Integrated view of network management data

• US 8,997,000 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2011
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ebtekar, Ali, Shurtleff, Mark, Gotesdyner, Rony, Digirolamo, David
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOOMQUIST, KEITH D
• Application Number:
  US13/278,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20120192075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,258 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1254 Automatic configuration, e.g. by driver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport

Abstract

In an embodiment, a method comprises: receiving a first request for network management information, the first request identifying at least one of a user, a user device, or a user application; determining a first set of user information for a given user, the determination being based on the first request and data stored in a network database, identifying one or more interrelations in the first set of user information that represent logical connections within the first set of user information; creating a first information tree rooted at data representing a user location and organized according to the one or more interrelations, the first information tree being based on the first set of user information and being created in memory of a network management computer; and displaying, based on the first information tree, the one or more interrelations and the first set of user information, network management information for the user.

Claims

1. A data processing method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a first request for network management information, the first request identifying at least one of a given user, a user device of the given user, or a user application executed by the given user;

determining a first set of user information only for the given user based on one or more of user network device accesses, a connection status, or consumption of applications, services, or data, the determination being based on the first request and data stored in a network database;

wherein the first set of user information comprises performance measurements of two or more devices associated with the given user;

identifying, based at least in part on the first set of user information, one or more interrelations in the first set of user information that represent logical connections between the two or more devices and logical connections between a device used by the given user and the two or more devices with which the given user communicates;

creating a first information tree rooted at a particular interrelation selected from the one or more interrelations and organized according to the one or more interrelations, the first information tree being based on the first set of user information and being created in memory of a network management computer; and

displaying, based on the first information tree, the one or more interrelations and the first set of user information, network management information only for the user comprising the one or more of user network device accesses, the connection status, or the consumption of applications, services or data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second request for different network management information for the given user, the user device or the user application;

based on the second request, the first information tree and the data stored in the network database, determining a second set of user information for the user;

using the second set of user information, creating a second information tree, rooted at data representing a user location of the given user, and organized according to modified one or more interrelations in the second set of user information; and

causing displaying the different network management information for the user based on the second information tree, and the one or more interrelations and the second set of user information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) that comprises one or more panels, each of the one or more panels depicting one or more data histograms based on the one or more information trees and the one or more interrelations, and comprising one or more graphical user interface widgets that identify one or more operations;

upon receiving a search query identifying the user, retrieving a user profile, displaying the user profile in a profile panel in the GUI, and displaying a data selection icon in the GUI; and

upon receiving user input selecting a sub-icon of the data selection icon, retrieving a portion of the one or more information trees and displaying the network management information for the user based on the portion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network information comprises any of user location information, user configuration information, user network information collected by network monitoring processes executed in a communications network, user application information collected by application monitoring processes executed in the communications network, or user performance information collected by performance monitoring processes executed in the communications network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network information comprises any of current, recent or historical information about endpoints of the connections that the user used to access a communications network, end-to-end break-downs of paths that the user used, or applications, services and data consumption for each of the connections.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network information comprises multiple data metrics related to primary network objects and displayed in a single integrated view.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network information comprises a history of resources usage by the user and a real-time usage of the resources by the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network information comprises user location information, user network information, user application information and user performance information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network information comprises any of:

a name of the user, an organization name for the user, contact information for the user, a picture of the user, an electronic mail interface, preference setting for the user, or an authorization and authentication interface.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating the one or more information trees and the one or more interrelations based on a real-time profile directory.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first request for network management information, the first request identifying at least one of a given user, a user device of the given user, or a user application executed by the given user;

determining a first set of user information only for the given user based on one or more of user network device accesses, a connection status, or consumption of applications, services, or data, the determination being based on the first request and data stored in a network database;

wherein the first set of user information comprises performance measurements of two or more devices associated with the given user;

identifying, based on at least in part on the first set of user information, one or more interrelations that represent logical connections between the two or more devices and logical connections between a device used by the given user and the two or more devices with which the given user communicates;

creating a first information tree rooted at a particular interrelation selected from the one or more interrelations and organized according to the one or more interrelations, the first information tree being based on the first set of user information and being created in memory of a network management computer; and

displaying, based on the first information tree, the one or more interrelations and the first set of user information, network management information only for the user comprising one or more of user network device accesses, the connection status, or the consumption of applications, services or data.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further storing instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform:

receiving a second request for different network management information for the user, the user device or the user application;

based on the second request, the first information tree and the data stored in the network database, determining a second set of user information for the user;

using the second set of user information, creating a second information tree, rooted data representing a user location of the given user, and organized according to modified one or more interrelations in the second set of user information;

causing displaying the different network management information for the user based on the second information tree, and the one or more interrelations and the second set of user information.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions which, when executed cause the one or more processors to perform:

causing displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) that comprises one or more panels, each of the one or more panels depicting one or more data histograms based on the one or more information trees and the one or more interrelations, and comprising one or more graphical user interface widgets that identify one or more operations;

upon receiving a search query identifying the user, retrieving a user profile, displaying the user profile in a profile panel in the GUI, and displaying a data selection icon in the GUI; and

upon receiving user input selecting a sub-icon of the data selection icon, retrieving a portion of the one or more information trees and displaying the network management information for the user based on the portion.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the network information comprises any of user location information, user configuration information, user network information collected by network monitoring processes executed in a communications network, user application information collected by application monitoring processes executed in the communications network, and user performance information collected by performance monitoring processes executed in the communications network.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the network information comprises any of current, recent or historical information about endpoints of the connections that the user used to access a communications network, end-to-end break-downs of paths that the user used, and applications, services and data consumption for each of the connections.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the network information comprises multiple data metrics related to primary network objects and displayed in a single integrated view.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the network information comprises a history of resources usage by the user and a real-time usage of the resources by the user.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the network information comprises user location information, user network information, user application information and user performance information.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the network information comprises any of:

a name of the user, an organization name for the user, contact information for the user, a picture of the user, an electronic mail interface, preference setting for the user, or an authorization and authentication interface.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to perform creating the one or more information trees and the one or more interrelations based on a real-time profile directory.

21. A system comprising:

a user interface device; and

one or more computers operable to interact with a user and configured to;

receiving a first request for network management information, the first request identifying at least one of a given user, a user device of the given user, or a user application executed by the given user;

in response to receiving the first request;

determining a first set of user information only for the given user, wherein the first set of user information comprises performance measurements of two or more devices used by the given user, and includes one or more of user network device accesses, a connection status, or consumption of applications, services or data;

creating a first information tree rooted at

a particular interrelation selected from the one or more interrelations, and organized according to one or more interrelations in the first set of user information that represent logical connections between the two or more devices and logical connections between a device used by the given user and the two or more devices with which the given user communicates;

displaying, based on the first information tree, network management information on a graphical user interface (GUI) at the user interface device, the network management information only for the user comprising any of;

user location information, user configuration information, user network information collected by network monitoring processes executed in a communications network, user application information collected by application monitoring processes executed in the communications network, or user performance information collected by performance monitoring processes executed in the communications network.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the network management information further comprises user device information, interface information, user information, server information, application information, endpoint information, status or alarm information, and profile information.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the network management information further comprises any of current, recent or historical information about endpoints of the connections that the user used to access the communications network, end-to-end break-downs of paths that the user used, or applications, services and data consumption for each of the connections.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the network management information further comprises multiple data metrics related to primary network objects and displayed in a single integrated view.