Configuration command template creation assistant using cross-model analysis to identify common syntax and semantics

• US 9,417,892 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Croy, Timothy R., Graham, Trevor, Hamilton, Kevin M., Shuman, Steven S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B
• Application Number:
  US13/631,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20140095677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709223-224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• 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]

Abstract

In one embodiment, a computer program product for creating a configuration template for a set of devices includes a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code including computer readable program code configured for determining command information for a plurality of devices, computer readable program code configured for identifying a command structure from the command information which is common to a set of devices from the plurality of devices, and computer readable program code configured for associating the set of devices to a common configuration template. In another embodiment, a method for creating a configuration template for a set of devices includes determining command information for a plurality of devices, identifying a command structure from the command information which is common to a set of devices from the plurality of devices, and associating the set of devices to a common configuration template.

Claims

1. A computer program product for creating a configuration template for a set of devices, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable/executable by a hardware processor to cause the processor to:

determine, by the processor, command information for a plurality of devices;

identify, by the processor, a command structure from the command information which is common to a set of devices from the plurality of devices; and

associate, by the processor, the set of devices to a common configuration template,

wherein the program instructions readable/executable by the processor to cause the processor to determine, by the processor, command information for the plurality of devices is further readable/executable by the processor to cause the processor to;

retrieve one or more commands for each device;

extract command syntax, command inter-relationships, and parameter limitations for the one or more commands for each device; and

store the command syntax, the command inter-relationships, and the parameter limitations for the one or more commands for each device to a command index, and

wherein the program instructions readable/executable by the processor to cause the processor to identify, by the processor, the common command structure is further readable/executable by the processor to cause the processor to;

store checksums for the command syntax for the one or more commands for each device to the command index; and

compare the checksums in the command index to identify common entries in order to determine models which share one or more common commands.

2. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more commands are retrieved from existing syntactic and semantic models created for individual variants of devices.

3. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein the program instructions readable/executable by the processor to cause the processor to identify, by the processor, the common command structure is further readable/executable by the processor to cause the processor to group together devices into a set of devices for which a command syntax and resulting device behavior is common across all devices in the set of devices.

4. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein the program instructions are readable/executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

determine that a change has been made to one of the plurality of devices that renders a common configuration template inapplicable to the changed device, and/or that a new device is present and the common configuration template is inapplicable to the new device; and

implement modifications to account for the change and/or new device in the common configuration template, thereby rendering the common configuration template applicable to the changed device and/or the new device.

5. The computer program product as recited in claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further readable/executable by the processor to cause the processor to separate the existing syntactic models describing syntax from the existing semantic models describing semantics prior to determining the command information.

6. The computer program product as recited in claim 5, wherein the command structure is determined from the existing syntactic models.

7. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable/executable by a hardware processor to cause the processor to:

retrieve, by the processor, one or more commands for each device of a plurality of devices from existing syntactic and semantic models created for individual variants of devices;

identify, by the processor, a command structure from the one or more commands which is common to a set of devices from the plurality of devices;

associate, by the processor, the set of devices to a common configuration template,

extract command syntax, command inter-relationships, and parameter limitations for the one or more commands for each device; and

store the command syntax, the command inter-relationships, and the parameter limitations for the one or more commands for each device to a command index; and

separate, by the processor, the existing syntactic models describing syntax from the existing semantic models describing semantics prior to determining the one or more commands.

8. The computer program product as recited in claim 7, wherein the program instructions readable/executable by the processor to cause the processor to identify, by the processor, the common command structure is further readable/executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

store, by the processor, checksums for the command syntax for the one or more commands for each device to the command index; and

compare, by the processor, the checksums in the command index to identify common entries in order to determine models which share one or more common commands.

9. The computer program product as recited in claim 7, wherein the command structure is determined from the existing syntactic models.

10. The computer program product as recited in claim 7, wherein the program instructions readable/executable by the processor to cause the processor to identify the common command structure is readable/executable by the processor to cause the processor to group together devices into a set of devices for which a command syntax and resulting device behavior is common across all devices in the set of devices.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 7, wherein the program instructions are readable/executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

determine, by the processor, that either;

a change has been made to one of the plurality of devices, the change rendering a common configuration template inapplicable to a changed device, or a new device is present and the common configuration template is inapplicable to the new device; and

implement, by the processor, modifications to account for the changed device or the new device in the common configuration template, thereby rendering the common configuration template applicable to the changed device or the new device.

12. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable/executable by a hardware processor to cause the processor to:

determine, by the processor, command information for a plurality of devices by retrieving one or more commands for each device from existing syntactic and semantic models created for individual variants of devices;

separating the existing syntactic models describing syntax from the existing semantic models describing semantics;

extracting command syntax, command inter-relationships, and parameter limitations for the one or more commands for each device; and

storing the command syntax, the command inter-relationships, and the parameter limitations for the one or more commands for each device to a command index;

identify, by the processor, a command structure from the command information which is common to a set of devices from the plurality of devices, wherein the command structure is determined from the existing syntactic models; and

associate, by the processor, the set of devices to a common configuration template.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 12, wherein the program instructions readable/executable by the processor to cause the processor to identify, by the processor, the common command structure is further readable/executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

store checksums for the command syntax for the one or more commands for each device to the command index; and

compare the checksums in the command index to identify common entries in order to determine models which share one or more common commands.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 12, wherein the program instructions readable/executable by the processor to cause the processor to identify, by the processor, the common command structure is further readable/executable by the processor to cause the processor to group together devices into a set of devices for which a command syntax and resulting device behavior is common across all devices in the set of devices.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 12, wherein the program instructions are readable/executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

determine that a change has been made to one of the plurality of devices that renders a common configuration template inapplicable to the changed device, and/or that a new device is present and the common configuration template is inapplicable to the new device; and

implement modifications to account for the change and/or new device in the common configuration template, thereby rendering the common configuration template applicable to the changed device and/or the new device.