Methods and apparatus to track changes to a network topology
First Claim
1. A method to track changes to a network topology, the method comprising:
- in response to a reporting message originating at a software defined network controller, the reporting message including topology change information corresponding to a pending topology change event to occur in a network at a future time,generating, at a topology tool of a network management system, a confirmation-seeking message based on the topology change information to confirm the occurrence of the pending topology change event, the confirmation-seeking message being transmitted to a network element to the pending topology change event;
generating, at the topology tool, a pre-confirmation data record, the pre-confirmation data record to reflect the topology change information contained in the reporting message; and
storing the pre-confirmation data record in a pre-confirmation topology database of the topology tool, the pre-confirmation data record being unconfirmed at a time of storage in the pre-confirmation topology database; and
when a response to the confirmation-seeking message received at the topology tool confirms the pending topology change event has occurred, updating a post-confirmation topology database by storing a post-confirmation data record in the post-confirmation topology database, the post-confirmation data record being based on the pre-confirmation data record;
wherein the post-confirmation record is a second post-confirmation record, and the method further includes determining whether a first post-confirmation data record corresponding to the network element subject to the topology change event is stored in the post-confirmation topology database;
wherein the pre-confirmation data record is stored in the pre-confirmation topology database based on whether the first post-confirmation data record is determined to be stored in the post-confirmation topology database.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus to track network changes are disclosed herein. An example method to track a network topology includes, in response to a reporting message including topology change information corresponding to a topology change event, generating a confirmation-seeking message based on the topology change information to confirm the topology change event and updating a topology data set representing the network topology based on a response to the confirmation-seeking message. Further disclosed methods include generating a pre-confirmation data record that reflects the topology change information contained in the reporting message, and storing the pre-confirmation data record in a pre-confirmation topology database.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method to track changes to a network topology, the method comprising:
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in response to a reporting message originating at a software defined network controller, the reporting message including topology change information corresponding to a pending topology change event to occur in a network at a future time, generating, at a topology tool of a network management system, a confirmation-seeking message based on the topology change information to confirm the occurrence of the pending topology change event, the confirmation-seeking message being transmitted to a network element to the pending topology change event; generating, at the topology tool, a pre-confirmation data record, the pre-confirmation data record to reflect the topology change information contained in the reporting message; and storing the pre-confirmation data record in a pre-confirmation topology database of the topology tool, the pre-confirmation data record being unconfirmed at a time of storage in the pre-confirmation topology database; and when a response to the confirmation-seeking message received at the topology tool confirms the pending topology change event has occurred, updating a post-confirmation topology database by storing a post-confirmation data record in the post-confirmation topology database, the post-confirmation data record being based on the pre-confirmation data record; wherein the post-confirmation record is a second post-confirmation record, and the method further includes determining whether a first post-confirmation data record corresponding to the network element subject to the topology change event is stored in the post-confirmation topology database; wherein the pre-confirmation data record is stored in the pre-confirmation topology database based on whether the first post-confirmation data record is determined to be stored in the post-confirmation topology database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 11, 12)
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4. A tangible computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a computer to at least:
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in response to a reporting message corresponding to a network device to be subject to a pending topology change event at a future time, transmit, to the network device, a confirmation-seeking message to confirm the pending topology change event has occurred, the reporting message generated by a software defined controller of a network; store a pre-confirmation configuration record corresponding to the network device in a pre-confirmation configuration database, the pre-confirmation configuration record to include information about the pending topology change event, and the pre-confirmation configuration record being unconfirmed at a time of storage in the pre-confirmation configuration database; and when a response to the confirmation-seeking message confirms the pending topology change event has occurred, store a post-confirmation configuration record in a post-confirmation configuration database. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 13, 14)
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7. An apparatus to track a change to a network topology, the apparatus comprising:
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a memory including machine readable instructions; and a processor to execute the instructions to perform operations including; in response to a reporting message containing topology change information corresponding to a pending topology change event to occur at a future time, the reporting message generated by a software defined controller, generate a validation seeking message to validate occurrence of the topology change event, the validation seeking message transmitted to a network device to be subject to the pending topology change event; generate a pre-validation topology record, the pre-validation topology record to reflect the topology change information contained in the reporting message; store the pre-validation topology record in a pre-validation topology database; and when a response to the validation seeking message validates the topology change event has occurred, store a post-validation topology record in a post-validation topology database, the response being received from the network device. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 15, 16)
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Specification