External programmatic interface for IOS CLI compliant routers

• US 20070169008A1
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bettadapur, Prakash, Bansal, Anil, Mohanaraman, Janakiraman, Tjong, Jung, Varanasi, Sankara
• Granted Patent: US 7,908,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/136
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50

Abstract

A method of receiving and translating data within an external programmatic interface (EPI) is described. The method calls for receiving input into the EPI. The input is traversed. Where the input is presented in a prescribed format other than CLI, it is translated into a corresponding CLI statement, with reference to a representation of the CLI syntax. Where the input is presented in CLI, it is translated into a corresponding prescribed output format, with reference to a model of the prescribed output format derived from the CLI syntax. The translated input is output.

Claims

1. A method of receiving and translating data within an external programmatic interface (EPI), said method comprising:

receiving input into said EPI;

traversing said input;

where said input is presented in a prescribed format other than CLI, translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding CLI statement, wherein said translating comprises referencing an IOS CLI Parse Graph;

where said input is presented in CLI, translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding prescribed output format, wherein said translating comprises referencing a model of the prescribed output format derived from the CLI syntax; and

outputting said translated input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said model of the prescribed output format comprises a command data model.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said input comprises XML data formatted in accordance with an XML schema of CLI rules and behaviors enforced by said IOS CLI parser subsystem.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said input is presented in said prescribed format, and wherein translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding CLI statement further comprises:

grouping said input by a related attribute;

parsing said input into a token; and

recursively traversing said IOS CLI Parse Graph to identify a corresponding CLI token.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said input is presented in CLI, and wherein said translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding prescribed output format, further comprising:

determining if said input is a command;

traversing said IOS CLI Parse Graph to locate a related node;

accessing said model of the prescribed output format to identify a object or attribute definition that corresponds to said related node; and

constructing said translated input from said corresponding objects or attributes.

6. A method of receiving and translating data within an external programmatic interface (EPI), said method comprising:

receiving input into said EPI;

traversing said input;

where said input is presented in a prescribed format other than CLI, translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding CLI statement, wherein said translating comprises referencing an AND/OR Command Tree;

where said input is presented in CLI, translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding prescribed output format, wherein said translating comprises referencing a model of the prescribed output format derived from the CLI syntax; and

outputting said translated input.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said model of the prescribed output format comprises a command data model.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said input comprises XML data formatted in accordance with an XML schema of CLI rules and behaviors enforced by said IOS CLI parser subsystem.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said input is presented in said prescribed format, and wherein translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding CLI statement further comprises:

grouping said input by a related attribute;

parsing said input into a token; and

recursively traversing said AND/OR Command Tree to identify a corresponding CLI token.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said input is presented in CLI, and wherein said translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding prescribed output format, further comprising:

determining if said input is a command;

traversing said AND/OR Command Tree to locate a related node;

accessing said model of the prescribed output format to identify a object or attribute definition that corresponds to said related node; and

constructing said translated input from said corresponding objects or attributes.

11. A method of receiving and translating data within an external programmatic interface (EPI), said method comprising:

receiving input into said EPI;

traversing said input;

where said input is presented in a prescribed format other than CLI, translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding CLI statement, wherein said translating comprises referencing a representation of the CLI syntax;

where said input is presented in CLI, translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding prescribed output format, wherein said translating comprises referencing a command data model derived from the CLI syntax; and

outputting said translated input.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said representation of the CLI syntax comprises an IOS CLI Parse Graph.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said representation of the CLI syntax comprises an AND/OR Command Tree.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said input comprises XML data formatted in accordance with an XML schema of CLI rules and behaviors enforced by said IOS CLI parser subsystem.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said input is presented in said prescribed format, and wherein translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding CLI statement further comprises:

grouping said input by a related attribute;

parsing said input into a token; and

recursively traversing said representation of the CLI syntax to identify a corresponding CLI token.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said input is presented in CLI, and wherein said translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding prescribed output format, further comprising:

determining if said input is a command;

traversing said representation of the IOS CLI syntax to locate a related node;

accessing said command data model to identify a object or attribute definition that corresponds to said related node; and

constructing said translated input from said corresponding objects or attributes.

17. A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embedded therein for causing a computer system to execute a method of receiving and translating data within an external programmatic interface (EPI), said method comprising:

receiving input into said EPI;

traversing said input;

where said input is presented in a prescribed format other than CLI, translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding CLI statement, wherein said translating comprises referencing an IOS CLI Parse Graph;

where said input is presented in CLI, translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding prescribed output format, wherein said translating comprises referencing a model of the prescribed output format derived from the CLI syntax; and

outputting said translated input.

18. The computer-usable medium of claim 17, wherein said model of the prescribed output format comprises a command data model.

19. The computer-usable medium of claim 17, wherein said input comprises XML data formatted in accordance with an XML schema of CLI rules and behaviors enforced by said IOS CLI parser subsystem.

20. The computer-usable medium of claim 17, wherein said input is presented in said prescribed format, and wherein translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding CLI statement further comprises:

grouping said input by a related attribute;

parsing said input into a token; and

recursively traversing said IOS CLI Parse Graph to identify a corresponding CLI token.

21. The computer-usable medium of claim 17, wherein said input is presented in CLI, and wherein said translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding prescribed output format, further comprising:

determining if said input is a command;

traversing said IOS CLI Parse Graph to locate a related node;

accessing said model of the prescribed output format to identify a object or attribute definition that corresponds to said related node; and

constructing said translated input from said corresponding objects or attributes.

22. A system for causing a computer system to receive and translate data within an external programmatic interface (EPI), said system comprising:

means for receiving input into said EPI;

means for traversing said input;

where said input is presented in a prescribed format other than CLI, means for translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding CLI statement, wherein said translating comprises referencing an AND/OR Command Tree;

where said input is presented in CLI, means for translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding prescribed output format, wherein said translating comprises referencing a model of the prescribed output format derived from the CLI syntax; and

means for outputting said translated input.

23. An apparatus for receiving and translating data within an external progranimatic interface (EPI), said apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving input into said EPI;

a parser for traversing said input;

where said input is presented in a prescribed format other than CLI, a translator for translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding CLI statement, wherein said translator references an AND/OR Command Tree;

where said input is presented in CLI, a translator for translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding prescribed output format, wherein said translator references a model of the prescribed output format derived from the CLI syntax; and

a port for outputting said translated input.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said model of the prescribed output format comprises a command data model.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said input comprises XML data formatted in accordance with an XML schema of CLI rules and behaviors enforced by said IOS CLI parser subsystem.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said input is presented in said prescribed format, and wherein said translator for translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding CLI statement further comprises:

an arranger for grouping said input by a related attribute;

a parser for parsing said input into a token; and

an identifier for recursively traversing said AND/OR Command Tree to identify a corresponding CLI token.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said input is presented in CLI, and wherein said translator for translating said input into translated input comprising a corresponding prescribed output format, further comprising:

a command identifier for determining if said input is a command;

a node locator for traversing said AND/OR Command Tree to locate a related node;

a node attribute referencer for accessing said model of the prescribed output format to identify a object or attribute definition that corresponds to said related node; and

an assembler for constructing said translated input from said corresponding objects or attributes.