Communication protocol binding in a computer system for designing networks

• US 6,330,005 B1
• Filed: 10/06/1999
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visionael Corp. (Upland Software, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visionael Corp. (Upland Software, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tackabury, Wayne F., Tonelli, Daniel L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US09/413,597
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 345/349, 345/731, 345/734, 345/735, 345/736, 345/853, 345/854, 345/855, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/223
• US Class Current: 715/735
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of designing a network includes the steps of populating a network design sheet on a computer display with an intelligent device object that represents a device object having physical attributes and logical attributes, selecting a communication protocol object representing a communication protocol having logical attributes, determining if the communication protocol object can be validly bound to the intelligent device object by comparing the logical attributes of each, and binding the communication protocol object to the intelligent device object on the network design sheet only if the binding is valid.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of designing a network, comprising:

populating a network design sheet on a computer display with an intelligent device object that represents a device object having physical attributes and logical attributes, wherein the device object further includes at least one port for facilitating communication with the network;

selecting a network communication protocol object, from a plurality of network communication protocol objects, each network communication protocol object representing a network protocol having logical attributes;

determining if the network communication protocol object can be validly bound to one of the at least one ports in the intelligent device object by comparing the logical attributes of the port and the network protocol, wherein the determining step further comprises the steps of;

entering protocol data into a plurality of data fields displayed in a Binding Editor; and

validating the protocol data for syntax and a correct number of characters for a selected network protocol; and

binding the network communication protocol object to the port of the intelligent device object on the network design sheet only if the binding is valid.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of network protocols includes Internet Protocol (IP), Internet Packet Exchange (IPX), AppleTalk, and DECnet.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of network protocols further includes an Other category, wherein the Other category serves as a catch-all category having options that are bound to the port and based on the port'"'"'s logical protocol.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

forcing the port to be bound to the network communication protocol object even if the binding is invalid.