Automatic generation of forms for device configuration

• US 9,824,080 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2014
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Aruba Networks Incorporated (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Kok, Choh Mun, Mehra, Ravi
• Primary Examiner(s): Paula, Cesar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blackwell, James H
• Application Number:
  US14/170,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20150220233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a method and network device for automatic generation of forms for device configurations. Specifically, a network device receives a static configuration document from a user. The network device waits for a content creator to parse through the configuration document and tag various dynamic fields with supported dynamic content tags. The network device can then extract the dynamic variables from the processed document and generate forms to present to the user for the requested information. Next, the network device generates static configuration file(s) corresponding to one or more devices for the user based on the user input values.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, cause the one or more hardware processors to:

obtain a first configuration file document comprising a plurality of variables to configure a network device;

traverse the first configuration file document to identify each of the plurality of variables;

separate a static content portion and a dynamic content portion within the plurality of variables by defining a set of working command line interface configurations;

parameterize the dynamic content portion in one configuration of the set of working command line interface configurations using a template language;

generate question prompts requesting a user input value for each of the plurality of variables based on the separation and parameterization; and

in response to receipt of the user input value for each of the plurality of variables, update the first configuration file document in real time and configure the network device in real time; and

display, via a graphical user interface, the updated first configuration file and the question prompts in a same window view.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more hardware processors to define an input format for each of the plurality of variables based on respective information associated with each of the plurality of variables.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first configuration file document comprises two occurrences of a first variable, and wherein one of the question prompts requests a first user input value for the first variable and uses the same first user input value as a value for each occurrence of the first variable.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first configuration file document comprises another variable separate from the plurality of variables.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the each of the question prompts is a graphical user interface to request the user input value for each of the plurality of variables.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the one or more hardware processors to update the first configuration file document based on (a) a portion of static values in the first configuration file document and (b) the user input value for each of the plurality of variables.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first configuration file document comprises the static content portion comprising static values and the dynamic content portion including the plurality of variables.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the first configuration file document comprises a device configuration for a particular device.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first configuration file document is generated based on one of a plurality of templates, the template being selected based on the particular device.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the one or more hardware processors to update the first configuration file document with default values based on the user input value for each of the plurality of variables.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein to generate the question prompts requesting the user input value for each of the plurality of variables, the instructions cause the one or more hardware processors to dynamically select variables for requesting user input values based on received user input values.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the question prompts request a particular user input value for a particular variable not in the first configuration file document.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the question prompts request a particular user input value for a particular variable, the particular variable being selected based on evaluation of a condition.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein to request the user input value for each of the plurality of variable, the instructions cause the one or more hardware processors to select an order of the plurality of variables for requesting user input values based on an order of a first occurrence of each of the plurality of variables.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein to request the user input value for each of the plurality of variable, the instructions cause the one or more hardware processors to select an order of the plurality of variables for requesting user input values based on an indication of the order in the first configuration file document.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, cause the one or more hardware processors to:

traverse a configuration file document to identify a plurality of variables;

separate a static content portion and a dynamic content portion within the plurality of variables by defining a set of working command line interface configurations;

parameterize the dynamic content portion in a configuration of the set of working command line interface configurations using a template language;

display a first user input field for obtaining a first user input for one of the plurality of variables based on the separation and parameterization;

receive the first user input from the user;

concurrently with receiving the first user input from the user;

generate in real time a device configuration for the network device based on a template associated with the network device and the first user input; and

display in real time and via a graphical user interface, the device configuration for the network device, wherein the first user input field and the device configuration are concurrently displayed on a same screen.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the device configuration comprises a command line interface command.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the display of the device configuration comprises a display of the first user input in a graphical user interface interface for configuring the network device.

19. A system comprising:

a hardware processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to;

obtain a first configuration file document comprising a plurality of variables to configure a network device;

traverse the first configuration file document to identify each of the plurality of variables;

separate a static content portion and a dynamic content portion within the plurality of variables by defining a set of working command line interface configurations;

parameterize the dynamic content portion in a configuration of the set of working command line interface configurations using a template language;

generate question prompts requesting a user input value for each of the plurality of variables based on the separation and parameterization; and

in response to receipt of the user input value for each of the plurality of variables, update the first configuration file document in real time and configure the network device in real time; and

display, via a graphical user interface, the updated first configuration file and the question prompts in a same window view.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the instructions are executable to provide a device-independent syntax for generating device-dependent and vendor-specific configurations.