a particular operational state of the network device; and means for transmitting the subset to the client. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. An apparatus operable as a network device, comprising:
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means for storing configuration commands of a previous request received from a first user, of a plurality of users, without applying the configuration commands on the network device until a first request to change a current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands is received from the first user; means for assigning, in response to receiving the first request to change the current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands, an exclusive lock to the first user, wherein the exclusive lock prevents any other user of the plurality of users who is not assigned the exclusive lock from changing the current operational state of the network device; means for updating a set of data that describes which user of the plurality of users is currently assigned the exclusive lock in response to assigning the exclusive lock to the first user; means for changing, under the exclusive lock, the current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands, wherein the means for changing the current operational state include means for applying the stored configuration commands to the current operational configuration of the network device; and means for automatically transmitting a notification to a second user, of the plurality of users, that a second request to change the current operational state of the network device is rejected because another user of the plurality of users is assigned the exclusive lock in response to receiving the second request from the second user. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. An apparatus operable as a network device, the apparatus comprising one or more processors and a non-volatile medium storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
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storing, at the network device, configuration commands of a previous request received from a particular user without applying the configuration commands on the network device until a first request to change a current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands is received from the particular user; in response to receiving the first request to change the current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands, assigning an exclusive lock to the particular user, wherein the exclusive lock prevents any other user who is not assigned the exclusive lock from changing the current operational state of the network device; changing, under the exclusive lock, the current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands, wherein changing the current operational state includes applying the stored configuration commands to the current operational configuration of the network device; updating configuration history that describes a plurality of operational states of the network device to reflect the configuration commands; receiving a second request from a client to view a subset of the configuration history data, wherein the second request identifies the subset by an association with a particular period of time or a particular operational state of the network device; and transmitting the subset to the client. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. An apparatus operable as a network device, the apparatus comprising one or more processors and a non-volatile medium storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
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storing, at the network device, configuration commands of a previous request received from a first user, of a plurality of users, without applying the configuration commands on the network device until a first request to change a current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands is received from the first user; in response to receiving the first request to change the current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands, assigning an exclusive lock to the first user, wherein the exclusive lock prevents any other user of the plurality of users who is not assigned the exclusive lock from changing the current operational state of the network device; in response to assigning the exclusive lock to the first user, updating a set of data that describes which user of the plurality of users is currently assigned the exclusive lock; changing, under the exclusive lock, the current operational state of the network device to reflect the configuration commands, wherein changing the current operational state includes applying the stored configuration commands to the current operational configuration of the network device; and in response to receiving, from a second user of the plurality of users, a second request to change the current operational state of the network device, automatically transmitting a notification to the second user that the second request is rejected because another user of the plurality of users is assigned the exclusive lock. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60)
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Specification