Event management

• US 8,060,534 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2005
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infoblox Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Infoblox Incorporated
• Inventors: Ansari, Morteza, Bailey, Stuart M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUDDUS, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US11/232,466
• Time in Patent Office: 2,246 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/794
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5046 Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Managing network event information from a plurality of network appliances is disclosed. Each network appliance provides a network service and each has a version of a common database. Managing includes detecting network event information at a first network appliance, updating a version of the common database on the first network appliance with the network event information, and propagating the network event information to other versions of the database on other network appliances.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of managing event information, comprising:

using a processor to automatically detect at a first network appliance first event information regarding the first network appliance, wherein the first network appliance is one of a plurality of network appliances, each one of the plurality of network appliances provides a network identity service, and each one of the plurality of network appliances has a version of a common database containing common network identity service information;

provisionally updating a version of the common database on the first network appliance with the first event information, and permanently updating the version of the common database on the first network appliance with the first event information after a confirmation is received that there is no conflict updating the first event information on the first network appliance;

propagating the first event information to a second network appliance, wherein the second network appliance is one of the plurality of network appliances and the second network appliance has a different version of the common database, wherein the first event information is replicated to the version of common database on the second network appliance, wherein the first event information indicates that another network appliance has failed;

responding to the first event information, including determining whether to perform an action, wherein the action includes restarting a service based on the first event information and providing the network identity service previously provided by the failed network appliance; and

performing the action.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first network appliance is a master.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a master propagates the network information.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first event information is associated with the first network appliance.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first network appliance is a member.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein propagating includes propagating the first event information to a master.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the common database includes network service data or event information.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further including receiving an external command.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further including receiving an SNMP command.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the action is overridden by an SNMP command.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting includes detecting that a user has logged off.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the action includes deprovisioning data from the database.

13. A computer implemented system for managing event information, comprising:

a processor configured to;

automatically detect at a first network appliance event information regarding the first network appliance, wherein the first network appliance is one of a plurality of network appliances, each one of the plurality of network appliances provides a network identity service; and

each one of the plurality of network appliances has a version of a common database containing common network identity service information;

provisionally update a version of the common database on the first network appliance with the event information, and permanently updating the version of the common database on the first network appliance with the first event information after a confirmation is received that there is no conflict updating the first event information on the first network appliance; and

propagate the first event information to a second network appliance, wherein the second network appliance is one of the plurality of network appliances and the second network appliance has a different version of the common database, wherein the first event information is replicated to the version of common database on the second network appliance, wherein the first event information indicates that another network appliance has failed;

respond to the first event information, including determining whether to perform an action, wherein the action includes restarting a service based on the first event information and providing the network identity service previously provided by the failed network appliance; and

perform the action; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory provides the processor with instructions.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the first network appliance is a master.

15. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the first event information is associated with the first network appliance.

16. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the common database includes network service data or event information.

17. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to deprovision data from the database.

18. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program product executable in a computer system for managing event information, comprising computer instructions for:

automatically detecting at a first network appliance event information regarding the first network appliance, wherein the first network appliance is one of a plurality of network appliances, each one of the plurality of network appliances provides a network identity service, and each one of the plurality of network appliances has a version of a common database containing common network identity service information;

provisionally updating a version of the common database on the first network appliance with the first event information, and permanently updating the version of the common database on the first network appliance with the first event information after a confirmation is received that there is no conflict updating the first event information on the first network appliance; and

propagating the first event information to a second network appliance, wherein the second network appliance is one of the plurality of network appliances and the second network appliance has a different version of the common database, wherein the first event information is replicated to the version of common database on the second network appliance, wherein the first event information indicates that another network appliance has failed;

responding to the first event information, including determining whether to perform an action, wherein the action includes restarting a service based on the first event information and providing the network identity service previously provided by the failed network appliance; and

performing the action.

19. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the first network appliance is a master.

20. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the first event information is associated with the first network appliance.

21. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the common database includes network service data or event information.

22. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 18, the computer program product further comprising computer instructions for deprovisioning data from the database.