Network operating system data directory

• US 20020069367A1
• Filed: 12/06/2000
• Published: 06/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daedalus Blue LLC
• Original Assignee: Daedalus Blue LLC
• Inventors: Schenk, Jeffery A., Tindal, Glen
• Application Number:
  US09/730,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20020069367A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating a configuration record for a network device is described. One implementation involves receiving general configuration information and vendor-specific configuration information about a network device. This general and vendor-specific configuration information can be used to generate a configuration record unique to the network device.

Claims

1. A method for generating a configuration record for a network device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving general configuration information relating to a network device, the general configuration information including a device type indicator, a device manufacturer indicator, and a device name;

receiving vendor-specific configuration information, wherein the vendor-specific configuration information corresponds to the device manufacturer indicator; and

generating a configuration record for the network device, the configuration record including the received general configuration information and the received vendor-specific configuration information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving general configuration information comprises the step of:

receiving common information model (CIM) data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

generating device-specific configuration commands for the network device associated with the configuration record.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of generating a configuration record further comprises the step of:

including at least an indication of the generated device-specific configuration commands with the generated configuration record.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least an indication of the device-specific configuration commands comprises a pointer to a storage address where the device-specific configuration records are stored.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving at least an indication of a data dump, the data dump being generated by the network device; and

storing the at least an indication of the data dump in the configuration record associated with the network device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

retrieving the vendor-specific configuration information from a remote storage system that is associated with a vendor.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing the generated configuration record in a central repository configured to store a plurality of configuration records.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the general configuration information comprises common information model (CIM) data.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the at least a first processor to:

generate device-specific configuration commands for the network device associated with the configuration record.

9. A data configuration record corresponding to a network device, the data configuration record comprising:

a general configuration data module for storing general information;

a vendor-specific data module for storing vendor-specific information; and

a configuration command data module for storing data associated with device-specific configuration commands for the network device.

10. The data configuration record of claim 9, wherein the general configuration data module is configured to store CIM (common information model) data.

11. The data configuration record of claim 9, wherein the configuration command data module is configured to store a pointer to a storage location containing the device-specific configuration commands corresponding to the network device.

12. The data configuration record of claim 9, wherein the configuration command data module is configured to store device-specific configuration commands.

13. The data configuration record of claim 9, stored in a central repository for storing a plurality of data configuration records.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause the at least a first processor to generate the configuration record by:

including at least an indication of the device-specific configuration commands with the generated configuration record.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least an indication of the device-specific configuration commands comprises a pointer to a storage address where the configuration records are stored.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the at least a first processor to:

receive at least an indication of a data dump, the data dump being generated by the network device; and

store the at least an indication of the data dump in the configuration record associated with the network device.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a central repository electronically coupled with the at least a first processor, the central repository configured to store the generated configuration record.

14. A system for generating a configuration record for a network device, the system comprising:

at least a first processor;

at least a first memory device electronically connected with the at least a first processor; and

a plurality of instructions stored on the at least a first memory device, the plurality of instructions configured to cause the at least a first processor to;

receive general configuration information relating to a network device, the general configuration information including a device type indicator, a device manufacturer indicator, and a device name;

receive vendor-specific configuration information, wherein the vendor-specific configuration information corresponds to the device manufacturer indicator; and

generate a configuration record for the network device, the configuration record including the received general configuration information and the received vendor-specific configuration information.