Method and system for automatically determining commands for a network element

• US 20050195738A1
• Filed: 12/14/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vengalam, Praveen, Beereddy, Srinivasa, Datla, Krishnam
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/022 Multivendor or multi-standard integration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols

Abstract

A method of automatically determining a set of commands that a network device supports comprises the machine-implemented steps of receiving a syntax definition for a command help syntax of a network device; sending a seed command to the network device; receiving and storing a response from the network device; creating and storing information identifying commands that the network device supports, based on the response, in a database of command knowledge; determining and sending to the network device one or more command requests that cause the network device to respond with further information defining supported commands; creating and storing further information identifying additional commands or parameters supported by the network device, based on responses from the network device to the command requests, in the database; and repeating the determining, sending, creating and storing steps until the information in the database represents all commands and parameters that the network device supports.

Claims

1. A method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

receiving a syntax definition for a command help syntax of a network device;

sending a seed command to the network device;

receiving and storing a response from the network device;

creating and storing information identifying commands that the network device supports, based on the response, in a database of command knowledge;

determining and sending to the network device one or more command requests that cause the network device to respond with further information defining supported commands;

creating and storing further information identifying additional commands or parameters supported by the network device, based on responses from the network device to the command requests, in the database;

repeating the determining, sending, creating and storing steps until the information in the database represents all commands and parameters that the network device supports.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the seed command is any of a help command and a “

?”

command.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the syntax information identifies, for a particular network device type, a command that causes the network device to respond with a list of all commands supported by that particular network device type.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the syntax information identifies, for a particular network device type, a response that indicates when a previously issued command is missing a required parameter.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the syntax information identifies, for a particular network device type, a response that indicates when a previously issued command is missing a required sub-command.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the syntax information identifies, for a particular network device type, a response that indicates when a previously issued command included a parameter having an incorrect format.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the syntax information identifies, for a particular network device type, a response that indicates when a previously issued command has caused the network device to change command context.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising detecting when a previously issued command has caused the network device to change command context, and storing information defining subsequent commands and parameters in a different context in the database of command knowledge.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising discontinuing the repeating upon determining that a previously issued command can include an unlimited number of parameters or sub-commands.

10. A computer system comprising:

a computer-readable medium having recorded thereon a syntax definition for a command help syntax of a network device, a seed command, and special case handling logic;

an auto-learning framework that is communicatively coupled to the computer-readable medium and comprising a request generator and a response handler; and

a command knowledge database;

wherein the auto-learning framework comprises one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of;

sending the seed command to a network device that is communicatively coupled to the auto-learning framework;

receiving and storing a response from the network device;

creating and storing information identifying commands that the network device supports, based on the response, in the command knowledge database;

determining and sending to the network device one or more command requests that cause the network device to respond with further information defining supported commands;

creating and storing further information identifying additional commands or parameters supported by the network device, based on responses from the network device to the command requests, in the database;

repeating the determining, sending, creating and storing steps until the information in the database represents all commands and parameters that the network device supports.

11. A computer-readable medium comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

sending a seed command to a network device;

receiving and storing a response from the network device;

creating and storing information identifying commands that the network device supports, based on the response, in a command knowledge database;

determining and sending to the network device one or more command requests that cause the network device to respond with further information defining supported commands;

creating and storing further information identifying additional commands or parameters supported by the network device, based on responses from the network device to the command requests, in the database;

repeating the determining, sending, creating and storing steps until the information in the database represents all commands and parameters that the network device supports.

12. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the seed command is any of a help command and a “

?”

command.

13. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the syntax information identifies, for a particular network device type, any of:

(a) a command that causes the network device to respond with a list of all commands supported by that particular network device type;

(b) a response that indicates when a previously issued command is missing a required parameter;

(c) a response that indicates when a previously issued command is missing a required sub-command;

(d) a response that indicates when a previously issued command included a parameter having an incorrect format; and

(e) a response that indicates when a previously issued command has caused the network device to change command context.

14. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, further comprising instructions for detecting when a previously issued command has caused the network device to change command context, and storing information defining subsequent commands and parameters in a different context in the database of command knowledge.

15. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, further comprising instructions for discontinuing the repeating upon determining that a previously issued command can include an unlimited number of parameters or sub-commands.

16. A computer system comprising:

means for sending a seed command to a network device;

means for receiving and storing a response from the network device;

means for creating and storing information identifying commands that the network device supports, based on the response, in a command knowledge database;

means for determining and sending to the network device one or more command requests that cause the network device to respond with further information defining supported commands;

means for creating and storing further information identifying additional commands or parameters supported by the network device, based on responses from the network device to the command requests, in the database;

means for repeating the determining, sending, creating and storing steps until the information in the database represents all commands and parameters that the network device supports.

17. A computer system as recited in claim 16, wherein the seed command is any of a help command and a “

?”

command.

18. A computer system as recited in claim 16, wherein the syntax information identifies, for a particular network device type, any of:

(a) a command that causes the network device to respond with a list of all commands supported by that particular network device type;

(b) a response that indicates when a previously issued command is missing a required parameter;

(c) a response that indicates when a previously issued command is missing a required sub-command;

(d) a response that indicates when a previously issued command included a parameter having an incorrect format; and

(e) a response that indicates when a previously issued command has caused the network device to change command context.

19. A computer system as recited in claim 16, further comprising means for detecting when a previously issued command has caused the network device to change command context, and storing information defining subsequent commands and parameters in a different context in the database of command knowledge.

20. A computer system as recited in claim 16, further comprising means for discontinuing the repeating upon determining that a previously issued command can include an unlimited number of parameters or sub-commands.

21. A method of automatically determining a set of commands that a network device supports, the method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

receiving a syntax definition for a command help syntax of a network device;

sending a seed command to the network device, wherein the seed command causes the network device to respond with a list of supported commands;

receiving and storing information identifying commands that the network device supports, based on a response from the network device, in a database of command knowledge;

selecting one of the commands;

determining and sending to the network device one or more command requests that cause the network device to respond with further information defining one or more supported parameters or sub-commands associated with the selected command;

creating and storing further information identifying additional commands or parameters supported by the network device, based on responses from the network device to the command requests, in the database;

repeating the determining, sending, creating and storing steps until the information in the database represents all commands and parameters that the network device supports;

discontinuing the repeating upon determining that a previously issued command can include an unlimited number of parameters or sub-commands.