Geospatial based management of configuration profiles

• US 9,553,765 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2013
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kalyana, Shankar S., Karia, Jigneshkumar K., Sivakumar, Gandhi
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US14/078,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20150134788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 709/222
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies

Abstract

A system, method and program product for managing profiles for devices in a network. A computer system is disclosed having a configuration management system for managing configuration profiles for a set of devices within a network, and includes: a boundary definition system that employs a computerized process for defining a plurality of geospatial boundaries; a device manager that employs a computerized process for interfacing with remote agents associated with respective devices to recognize when a device has migrated into a new geospatial boundary; and a profile management system that employs a computerized process for uploading an updated configuration profile to the remote agent in response to the device being migrated to the new geospatial boundary.

Claims

1. A computer system having a configuration management system for dynamically managing configuration profiles for a set of devices within a network, comprising:

a boundary definition system that employs a computerized process for defining a plurality of geospatial boundaries, each of the plurality of geospatial boundaries comprising a set of multidimensional spatial coordinates;

a device manager that employs a computerized process for interfacing with remote agents associated with respective devices to recognize when a device has migrated into a new geospatial boundary; and

a profile management system that employs a computerized process for uploading an updated configuration profile to the remote agent in response to the device being migrated to the new geospatial boundary, the updated configuration profile comprising a set of sub-profiles,

wherein each sub-profile of the set of sub-profiles is associated with a corresponding multidimensional spatial coordinate of the set of multidimensional spatial coordinates within the new geospatial boundary, and

in response to recognizing the device is migrated to a distinct multidimensional spatial coordinate of the set of multidimensional spatial coordinates within the new geospatial boundary, a corresponding sub-profile of the set of sub-profiles included in the updated configuration profile is uploaded to the remote agent.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the set of multidimensional spatial coordinates are stored and managed in a hierarchical configuration.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the new geospatial boundary is selected from a group consisting of:

a geographic area on a map, a three dimensional space, an area within a facility, a floor within a building, and a room on a floor.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the device manager receives a notification with location coordinates from a remote agent in response to a device being powered on.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the device manager receives a notification with location coordinates from a remote agent in response to the remote agent detecting that a change of location of a device has occurred.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the device manager receives periodic location coordinates from each remote agent and determines whether a change of location has occurred.

7. A program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, which when executed by a computer system, manages profiles for a set of devices within a network and comprises:

program code for defining a plurality of geospatial boundaries, each of the plurality of geospatial boundaries comprising a set of multidimensional spatial coordinates;

program code for interfacing with remote agents associated with respective devices to recognize when a device has migrated into a new geospatial boundary; and

program code for uploading an updated configuration profile to the remote agent in response to the device being migrated to the new geospatial boundary, the updated configuration profile comprising a set of sub-profiles,

wherein each sub-profile of the set of sub-profiles is associated with a corresponding multidimensional spatial coordinate of the set of multidimensional spatial coordinates within the new geospatial boundary, and

in response to recognizing the device is migrated to a distinct multidimensional spatial coordinate of the set of multidimensional spatial coordinates within the new geospatial boundary, a corresponding sub-profile of the set of sub-profiles included in the updated configuration profile is uploaded to the remote agent.

8. The program product of claim 7, wherein the set of multidimensional spatial coordinates are stored and managed in a hierarchical configuration.

9. The program product of claim 7, wherein the new geospatial boundary is selected from a group consisting of:

a geographic area on a map, and a three dimensional space, an area within a facility, a floor within a building, and a room on a floor.

10. The program product of claim 7, wherein a notification is received with location coordinates from a remote agent in response to a device being powered on.

11. The program product of claim 7, wherein a notification is received with location coordinates from a remote agent in response to the remote agent detecting that a change of location of a device has occurred.

12. The program product of claim 7, wherein a notification is received with periodic location coordinates from each remote agent to determine whether a change of location has occurred.

13. A computerized method for managing profiles for a set of devices within a network, comprising:

defining a plurality of geospatial boundaries, each of the plurality of geospatial boundaries comprising a set of multidimensional spatial coordinates;

interfacing with remote agents associated with respective devices to recognize when a device has migrated into a new geospatial boundary; and

uploading an updated configuration profile to the remote agent in response to the device being migrated to the new geospatial boundary, the updated configuration profile comprising a set of sub-profiles,

wherein each sub-profile of the set of sub-profiles is associated with a corresponding multidimensional spatial coordinate of the set of multidimensional spatial coordinates within the new geospatial boundary, and

in response to recognizing the device is migrated to a distinct multidimensional spatial coordinate of the set of multidimensional spatial coordinates within the new geospatial boundary, a corresponding sub-profile of the set of sub-profiles included in the updated configuration profile is uploaded to the remote agent.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the set of multidimensional spatial coordinates are stored and managed in a hierarchical configuration.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the new geospatial boundary is selected from a group consisting of:

a geographic area on a map, and a three dimensional space, an area within a facility, a floor within a building, and a room on a floor.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein a notification is received with location coordinates from a remote agent in response to a device being powered on.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein a notification is received with location coordinates from a remote agent in response to the remote agent detecting that a change of location of a device has occurred.