Dynamic web resource provisioning

• US 8,898,658 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2010
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ciccone, Michael Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): ST LEGER, GEOFFREY R
• Application Number:
  US12/826,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20110321032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57

Abstract

In one embodiment, Dynamic Web Resource Provisioning (DWRP) is a web services based mechanism for dynamic web services application programming interface (API) extensibility. A director network device provisions one or more agent network devices with a message in the form of a POST request to a first API. The message includes instruction configured to extend a second API in the agent network device. The director network device delivers dynamic language code to the second API by way of a PUT request.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending, by a director network device, a message to a first application programming interface (API) of at least one agent network device, wherein the first API includes a provisioning API configured to provision the message to a second API, wherein the message includes instructions configured to enable the second API in the at least one agent network device to extend itself, and wherein the self-extension of the second API includes adding web services functions; and

delivering, by the director network device, dynamic language code to the second API via the provisioning API, wherein the dynamic language code defines a contract between the director network device and the at least one agent network device using the added web services functions, wherein the at least one agent network device includes a first agent network device and a second agent network device, and wherein the contract defines parameters and error handling in a first web service application in the first agent network device and a second web service application in the second agent network device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting a list of existing web service resources in the at least one agent network device before sending the message; and

comparing the web service application to be provisioned to the list of existing web service resources.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

invoking the dynamic language code using a uniform resource identifier (URI) defined by the contract.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering dynamic language code to the second API comprises a PUT request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending a message to the first API comprises a POST request.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving status information from the at least one agent network device; and

displaying the status information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scheduling an upgrade on the first agent network device and the second agent network device, wherein execution of the dynamic language code installs the upgrade on the first agent network device and the second agent network device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first web service application and the second web service application are the same web service application.

9. A non-transitory tangible storage media, included in a director network device, comprising stored instructions for execution by a processor and when executed, configured to:

send a message to a first application programming interface (API) of at least two agent network devices, wherein the first API includes a provisioning API configured to provision the message to a second API, wherein the message includes instructions configured to enable the second API in the at least two agent network devices to extend itself, wherein the self-extension of the second API includes adding web services functions; and

deliver dynamic language code to the second API via the provisioning API, wherein the dynamic language code defines a contract with the at least two agent network devices using the added web services functions, and wherein the contract defines parameters and error handling for a web service application in the at least two agent network devices.

10. The non-transitory tangible storage media of claim 9, further operable to:

request a list of installed web service applications in the at least two agent network devices before sending the message; and

compare the web service application to the list of installed web service applications.

11. The non-transitory tangible storage media of claim 9, wherein the contract defines a web service application and uniform resource identifier (URI) for invoking the dynamic language code.

12. The non-transitory tangible storage media of claim 9, further comprising:

receive status information from the at least two agent network devices; and

display the status information.

13. The non-transitory tangible storage media of claim 9, further operable to:

schedule an upgrade on the at least two agent network devices, wherein execution of the dynamic language code installs the upgrade on the at least two agent network devices.

14. The non-transitory tangible storage media of claim 9, further operable to:

receive status information from the at least two agent network devices; and

display the status information.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a first application programming interface (API), stored in a memory device, that includes a provisioning API configured to receive a message from a first network device and provision the message to a second API;

the second API, stored in the memory device, configured to extend itself by instructions in the message provisioned by the provisioning API and configured to receive dynamic language code from the first network device via the provisioning API; and

an execution engine, stored in the memory device, configured to execute the dynamic language code received from the first network device according to the self-extended second API and a contract between the first network device and the apparatus defined by the dynamic language code, wherein the contract defines parameters and error handling in a first web service application in the first network device and a second web service application in a second network device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein receiving code at the second API comprises a PUT request.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein receiving a message at the first API comprises a POST request.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the contract defines a uniform resource identifier (URI) for invoking the dynamic language code.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first web service application and the second web service application are the same web service application.