Vendor-independent network configuration tool
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- connecting, with a computing device that executes a network configuration tool, to a first network device from a first vendor, wherein the first network device stores a first set of configuration information;
adaptively extracting, with the network configuration tool, the first set of configuration information stored to the first network device by issuing vendor-specific commands to and receiving, in response to the commands, the first set of configuration information from a first management software interface presented by the first network device;
parsing, with the network configuration tool, from the first set of configuration information a first tag, wherein the first tag defines a configuration property for the first network device;
connecting, with the computing device, to a second network device from a second vendor, wherein the second network device stores a second set of configuration information;
adaptively extracting, with the network configuration tool, the second set of configuration information stored to the second network device by issuing commands to and receiving, in response to the commands, the second set of configuration information from a second management software interface presented by the second network device;
parsing, with the network configuration tool, from the second set of configuration information a second tag, wherein the second tag defines a configuration property for the second network device;
determining, with the network configuration tool, whether the first tag and the second tag are of a same kind of tag;
when the first and second tags are of the same kind of tag, determining that the first tag and second tag each define similar configuration properties that are comparable with the network configuration tool; and
when the first and second tags are of the same kind of tag, presenting, with the network device, aggregate configuration information in a manner that organizes the first and second tags based primarily on the kind and second tags and secondarily on the network devices from which the first and second sets of configuration information was received.
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Abstract
Techniques are described for managing and configuring network devices from a plurality of vendors with a single network configuration tool. This vendor-independent network configuration tool may extract configuration information stored to devices from disparate vendors, and parse tags from extracted configuration information. Each tag defines a configuration property. The tool may further analyze the tags to determine relationships and present configuration information based primarily on the determined relationship and only secondarily on the devices. The tool may also perform analysis on the tags to detect one or more errors or configuration inconsistencies, as well as, update or change tags, which causes the tool to push any changes to the appropriate device. Furthermore, the tool by automatically share information related to the above described steps with other vendor-independent network configuration tools to more quickly propagate efficient extraction and updating techniques.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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connecting, with a computing device that executes a network configuration tool, to a first network device from a first vendor, wherein the first network device stores a first set of configuration information; adaptively extracting, with the network configuration tool, the first set of configuration information stored to the first network device by issuing vendor-specific commands to and receiving, in response to the commands, the first set of configuration information from a first management software interface presented by the first network device; parsing, with the network configuration tool, from the first set of configuration information a first tag, wherein the first tag defines a configuration property for the first network device; connecting, with the computing device, to a second network device from a second vendor, wherein the second network device stores a second set of configuration information; adaptively extracting, with the network configuration tool, the second set of configuration information stored to the second network device by issuing commands to and receiving, in response to the commands, the second set of configuration information from a second management software interface presented by the second network device; parsing, with the network configuration tool, from the second set of configuration information a second tag, wherein the second tag defines a configuration property for the second network device; determining, with the network configuration tool, whether the first tag and the second tag are of a same kind of tag; when the first and second tags are of the same kind of tag, determining that the first tag and second tag each define similar configuration properties that are comparable with the network configuration tool; and when the first and second tags are of the same kind of tag, presenting, with the network device, aggregate configuration information in a manner that organizes the first and second tags based primarily on the kind and second tags and secondarily on the network devices from which the first and second sets of configuration information was received. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computing device comprising:
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a control unit comprising a processor that executes a network configuration tool to manage a plurality of network devices from different vendors, the network configuration tool comprising; a management interface module that connects to first and second network devices of the plurality of network devices, wherein the first network device is from a first vendor and stores a first set of configuration information, and the second network device is from a second vendor and stores a second set of configuration information; an extraction module that adaptively extracts the first and second sets of configuration information stored to the respective first and second network devices, interfaces with first and second management software interfaces presented by the first and second network devices, parses from the first and second sets of configuration information respective first and second tags, and stores the stores the first and second tags to a database, wherein the first tag defines a configuration property for the first network device and the second tag defines a configuration property for the second network device; a graph module that determines whether the first tag and the second tag are of a same kind of tag, and when the first and second tags are of the same kind of tag, determines that the first tag and second tag each define similar configuration properties that are comparable; and a user interface module that presents aggregate configuration information in a manner that organizes, when the first and second tags are the same kind of tag, the first and second tags based primarily on the kind and secondarily on the network devices from which the first and second sets of configuration information was received. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to:
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connect, with a computing device that includes a network configuration tool, to a first network device from a first vendor, wherein the first network device stores a first set of configuration information; adaptively extract, with the network configuration tool, the first set of configuration information stored to the first network device by interfacing with a first management software interface presented by the first network device; parse, with the network configuration tool, from the first set of configuration information a first tag; connect, with the computing device, to a second network device from a second vendor, wherein the second network device stores a second set of configuration information; adaptively extract, with the network configuration tool, the second set of configuration information stored to the second network device by interfacing with a second management software interface presented by the second network device; parse, with the network configuration tool, from the second set of configuration information a second tag; determine whether the first tag and the second tag are of a same kind of tag; when the first and second tags are of the same kind of tag, determining that the first tag and second tag each define similar configuration properties that are comparable with the network configuration tool; and when the first and second tags are of the same kind of tag, present aggregate configuration information in a manner that organizes the first and second tags based primarily on the kind and secondarily on the network devices from which the first and second sets of configuration information was received.
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Specification