Resource configuration change management

• US 9,391,802 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: George, Randy, Stern, Edith H., Tindal, Glen
• Primary Examiner(s): COX, NATISHA D
• Application Number:
  US14/755,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20150304166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/085 Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history

Abstract

Prior to a first configuration change of a first resource, such as a network resource of a network, a processor determines a first performance metric of a second resource, such as a second network resource of the network. The first configuration change does not result in complete failure or fault of the second resource. Subsequent to the first configuration change of the first resource, the processor determines a second performance metric of the second resource and compares the second performance metric to at least one of the first performance metric and a service objective to yield comparison results. Based on the comparison results, the processor can cause a second configuration change of the first resource. The second configuration change of the first resource can revert a configuration of the first resource to its state prior to the first configuration change.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

only in response to a user indicating that a first configuration change is to be made to a first network resource and not to a second resource, determining before the first configuration change is made to the first network resource and not to the second resource, a first performance metric of only the second network resource of a network prior to the first configuration change, such that the first performance metric is not determined until the user has indicated that the first configuration change is to be made, and determining, after the first configuration change has been made and then after purposefully waiting for a length of time, a second performance metric of only the second network resource subsequent to the first configuration change of the first network resource;

comparing the second performance metric to at least one of a service objective and the first performance metric to yield comparison results; and

based on the comparison results, performing one of;

maintaining the first configuration change of the first network resource;

causing a second configuration change of the first network resource,

wherein the first configuration change does not result in complete failure or fault of the second network resource, wherein the second network resource is not a subject of the first configuration change,

wherein the comparison results indicate whether the second network resource has been adversely affected as a result of the first configuration change to just the first network resource,

wherein the first network resource is part of a different device than the second network resource,

and wherein determining the first performance metric responsive to the user indicating that the first configuration change is to be made and determining the second performance metric subsequent to the first configuration change permits determination of whether the second network resource has been adversely affected as a result of the first configuration change.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the service objective associated with the second network resource; and

comparing the second performance metric to both the first performance metric and the service objective to yield the comparison results.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining the first configuration change of the first network resource where the second performance metric better satisfies the service objective than the first performance metric does; and

causing the second configuration change of the first network resource where the second performance metric does not better satisfy the service objective than the first performance metric does.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining the first configuration change of the first network resource where the second performance metric is better than the first performance metric; and

causing the second configuration change of the first network resource where the second performance metric is worse than the first performance metric.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second configuration change of the first network resource reverts a configuration of the first network resource to a state prior to the first configuration change having been made.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

explicitly and just in response to a user indicating that the first configuration change should be performed, automatically and without user interaction determining the first performance metric prior to permitting the first configuration change to be applied.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

subsequent and responsive to, and commencing at a time of, the first configuration change of the first network resource, purposefully waiting for a predetermined length of time, prior to determining the second performance metric of the second network resource.

8. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable code embodied therein, the computer-readable code executable by a processor, the computer-readable code comprising;

first computer-readable code to, only in response to a user indicating that a first configuration change is to be made to a first network resource and not to a second resource, determine before the first configuration change is made to the first network resource and not to the second resource, a first performance metric of only the second network resource of a network prior to the first configuration change, such that the first performance metric is not determined until the user has indicated that the first configuration change is to be made, and to determine, after the first configuration change has been made and then after purposefully waiting for a length of time, a second performance metric of only the second network resource subsequent to the first configuration change of the first network resource; and

second computer-readable code to compare the second performance metric to at least one of a service objective and the first performance metric to yield comparison results, and to based on the comparison results perform one of;

maintain the first configuration change of the first network resource;

cause a second configuration change of the first network resource,

wherein the first configuration change does not result in complete failure or fault of the second network resource, wherein the second network resource is not a subject of the first configuration change,

wherein the comparison results indicate whether the second network resource has been adversely affected as a result of the first configuration change to just the first network resource, wherein the first network resource is part of a different device than the second network resource,

and wherein determination of the first performance metric responsive to the user indicating that the first configuration change is to be made and determining the second performance metric subsequent to the first configuration change permits determination of whether the second network resource has been adversely affected as a result of the first configuration change.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the processor is part of a device other than the first network resource and the second network resource.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the second computer-readable code is further to determine the service objective associated with the second network resource, and is further to compare the second performance metric to both the first performance metric and the service objective to yield the comparison results.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the second computer-readable code is to maintain the first configuration change of the first network resource where the second performance metric better satisfies the service objective than the first performance metric does,

and wherein the second computer-readable code is to cause the second configuration change of the first network resource where the second performance metric does not better satisfy the service objective than the first performance metric does.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the second computer-readable code is to maintain the first configuration change of the first network resource where the second performance metric is better than the first performance metric,

and wherein the second computer-readable code is to cause the second configuration change of the first network resource where the second performance metric is worse than the first performance metric.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the second configuration change of the first network resource reverts a configuration of the first network resource to a state prior to the first configuration change having been made.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein explicitly and just in response to a user indicating that the first configuration change should be performed, the first computer-readable code automatically and without user interaction determines the first performance metric prior to permitting the first configuration change to be applied.

15. The computer program product of claim 8, the first computer-readable code is to, subsequent and responsive to, and commencing at a time of, the first configuration change of the first network resource, purposefully wait for a predetermined length of time, prior to determining the second performance metric of the second network resource.

16. A system comprising:

a first network resource of a network;

a second network resource of the network, a first configuration change to be made to the first network resource and not to the second network resource, the second network resource part of a different device than the first network resource; and

,

a device to, only in response to a user indicating that the first configuration change of the first network resource should be performed, determine before the first configuration change is made to the first network resource and not to the second resource, a first performance metric of only the second network resource, such that the first performance metric is not determined until after the user has indicated that the first performance metric is to be made, and determine, after the first configuration change has been made and then after purposefully waiting for a length of time, a second performance metric of only the second network resource, to compare the second performance metric to at least one of a service objective and the first performance metric, yielding comparison results, and based on the comparison results to perform one of;

maintain the first configuration change of the first network resource;

cause a second configuration change of the first network resource,

wherein the first configuration change does not result in complete failure or fault of the second network resource, wherein the second network resource is not a subject of the first configuration change,

wherein the comparison results indicate whether the second network resource has been adversely affected as a result of the first configuration change to just the first network resource,

and wherein determination of the first performance metric responsive to the user indicating that the first configuration change is to be made and determining the second performance metric subsequent to the first configuration change permits determination of whether the second network resource has been adversely affected as a result of the first configuration change.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second configuration change of the first network resource reverts a configuration of the first network resource to a state prior to the first configuration change having been made.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein explicitly in response to a user indicating that the first configuration change should be performed, the device automatically and without user interaction determines the first performance metric prior to permitting the first configuration change to be applied,

and wherein the device determines the second performance metric automatically and without user interaction subsequent to the first configuration change having been applied.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the device maintains the first configuration change without notifying the user if the comparison results do not indicate performance degradation such that where the comparison results do not indicate performance degradation the user is never notified that the first performance metric and the second performance metric have been determined and compared to one another,

and wherein the device notifies the user if the comparison results indicate degradation and indication of the second configuration change that should be applied is received from the user prior to the second configuration change being applied.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein no monitoring of the first network resource is performed, such that no performance metric of the first network resource is made or occurs,

and wherein just two performance metrics of the second network resource are determined, the two performance metrics being the first performance metric and the second performance metric.