Network management system using virtual reality techniques to display and simulate navigation to network components

• US 8,291,324 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Battat, Reuven, Her, Michael, Sundaresh, Chandrasekha, Vinberg, Anders, Wang, Sidney
• Primary Examiner(s): HENNING, MATTHEW T
• Application Number:
  US09/949,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20020013837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,057 Days
• Field of Search: 345620-628, 345/633, 345/653, 345/664, 345/679, 709223-224, 715/736, 715/790
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0686 Additional information in the notification, e.g. enhancement of specific meta-data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/16 using machine learning or artificial intelligence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/969 Network layout and operation interface

Abstract

A network management system allows a network administrator to intuitively manage all components of a heterogeneous networked computer system using views of any component or any set of components. These views are generated in a multi-dimensional, virtual reality environment. Navigation tools are provided that allow an operator to travel through the network hierarchy'"'"'s representation in the virtual environment using an automatic flight mode. Automatic flight mode determines a reasonable trajectory to a network component that avoids collisions with intervening objects in the virtual environment. Since the system is capable of managing a world-wide network, city, building, subnet, segment, and computer, a view may also display internal hardware, firmware, and software of any network component. Views of network components may be filtered so only components pertaining to a specific business or other interest are displayed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining a list of visible objects in a scene, wherein at least a portion of the visible objects are components in a networked computer system;

filtering the list of visible objects based at least in part on a business interest selected by a user;

determining a position and orientation of at least one visible object from the filtered list;

determining a model for the at least one visible object based on the position and orientation of the at least one visible object;

determining a first portion of the visible objects that are within a first visualization range;

displaying the first portion of the visible objects;

in response to a navigation command, determining a second visualization range based at least in part on the navigation command;

determining a second portion of the visible objects that are within the second visualization range;

removing from the display any of the visible objects associated with the first portion but not the second portion of the visible objects;

displaying the second portion of the visible objects;

if the at least one visible object is not within the second visualization range, hiding a status indicator associated with the at least one visible object;

determining whether an automatic flight mode property has been set;

rendering the model for the at least one visible object; and

rendering a status indicator representing an aggregate status of the at least one visible object and at least one related object in the networked computer system, wherein the aggregate status is based at least in part on two or more alerts that are weighted according to importance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a complete scene change is required.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether an object has been added to the scene.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether an object has been deleted from the scene.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the model is rendered by a workstation; and

the list of visible objects is filtered such that the workstation omits displaying any components in the networked computer system that are not associated with the selected business interest.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected business interest is at least one of the following:

inventory;

payroll; and

accounting.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a plurality of status indicators; and

omitting any status indicators that indicate OK status.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the status indicator is based at least in part on loading and process queue length of at least one computer in the networked computer system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the status indicator is based at least in part on a number of users associated with at least one computer in the networked computer system.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a command to navigate closer to the at least one visible object, rendering one or more internal components of the at least one visible object; and

in response to a command to navigate further from the at least one visible object, hiding one or more internal components of the at least one visible object.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the scene is a first scene, and further comprising:

based at least in part on a command to navigate to a component in a second scene, determining a trajectory from the first scene to the second scene; and

displaying a flight from the first scene to the second scene, the displayed flight depicting the determined trajectory through a three-dimensional environment associated with the networked computer system.

12. A system, comprising:

a server operable to store one or more event notifications from one or more components in a networked computer system;

a workstation communicatively coupled to the server and operable to;

determine a list of visible objects in a scene, wherein at least a portion of the visible objects are components in a networked computer system;

filter the list of visible objects based at least in part on a business interest selected by a user;

determine a position and orientation of at least one visible object from the filtered list;

determine a model for the at least one visible object based on the position and orientation of the at least one visible object;

determine whether the at least one visible object is to be displayed within a predetermined visualization range;

if the at least one visible object is not within the predetermined visualization range, hide a status indicator associated with the at least one visible object;

determine whether an automatic flight mode property has been set;

render the model for the at least one visible object; and

render a status indicator representing an aggregate status of the at least one visible object and at least one related object in the networked computer system, wherein the aggregate status is based at least in part on two or more alerts that are weighted according to importance.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the list of visible objects is filtered such that the workstation omits displaying any components in the networked computer system that are not associated with the selected business interest.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the selected business interest is at least one of the following:

inventory;

payroll; and

accounting.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the workstation is operable to:

display a plurality of status indicators; and

omit any status indicators that indicate OK status.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the status indicator is based at least in part on loading and process queue length of at least one computer in the networked computer system.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the status indicator is based at least in part on a number of users associated with at least one computer in the networked computer system.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the workstation is operable to:

in response to a command to navigate closer to the at least one visible object, render one or more internal components of the at least one visible object; and

in response to a command to navigate further from the at least one visible object, hide one or more internal components of the at least one visible object.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the scene is a first scene; and

the workstation is further operable to;

based at least in part on a command to navigate to a component in a second scene, determine a trajectory from the first scene to the second scene; and

display a flight from the first scene to the second scene, the displayed flight depicting the determined trajectory through a three-dimensional environment associated with the networked computer system.