Adapting a network topology

• US 8,352,866 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bethune, Iain A., Hutchison, Gordon D., Smith, Bruce J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Durkin, James T
• Application Number:
  US12/488,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20090327902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,296 Days
• Field of Search: 715735-737, 370229-240, 370254-258, 709223-226
• US Class Current: 715/735
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A mechanism is provided for adapting a network topology, in which the network topology comprises a plurality of points, a plurality of connections, each connection connecting a pair of points, and a zoneset comprising a plurality of zones, each zone defining a series of points that are connected. The mechanism performs operations of receiving one or more user inputs, each user input comprising a change to a zone, performing an analysis of the or each user input, to determine one or more consistent universal changes to the zoneset, presenting an output to the user comprising one or more of the determined consistent universal changes to the zoneset, receiving a selection user input selecting a presented consistent universal change to the zoneset, and changing the zoneset according to the selected consistent universal change to the zoneset.

Claims

1. A method of adapting a network topology, the network topology comprising a plurality of points, a plurality of connections, each connection connecting a pair of points, and a zoneset comprising a plurality of zones, each zone defining a series of points that are connected, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of user inputs from a user, wherein each of the plurality of user inputs comprises a change to a zone;

performing analysis of the plurality of user inputs to determine one or more consistent universal changes to the zoneset based on extrapolations derived from connectivity graphs, wherein the extrapolations comprise analyzing changes in edge connectivity between at least two points across more than one zone, the changes caused by an addition or removal of at least one point from a zone in the zone set, to generate an output;

presenting the output to the user comprising one or more of the determined consistent universal changes to the zoneset;

receiving a selection user input selecting a presented consistent universal change to be propagated to other zones in the zoneset; and

changing the zoneset according to the selected consistent universal change to be propagated to the other zones in the zoneset, wherein the one or more of the determined consistent universal changes effect a change to the other zones in the zoneset consistent with the one or more user inputs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the zoneset according to the selected consistent universal change to the zoneset comprises adding points to or deleting points from one or more zones.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user inputs comprise addition of a new point to a zone, and wherein performing analysis of the plurality of user inputs comprises identifying one or more potential types of the new point.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more consistent universal changes to the zoneset comprise one or more universal changes to the zoneset based on the one or more potential types of the new point.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting an output to the user comprising one or more of the determined consistent universal changes to the zoneset;

receiving a further user input, wherein the further user input comprises a change to a zone;

performing analysis of the further user input to determine universal changes to the zoneset, within the one or more consistent universal changes to the zoneset, that are still consistent with the plurality of user inputs and the further user input; and

presenting a new output to the user comprising the universal changes to the zoneset still determined to be consistent with the plurality of user inputs and the further user input.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the zoneset according to the selected consistent universal change to the zoneset comprises adding zones to or deleting zones from the zoneset.

5. The method of claim wherein the plurality of user inputs comprise deletion of a point from a zone, and wherein performing analysis of the plurality of user inputs comprises identifying one or more potential cancelled connections.

8. A system for adapting a network topology, the network topology comprising a plurality of points, a plurality of connections, each connection connecting a pair of points, and a zoneset comprising a plurality of zones, each zone defining a series of points that are connected, the system comprising:

a user interface arranged to receive a plurality of user inputs, wherein each of the plurality of user inputs comprises a change to a zone;

a processor arranged to perform analysis of the plurality of user inputs to determine one or more consistent universal changes to the zoneset based on extrapolations derived from connectivity graphs, wherein the extrapolations comprise analyzing changes in edge connectivity between at least two points across more than one zone, the changes caused by an addition or removal of at least one point from a zone in the zone set, to generate an output; and

a display device arranged to present the output to the user comprising one or more of the determined consistent universal changes to be propagated to other zones in the zoneset,

wherein the user interface is further arranged to receive a selection user input selecting a presented consistent universal change to the zoneset, and wherein the processor is further arranged to change the zoneset according to the selected consistent universal change to the zoneset, wherein the one or more of the determined consistent universal changes effect a change to other zones in the zoneset consistent with the one or more user inputs.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is arranged, when changing the zoneset according to the selected consistent universal change to the zoneset, to add points to or to delete points from one or more zones.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more user comprise addition of a new point to a zone, and wherein the processor is arranged, when performing analysis of the plurality of user inputs, to identify one or more potential types of the new point.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more consistent universal changes to the zoneset comprise one or more universal changes to the zoneset based on the one or more potential types of the new point.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of user inputs comprise deletion of a point from a zone, and wherein the processor is arranged, when performing analysis of the plurality of user inputs, to identify one or more potential cancelled connections.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the user interface is further arranged to receive a further user input, wherein the further user input comprises a change to a zone, wherein the processor is further arranged to perform analysis of the further user input to determine universal changes to the zoneset, within the consistent universal changes to the zoneset, that are still consistent with the plurality of user inputs and the further user input, and wherein the display device is further arranged to present a new output to the user comprising the universal changes to the zoneset still determined to be consistent with the plurality of user inputs and the further user input.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is arranged, when changing the zoneset according to the selected consistent universal change to the zoneset, to add zones to or to delete zones from the zoneset.

15. A computer program product for adapting a network topology, the network topology comprising a plurality of points, a plurality of connections, each connection connecting a pair of points, and a zoneset comprising a plurality of zones, each zone defining a series of points that are connected, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:

receive one or more user inputs from a user, wherein each of the one or more user inputs comprises a change to a zone;

perform analysis of each of the one or more user inputs to determine one or more consistent universal changes to the zoneset based on extrapolations derived from connectivity graphs, wherein the extrapolations comprise analyzing changes in edge connectivity between at least two points across more than one zone, the changes caused by an addition or removal of at least one point from a zone in the zone set, to generate an output;

present an output to the user comprising one or more of the determined consistent universal changes to the zoneset;

receive a selection user input selecting a presented consistent universal change to be propagated to other zones in the zoneset; and

change the zoneset according to the selected consistent universal change to the zoneset, wherein the one or more of the determined consistent universal changes effect a change to other zones in the zoneset consistent with the one or more user inputs.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein changing the zoneset according to the selected consistent universal change to the zoneset comprises adding points to or deleting points from one or more zones.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the plurality of user inputs comprise addition of a new point to a zone, and wherein performing analysis of the plurality of user inputs comprises identifying one or more potential types of the new point.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the plurality of user inputs comprise deletion of a point from a zone, and wherein performing analysis of the plurality of user inputs comprises identifying one or more potential cancelled connections.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to:

present an output to the user comprising one or more of the determined consistent universal changes to the zoneset;

receive a further user input, wherein the further user input comprises a change to a zone;

perform analysis of the further user input to determine universal changes to the zoneset, within the one or more consistent universal changes to the zoneset, that are still consistent with the plurality of user inputs and the further user input; and

present a new output to the user comprising the universal changes to the zoneset still determined to be consistent with the plurality of user inputs and the further user input.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein changing the zoneset according to the selected consistent universal change to the zoneset comprises adding zones to or deleting zones from the zoneset.