System and method for generating a representation of a configuration schema

Abstract

A system and method for managing and modeling a network device using a representation of a configuration schema is disclosed. One implementation includes a configuration hash key storage module; a configuration hash object storage module; and a configuration manager.

Description

PRIORITY [0001] The present application is a continuation of commonly owned and assigned application Ser. No. 09 / 991,764 filed on Nov. 26, 2001, Attorney Docket No. CNTW-011 / 00US, entitled System and Method for Generating a Representation of a Configuration Schema, which is incorporated herein by reference. RELATED APPLICATIONS [0002] The present application is related to commonly owned and assigned application Nos.: [0003] Ser. No. 09 / 730,864, entitled System and Method for Configuration, Management and Monitoring of Network Resources, filed Dec. 6, 2000; [0004] Ser. No. 09 / 730,680, entitled System and Method for Redirecting Data Generated by Network Devices, filed Dec. 6, 2000; [0005] Ser. No. 09 / 730,863, entitled Event Manger for Network Operating System, filed Dec. 6, 2000; [0006] Ser. No. 09 / 730,671, entitled Dynamic Configuration of Network Devices to Enable Data Transfers, filed Dec. 6, 2000; [0007] Ser. No. 09 / 730,682, entitled Network Operating System Data Directory, filed ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018] Although schema are generally used to validate commands, in one implementation of the present invention, the configuration schema can be used to generate commands. For example, a configuration command can be retrieved from a Cisco router. This configuration command is generally expressed in terms of a CLI-based command structure. Using the XML configuration schema, however, the CLI-based commands can be converted to an XML format, which is significantly more manageable than a CLI-based format. Once the CLI-based command has been converted to an XML format, the XML version of the command can be easily passed between various computers and system administrators in a highly readable, standardized format.

[0022] Advantages of the representation of the schema can include a smaller memory footprint than the complete schema, decreased traversal time when generating or converting commands, and ease-of-use relative to the original schema. As previously stated, however, the above-described embodiments, implementations, and advantages are for illustration purposes only. Numerous other embodiments, implementations, and details of the invention are easily recognized by those of skill in the art from the following descriptions and claims.

Problems solved by technology

Unfortunately, the expansion and maintenance of these networks is outpaced by the demand for additional bandwidth.

Network equipment is often difficult to configure, and qualified network technicians are in extremely short supply.

Thus, many needed network expansions and upgrades must be delayed until these technicians are available.

While these upgrades and expansions are pending, end-users continue to suffer poor network performance.

For example, Cisco™ routers are notoriously difficult to configure—especially in light of the new XML-based interfaces introduced by competitors such as Juniper Networks™.

Instead of a user-friendly XML-based interface, Cisco uses a cumbersome command line interface (CLI) for its routers.

Cisco's CLI interface is the result of many years of semi-controlled modifications to its router operating systems and has resulted in a tangled mess of commands and subcommands.

If Cisco attempted to abandon its CLI in favor of the new user-friendly XML-based interface, many years of development and expertise could be lost.

Moreover, even if it could develop an XML-based interface, there is presently no economical way to integrate it into the thousands of existing routers.

However, present technology does not provide these companies with an acceptable option that allows continued use of its extensive CLI knowledge base while simultaneously providing system administrators with a user-friendly interface, e.g., XML-based interface.

Moreover, present technologies do not provide an acceptable way to provide backward compatibility with existing devices.

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