Method and system for managing network nodes which communicate via connectivity services of a service provider

• US 7,643,434 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Horner, Damian, Lamb, Richard David, Odenwald, Joseph M., Kuriakose, Anil A., Walding, Andrew, Menon, Sunil, Mandavilli, Swamy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu; Alpus H
• Application Number:
  US10/953,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20060072589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,923 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/395.53, 370/409, 709/203, 709/223
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/091 Measuring contribution of individual network components to actual service level

Abstract

A method is disclosed for managing network nodes, such as the nodes of a network, which communicate via connectivity services of a service provider. An exemplary method includes discovering status and configuration information for each set of nodes grouped by the service provider; and assigning a name to each set of nodes.

Claims

1. Method for managing network nodes which communicate via connectivity services of a service provider, comprising:

retrieving, by a management system, information from a virtual private network routing and forwarding (VRF) table of a router;

discovering, based at least in part on the retrieved VRF information, status and configuration information for each set of nodes grouped by the service provider, and status information of one or more router interfaces between the service provider and the nodes; and

assigning a name to each set of nodes.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the network is a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) virtual private network (VPN), and wherein each set of nodes is a VPN configured by the service provider.

3. Method according to claim 1, comprising:

storing the status and configuration information in a memory.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein the status and configuration information is stored in an extensible markup language (XML) file.

5. Method according to claim 2, wherein the status and configuration information includes a status for each VPN configured in the network.

6. Method according to claim 2, wherein the status and configuration information indicates where each VPN is deployed.

7. Method according to claim 2, wherein the status and configuration information indicates which edge routers of the network are involved with which VPN.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein the discovering is performed using information retrieved from the router by the management system which associates a router interface with the VRF table.

9. System for managing network nodes which communicate via connectivity services of a service provider, comprising:

a processor for;

retrieving information from a virtual private network routing and forwarding (VRF) table of a router; and

discovering, based at least in part on the retrieved VRF information, status and configuration information for each set of nodes grouped by the service provider, and status information of one or more router interfaces between the service provider and the nodes; and

for assigning a name to each set of nodes; and

a memory for storing the status and configuration information for use by the processor.

10. System according to claim 9, wherein the network is an multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) virtual private network (VPN), and wherein each set of nodes is a VPN configured by the service provider.

11. System according to claim 9, wherein the processor stores the status and configuration information in a memory.

12. System according to claim 10, wherein the status and configuration information is stored in an extensible markup language (XML) file.

13. System according to claim 10, wherein the status and configuration information includes a status for each VPN configured in the network.

14. System according to claim 10, wherein the status and configuration information indicates where each VPN is deployed.

15. System according to claim 10, wherein the status and configuration information indicates which edge routers of the network are involved with which VPN.

16. System according to claim 9, wherein the processor retrieves from the router and uses in the discovering information which associates a router interface with the VRF.

17. A computer readable medium for storing a computer program which configures a computer processor to:

retrieve information from a virtual private network routing and forwarding (VRF) table of a router;

discover, based at least in part on the retrieved information, status and configuration information for each set of nodes grouped by the service provider, and status information of one or more router interfaces between the service provider and the nodes; and

assign a name to each set of nodes.

18. A computer readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the network is an multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) virtual private network (VPN), and wherein each set of nodes is a VPN configured by the service provider.

19. A computer readable medium according to claim 17, comprising:

storing the status and configuration information in a memory.

20. A computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the status and configuration information is stored in an extensible markup language (XML) file.

21. A computer readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the status and configuration information includes a status for each VPN configured in the network.

22. A computer readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the status and configuration information indicates where each VPN is deployed.

23. A computer readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the status and configuration information indicates which edge routers of the network are involved with which VPN.

24. A computer readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the discovering is performed using information retrieved from the router which associates a router interface with the VRF table.

25. Apparatus for managing network nodes which communicate via connectivity services of a service provider, comprising;

means for retrieving information from a router virtual private network routing and forwarding (VRF) table;

means for discovering, based at least in part on the retrieved VRF information, status and configuration information for each set of nodes grouped by the service provider and status information of one or more router interfaces between the service provider and the nodes, and for assigning a name to each set of nodes; and

means for storing the status and configuration information for use by the discovering and assigning means.