System and method for enabling directory-enabled networking

• US 20040030771A1
• Filed: 08/07/2002
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intelliden, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intelliden, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Strassner, John
• Application Number:
  US10/213,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20040030771A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0863 by rolling back to previous configuration versions

Abstract

A system and method for managing and performing network configurations is described. In one embodiment, an assembler can look up the customer'"'"'s account and identify the network devices that are both required for a requested transaction. Using the knowledge data models (KDM) for the identified network devices, the assembler can determine which resources are available. For each relevant resource, the assembler can gather the appropriate configuration schemata from the KDMs. The assembler can then identify the parameters within the network resource'"'"'s schemata that are configurable, select the correct configuration for those parameters, and build the necessary configuration instructions based upon the business rules defined by the customer. These configuration instructions could then be pushed to the appropriate network devices.

Claims

1. A network management system comprising:

a plurality of knowledge data models, each of the plurality of knowledge data models comprising at least one of a plurality of configuration schemata and each knowledge data model being associated with a network resource;

a plurality of configuration instruction sets, each of the plurality of configuration instructions sets being associated with a knowledge data model;

a network configuration policy that is associated with the at least one of the plurality of configuration schemata; and

a configuration generator configured to generate a configuration instruction for a one of the plurality of configuration instruction sets responsive to the network configuration policy using one of the plurality of knowledge data models that corresponds to the plurality of configuration instruction sets.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the knowledge data model comprises a plurality of entries that represent the logical characteristics of the network resource.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the knowledge data model comprises a plurality of entries that represent the physical characteristic of the network resource.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the knowledge data model comprises a set of hierarchical entries that represent the characteristics of the network resource.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration generator is configured to generate a device-specific configuration instruction.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration generator is configured to generate an intermediate form of a device-specific configuration instruction.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the configuration generator is configured to generate an XML representation of a device-specific configuration instruction.

8. A network configuration management system comprising:

a plurality of configuration schemata, each of the plurality of configuration schemata representing a characteristic of at least one of a plurality of network resources;

a plurality of knowledge data models, each of the plurality of knowledge data models comprising at least one of the plurality of configuration schemata and each knowledge data model being associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of network resources; and

a plurality of configuration instruction sets, each of the plurality of configuration instructions sets being associated with at least one of the plurality of knowledge data models.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein one of the plurality of knowledge data models comprises:

a device physical characteristic abstraction; and

a device logical characteristic abstraction.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein one of the plurality of knowledge data models comprises:

an address management characteristic abstraction.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein a first of the plurality of knowledge data models comprises:

a security characteristic abstraction.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein a first of the plurality of knowledge data models comprises:

a routing protocol characteristic abstraction.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein a first of the plurality of knowledge data models comprises:

a traffic conditioning characteristic abstraction.

14. A method for configuring a network, the method comprising:

receiving a service request from a user;

identifying which of a plurality of network resources are required to fill the service request;

identifying the configuration schemata from a plurality of configuration schemata that correspond to each of the identified network resources; and

deriving the device configuration commands for each of the identified network resources, wherein the derived device configuration commands correspond to the identified configuration schemata.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying the configuration schemata comprises:

retrieving the knowledge data model for at least one identified network resource.

16. A computer program product comprising:

a storage medium;

a plurality of instructions stored on the storage medium, the plurality of instructions configured to cause a computerized device to;

process a service request received from a user;

identify which of a plurality of network resources are required to fill the service request;

identify the configuration schemata from a plurality of configuration schemata that correspond to each of the identified network resources; and

derive the device configuration commands for each of the identified network resources, wherein the derived device configuration commands correspond to the identified configuration schemata.

17. A method for managing network device configurations, the system comprising:

identifying a first network device, the first network device having a first set of capabilities expressed in a first configuration instruction syntax;

identifying a second network device, the second network device having a second set of capabilities expressed in a second configuration instruction syntax;

identifying a capability of the first network device;

retrieving at least a portion of a first knowledge data model associated with the first network device, wherein the retrieved portion of the first knowledge data model corresponds to the identified capability of the first network device;

retrieving at least a portion of a second knowledge data model associated with the second network device; and

comparing the retrieved portion of the first knowledge data model with the retrieved portion of the second knowledge data model, thereby determining whether the second network device includes the identified capability of the first network device.

18. A method for managing network device configurations, the system comprising:

identifying a capability of a network device;

identifying a first network device, the first network device having a first set of capabilities expressed in a first configuration instruction syntax;

retrieving at least a portion of a first knowledge data model associated with the first network device; and

comparing the retrieved portion of the knowledge data model with the identified capability, thereby determining whether the identified first network device includes the identified capability.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the identified capability is associated with an upgraded operating system.

20. A computer program product comprising:

a storage medium; and

a plurality of instructions stored on the storage medium, the plurality of instructions configured to cause a computer to;

receive an indication of a capability of a network device;

identify a first network device, the first network device having a first set of capabilities expressed in a first configuration instruction syntax;

retrieve at least a portion of a first knowledge data model associated with the first network device; and

compare the retrieved portion of the knowledge data model with the identified capability, thereby determining whether the identified first network device includes the identified capability.