Configuration input device, configuration input method, and configuration input program

Abstract

In the present invention, a centralized management server includes a device control unit. The device control unit acquires a plurality of configuration input requests corresponding to a specific communication device. Thereafter, the device control unit determines whether the plurality of configuration input requests conflict with another configuration input request corresponding to the specific communication device. Upon determining that the plurality of configuration input requests do not conflict with another configuration input request, the device control unit inputs altogether a plurality of configurations corresponding to the plurality of configuration input requests to the specific communication device.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a configuration input device, a configuration input method, and a configuration input program. [Background technology]

[0002] Telecommunications carriers offer a variety of communication services, such as internet connection services and video distribution services. These communication services are provided according to "user configurations" set in communication devices such as edge routers.

[0003] For convenience, configuration is abbreviated to config, e.g., user config means user configuration.

[0004] The user configuration includes data such as the user ID (identifier), the services used by the user, etc. The user configuration is set by the central management server.

[0005] The centralized management server manages the resources of the communication devices that make up the network. For example, the resources of a communication device include bandwidth, the number of filters that can be set on the communication device, and the number of sessions that can be established. Data related to resources is collected in the centralized management server. The centralized management server selects a communication device to accommodate a user based on the available resources of each communication device. The centralized management server then sets the user configuration on the selected communication device.

[0006] The centralized management server is composed of multiple functional units. In order to quickly process control for a large number of devices, the multiple functional units include multiple device control units. Each device control unit accesses a communication device according to the contents of an order, and then executes a control command. In the following, "orders" may be referred to as "requests." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2021 / 044604 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2022 / 003926 [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2022 / 044341 [Non-patent literature]

[0008] [Non-Patent Document 1] Hiroki Iwahashi and three others, "Introducing user configurations to easily modifiable edge routers using Ansible," IEICE General Conference 2021, B-6-67, March 11, 2021. [Non-patent document 2] Hiroki Iwahashi and four others, "Study on Restricting the Relocation Destination in a Flexible User Accommodation System," IEICE 2021 Society Conference, B-6-11, September 14, 2021. [Non-patent document 3] Hiroki Iwahashi and three others, "Easily Modifiable Request Acceptance Function for Edge Router Config Submission Server," IEICE 2022 General Conference, B-6-33, March 15, 2022. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] However, with the above prior art, it may be difficult to improve performance in processing configuration input requests.

[0010] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a configuration input device, a configuration input method, and a configuration input program that can improve performance in processing a configuration input request. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a configuration input device includes an acquisition unit that acquires multiple configuration input requests corresponding to a specific communication device, a conflict determination unit that determines whether the multiple configuration input requests conflict with other configuration input requests corresponding to the specific communication device, and an input unit that, when it is determined that the multiple configuration input requests do not conflict with the other configuration input requests, inputs multiple configurations corresponding to the multiple configuration input requests into the specific communication device all at once. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The configuration input device can improve performance in processing configuration input requests. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A shows an example of a process for populating a communication device with a configuration. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B shows an example of a process for populating a communication device with a configuration. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows an example of exclusive control for a communication device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows an example of resource control for a communication device. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of an issue related to exclusive control. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of a challenge related to resource control. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example environment for configuration injection. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an example of the configuration of a centralized management server according to the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a configuration input process according to the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for inputting a configuration into a communication device. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating an example process for establishing resource control for a communication device. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows an example of the hardware configuration of a computer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Several embodiments of the present disclosure are described in the accompanying drawings and the following description, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The various features of these embodiments can be combined in various ways, provided that these features are not mutually inconsistent. Like reference numerals refer to like elements.

[0015] The following description is divided into an overview and nine sections: overview 1. Introduction 1-1. Config input process 1-2. Exclusive control - Avoiding conflicts in configuration input requests 1-3. Resource Control - Resource allocation on the centralized management server 1-4.Example of assignment 2. Environment for configuration input 3. Configuring the central management server 4. Configuration input process according to the present disclosure 4-1. Bulk input of configuration 4-2. Resource control to avoid anticipated delays 5. Flowchart of configuration input process 6.Effects 7. Hardware Configuration 8. Summary of embodiments 9. Addendum

[0016] 〔overview〕 An overview of the technology disclosed herein is provided in the Overview section, which is not intended to limit the invention or the embodiments described in the following sections.

[0017] Various techniques have been proposed to efficiently input user configurations (configs) into communication devices. User configurations are input to communication devices from a centralized management server. The centralized management server is composed of multiple elements, such as a configuration input request management database (management DB), a resource controller, and multiple device control units.

[0018] For example, in one configuration input technique, the device control unit performs the following operations: (1) obtains a configuration input request from the management database, and (2) inputs a configuration (config) to the communication device. Meanwhile, the resource controller performs the following operations: (1) allocates resources to the device control unit according to the number of configuration input requests, (2) scales up (temporarily adds device control units), and (3) changes the frequency at which the device control unit checks the management database for orders (config input requests).

[0019] However, there are cases where a large number of configuration input orders are concentrated on the same communications device. In this case, the processing time for the orders may be longer due to exclusive control. There are also cases where a large number of orders are distributed evenly among all communications devices. In this case, configuration input may be slow for some communications devices. This is because one control device is inputting configurations to multiple communications devices. For example, if the number of communications devices controlled by a control device exceeds the number of communications devices that this control device can control simultaneously, configuration input will be slow.

[0020] Therefore, in the technology disclosed herein, when the device control unit retrieves the orders from the management DB, it retrieves multiple orders for the same communication device together. Furthermore, the device control unit determines whether the multiple orders are in conflict with each other, and then submits the multiple orders that do not conflict with each other to the same communication device together.

[0021] Meanwhile, the resource controller monitors the type of order and the target communication device. If a delay in the order is predicted, the resource controller determines whether the order is distributed to all communication devices. If the order is distributed to all communication devices, the resource controller adds device control units.

[0022] Furthermore, the resource controller determines whether the orders are concentrated in a specific communication device. If the orders are concentrated in a specific communication device, the resource controller changes the setting of the device control unit so that the device control unit controls only the specific communication device.

[0023] As a result, the technology disclosed herein can reduce the frequency with which the device control unit checks the management database. As described above, there are cases where a large number of configuration entry orders are concentrated on the same communication device. There are also cases where a large number of orders are distributed evenly among all communication devices. Even in such situations, the technology disclosed herein can reduce delays in configuration entry.

[0024] 1. Introduction Various types of communication services are provided through IP (Internet Protocol) networks, which are composed of multiple communication devices such as edge routers.

[0025] The communication devices store user configurations. Each communication device performs various communication controls based on the configuration information set for each user. For example, the configuration information includes information related to communication services such as Internet connection services and video distribution services.

[0026] The user's configuration is managed by a centralized management server connected to an IP network. The centralized management server receives a configuration input request from a higher-level system. The higher-level system is, for example, a communication control system managed by a telecommunications carrier. The higher-level system may also be an operator.

[0027] The central management server populates the communication device with the configuration based on the configuration populating request. An example of the process for populating the communication device with the configuration is described in the next subsection with reference to Figures 1A and 1B.

[0028] [1-1. Configuration input process] 1A and 1B collectively illustrate an example process 10 for populating a communication device with a configuration.

[0029] Process 10 is performed by a centralized management server 11. As shown in Fig. 1A, centralized management server 11 includes a higher-level system support unit 12, a configuration input request management DB (Data Base) 13, a resource management / accommodation position determination unit 14, a plurality of device control units 15, and a resource controller 16. Resource management / accommodation position determination unit 14 includes a resource management / accommodation position management DB.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1B, the process 10 includes six steps, from step S11 to step S16.

[0031] In step S11, the centralized management server 11 receives a configuration input request from the upper system 17. The configuration input request is, for example, a request to input the configuration of a new user.

[0032] In step S12 , the upper system support unit 12 registers the configuration input request in the configuration input request management DB 13 .

[0033] In step S13, the resource management / accommodation location determination unit 14 determines the accommodation location of the user.

[0034] For example, the resource management / accommodating position determination unit 14 periodically monitors the configuration input request management DB 13. The resource management / accommodating position determination unit 14 also manages the amount of free resources in each communication device 18. When a new configuration input request is registered in the configuration input request management DB 13, the resource management / accommodating position determination unit 14 refers to the resource management / accommodating position management DB. The resource management / accommodating position determination unit 14 checks the free accommodation position.

[0035] After confirming the available accommodating locations, the resource management / accommodating location determination unit 14 appropriately determines the communication device 18 and LAG (Link Aggregation) (or physical port) that will accommodate the user, depending on the amount of available resources of each communication device 18. For example, the communication device 18 that will accommodate the user is determined from a group of edge routers (edge ​​group) with which the user can communicate. In the example of FIG. 1B, the communication device 18a is determined as the communication device that will accommodate user A.

[0036] In step S14, the device control unit 15a acquires a configuration input request from the configuration input request management DB 13. The device control unit 15a periodically monitors the configuration input request management DB 13 to acquire a new configuration input request.

[0037] In step S15, the device control unit 15a inputs the configuration into the communication device to be accommodated that has been determined by the resource management / accommodation position determination unit 14. In the example of FIG. 1B, the determined communication device to be accommodated is communication device 18a. The device control unit 15a inputs the configuration of user A into communication device 18a.

[0038] In step S16, the device control unit 15a establishes communication. In the example of Fig. 1B, communication for user A is established on the communication device 18a to which the configuration has been input.

[0039] [1-2. Exclusive Control - Avoiding conflicts in configuration input requests] If multiple device control units 16 access the same communication device 18 at the same time and then execute control commands or input configurations, conflicts may occur. For this reason, the centralized management server 11 requires exclusive control to avoid conflicts.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows an example of an exclusive control 20 for a communication device.

[0041] In the example of FIG. 2, device control unit 15a (device control unit #1) and device control unit 15b (device control unit #2) simultaneously access communication device 18a (communication device A). These device control units execute control commands and input configurations. Such operations may cause conflict 21. To avoid conflict, exclusive control is performed in device control unit 15.

[0042] 2, a table 22 for managing exclusive control is provided in the configuration input request management DB 13. The table 22 manages an exclusive control flag. The flag limits the number of device controllers 15 that can simultaneously control a specific communication device 18 to one device controller 15.

[0043] 2, communication device A is associated with control flag #1. In this case, device control unit 15a (device control unit #1) can control communication device A, but other device control units 15 cannot control communication device A.

[0044] [1-3. Resource Control - Resource Allocation on the Central Management Server] The resource controller 16 monitors the operating status of each functional unit and controls the operation of each functional unit according to the resource status of each functional unit.

[0045] FIG. 3 shows a resource control 30 that is an example of a resource control for a communication device.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 3, the resource control 30 includes steps S31 and S32.

[0047] In step S31, the resource controller 16 checks the number of configuration input requests waiting to be processed. The resource controller 16 monitors the number of received configuration input requests at regular intervals.

[0048] In step S32, the resource of the device control unit 15 is controlled. The resource controller 16 allocates resources to the device control unit 15 according to the number of confirmed requests. To prevent the input requests from backing up, the resource controller 16 temporarily adds a device control unit 15a1 to the device control unit 15a, for example. Alternatively, the resource controller 16 may allocate compute resources to the device control unit 15a. The resource controller 16 can also change the frequency at which the device control unit 15 checks the configuration input request management DB 13.

[0049] In some cases, the DB access resources may be depleted due to excessive DB access frequency for all device control units 15. To prevent this situation, the resource control in step S32 may be applied only to device control units 15 that require resource expansion or increased checking frequency. Therefore, the resource amount for the entire centralized management server 11 can be reduced even during peak times.

[0050] [1-4. Examples of assignments] The order processing performance of the centralized management server 11 may be reduced for reasons explained below. Furthermore, if a large number of orders flow in bursts, the orders may not be able to be processed. If an order exceeds the order timeout period, the order is treated as an error.

[0051] FIG. 4 shows problem 40, which is an example of a problem related to exclusive control.

[0052] As described above with reference to FIG. 2, if multiple device control units 15 simultaneously access the same communication device 18 and then execute commands, command conflicts may occur. Command conflicts may cause unexpected behavior. For this reason, the centralized management server 11 requires exclusive control over the communication devices 18 it controls. However, due to the mechanism of exclusive control, a waiting time occurs when issuing a command to the same communication device 18. As a result, the processing time for the order increases.

[0053] Due to the exclusive control, orders are processed one at a time, in principle. Therefore, orders to the same communication device 18 have a long waiting time for processing. Orders are processed by individual device control units 15 and communication devices 18. As will be explained below with reference to FIG. 5, the waiting time for processing becomes a problem when the processing time for each order is long.

[0054] Even if the resource controller 16 scales out the device control unit 15 or allocates additional resources to the device control unit 15, the performance of order processing may not improve.

[0055] The resource controller 16 scales out the device control unit 15 based on the number of order inputs from the upper system 17. This scale-out is performed to improve the performance of order processing. However, scale-out does not improve the performance of order processing when it comes to submitting orders to the same communication device 18. This is because, due to exclusive control, only a specific device control unit 15 submits orders to the device control unit 15. Determining whether resource control is effective requires consideration of the number of communication devices 18 that can be simultaneously controlled by one device control unit 15, the concentration of orders to the same communication device 18, etc.

[0056] In the example of FIG. 4, a large number of orders are concentrated in communication device A (41). Even if a large number of orders are concentrated in a specific communication device 18, only the specific device control unit 15 inputs the orders to the device control unit 15. As a result, other device control units 15 with spare capacity are left over. In this case, simply adding device control units 15a1 is meaningless.

[0057] FIG. 5 shows problem 50, an example of a problem related to resource control.

[0058] In the example of Figure 5, a large number of orders are distributed evenly among all communication devices 18 (51). Resource controller 16 allocates additional resources to device control units 15a and 15b (52). The additional resources improve the processing speed of device control units 15a and 15b.

[0059] One device control unit can control multiple communication devices 18. However, when a large number of orders are distributed evenly among all communication devices 18 in a situation where one device control unit controls many communication devices 18, order submission to some communication devices 18 will be delayed (53a, 53b). Even if the resource controller 16 allocates resources to the device control unit 15 and improves the processing speed of the device control unit 15, the improvement in processing speed is not very effective in preventing delays in order submission.

[0060] Another example of the problem is the processing speed of the device control unit 15. The processing of the device control unit 15 may be slow to begin with.

[0061] The device control unit 15 executes command generation / input in accordance with the order. Command generation / input includes steps such as starting a command generation function, command generation processing, establishing a connection with the communication device 18 (edge ​​router), command input, waiting for a response, and response check (checking the input result).

[0062] Starting the command generation function and generating the command may take time depending on the implementation method or software used. For example, an external system may be incorporated into the centralized management server 11. Establishing a connection, issuing a command, and checking the response may take time depending on the implementation method of the command conversion unit of the device control unit 15, the software used, or the communication device 18.

[0063] In order to solve the above problems, the centralized management server according to the present disclosure performs one or more configuration input processes described below.

[0064] [2. Environment for configuration input] First, the environment for inputting the configuration will be described with reference to FIG.

[0065] Fig. 6 is a block diagram of environment 1, which is an example of an environment for configuration input. As shown in Fig. 6, environment 1 includes a centralized management server 100, a network 200, a host system 17, and multiple communication devices 18. The centralized management server 100 is an example of a configuration input device.

[0066] The environment 1 may include multiple centralized management servers 100. The multiple centralized management servers 100 may constitute a system for configuration input.

[0067] The central management server 100 is a device that performs processing to populate a configuration. In this specification, such processing is referred to as a configuration populating process. Various configuration populating processes are described in detail in Section 4.

[0068] The centralized management server 100 is a computer such as a server. An example of the configuration of the centralized management server 100 will be described in Section 4.

[0069] The network 200 is a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), the Internet, etc. The network 200 connects the centralized management server 100, a host system 17, and a plurality of communication devices 18.

[0070] [3. Centralized management server configuration] Next, an example of the configuration of the centralized management server 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0071] Fig. 7 is a block diagram of an example of the configuration of a centralized management server 100 according to the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 7, the centralized management server 100 includes a communication unit 110, a control unit 120, and a storage unit 130. The centralized management server 100 may also include an input unit (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse) that accepts input from an administrator of the centralized management server 100. The centralized management server 100 may also include an output unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display) that displays information to the administrator.

[0072] (Communication unit 110) The communication unit 110 is implemented by a network device such as a network interface card (NIC). The communication unit 110 is connected to the network 200 by wire or wirelessly. The communication unit 110 can transmit and receive data to and from the host system 17 and a plurality of communication devices 18 via the network 200.

[0073] (control unit 120) The control unit 120 is implemented by a data processing device and various programs stored in a storage device. The data processing device is, for example, a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), or a general purpose graphic processing unit (GPGPU). The control unit 120 can be implemented as a controller for controlling multiple operations of the centralized management server 100. For example, when one or more processors execute a program (multiple instructions) by using a random access memory (RAM) as a working area, the one or more processors perform multiple operations.

[0074] The control unit 120 can receive input data for the configuration input process from an external device. The control unit 120 can store data such as the input data, data used in the configuration input process, and output data of the configuration input process in the storage unit 130. The control unit 120 can obtain such data from the storage unit 130 as needed.

[0075] (Storage unit 130) The storage unit 130 is implemented by a semiconductor memory such as a RAM or a flash memory, a magnetic disk such as a hard disk, or an optical disk. The storage unit 130 can store various programs and various data.

[0076] 7, the control unit 120 includes a host system correspondence unit 121, a resource management / accommodation location determination unit 122, a resource controller 123, and a device control unit 124. The storage unit 130 includes a configuration input request management DB. For convenience, hereinafter, the "host system correspondence unit," "resource management / accommodation location determination unit," and "configuration input request management DB" will be abbreviated as the "correspondence unit," "determination unit," and "management DB," respectively.

[0077] The resource controller 123 is an example of a distribution determination unit, a scale-out unit, a centralized determination unit, and a scale-up unit. The device control unit 124 is an example of an acquisition unit, a conflict determination unit, an input unit, a storage unit, and an addition unit.

[0078] The data processing performed by each unit will be explained below, as will the DBs accessed by each unit.

[0079] (Corresponding Part 121) The response unit 121 receives a request (order) to input a user's configuration into a communication device. This request is called a configuration input request.

[0080] (Decision unit 122) The determination unit 122 determines the communication device 18 that will accommodate the user based on information about the order of the upper system 17 and information about the user.

[0081] (Resource Controller 123) The resource controller 123 may have similar functions to the resource controller 16 described above with reference to Figures 1A, 1B, 2, 3, 4 and 5. A description of the same functions of the resource controller 16 will be omitted here.

[0082] (Device control unit 124) The device control unit 124 may have similar functions to those of the device control unit 15 described above with reference to Figures 1A, 1B, 2, 3, 4, and 5. A description of the same functions of the device control unit 15 will not be repeated here.

[0083] (Management DB131) The management DB 131 may have the same functions as the configuration input request management DB 13 described above with reference to Figures 1A, 1B, 2, 3, 4, and 5. A description of the same functions as the configuration input request management DB 13 will be omitted here.

[0084] 4. Configuration Input Process According to the Present Disclosure The various configuration populating processes are described in detail in this section. The mechanisms described below improve the performance of the central management server 100 in processing requests.

[0085] 8 shows a configuration input process 60, which is an example of a configuration input process according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 8, the device control unit 124 includes an order group DB 61 and a batch input function 62. The resource controller 123 includes more advanced operation logic 63.

[0086] The order group DB 61 and batch submission function 62 are used to solve the problem related to exclusive control, as described above with reference to Figure 4. The more advanced operation logic 63 is used to solve the problem related to resource control, as described above with reference to Figure 5.

[0087] [4-1. Bulk input of configurations] The device control unit 124 acquires a configuration input request from the management DB 131. When the device control unit 124 acquires a configuration input request, the device control unit 124 acquires multiple configuration input requests to the same communication device 18 all at once (64). The device control unit 124 stores the acquired multiple configuration input requests in the order group DB 61 as an order group (request group) to the same communication device.

[0088] The order group DB 61 is implemented as a sub-DB. The order group DB 61 is a DB within the device control unit 124, different from the management DB 131.

[0089] The order group DB 61 stores a group of orders to the same communication device. An order group is a plurality of orders (requests), and the plurality of orders (requests) corresponds to a plurality of configurations.

[0090] The device control unit 124 includes a bulk input function 62. The bulk input function 62 is responsible for determining whether multiple configuration input requests conflict with other configuration input requests. For an order group, the device control unit 124 determines whether multiple configurations can be simultaneously input to a particular communication device 18. This input determination involves determining multiple configuration input requests that do not conflict with each other.

[0091] For example, the device control unit 124 makes this input decision based on information such as (1) whether multiple configurations are configurations of the same user, and (2) whether a user has a configuration (i.e., settings) in common with other users.

[0092] The device control unit 124 identifies multiple configurations that can be simultaneously introduced into the specific communication device 18. The device control unit 124 collectively introduces the identified multiple configurations into the specific communication device 18 (65).

[0093] As described above, the device control unit 124 determines multiple configuration entry requests that do not conflict with each other, and then collectively enters the multiple configurations corresponding to these configuration entry requests into a specific communication device 18. This entry process can reduce the processing load of the startup process for converting the configuration entry requests into commands.

[0094] Furthermore, the device control unit 124 performs processing to establish a connection to the communication device 18. The submission processing can also reduce overhead when this connection establishment processing is slow.

[0095] As described above, the device control unit 124 acquires multiple configuration input requests for the same communication device 18 from the management DB 131 in a lump. Multiple configurations are identified from the configuration input requests, and then the identified multiple configurations are input to the specific communication device 18. Thereafter, the device control unit 124 reflects the results of the configuration input in the management DB 131 in a lump.

[0096] That is, the device control unit 124 reduces the frequency of access to the management DB 131 by distributing the DB itself (order group DB 61), which can reduce the overhead of obtaining orders (requests).

[0097] [4-2. Resource control to avoid anticipated delays] The resource controller 123 includes a more advanced operation logic 63. The resource controller 123 monitors not only the reception status and processing speed of the configuration input request, but also the type of the configuration input request and the target communication device 18.

[0098] The resource controller 123 extracts a configuration input request for each communication device 18. The resource controller 123 can estimate the amount of commands to be input to the communication device 18 based on the type of the configuration input request. Therefore, the resource controller 123 can estimate the amount of commands to be input to each communication device 18 and the completion time of each configuration input request. The completion time of a specific configuration input request can be calculated based on the amount of commands input to the same communication device 18 prior to the configuration input request and the estimated execution time of each command.

[0099] If a delay in a configuration input request is predicted, the resource controller 123 accelerates the configuration input process by using the following resource control. For example, if the resource controller 123 detects a "config input request whose estimated completion time exceeds the processing deadline," the resource controller 123 executes the following resource control. The resource control includes two cases:

[0100] The first case is a case where (1) the number of device control units 124 × the number of communication devices 18 that can be simultaneously controlled by one device control unit 124 is equal to or less than the total number of device control units 124, and (2) the configuration input requests are distributed to all device control units 124. In this first case, the resource controller 123 adds device control units 124.

[0101] The second case is when configuration input requests are concentrated on a specific communication device 18. In this second case, the resource controller 123 fixes the device control unit 124 that controls the specific communication device 18 to one device control unit 124. The resource controller 123 changes the settings of the device control unit 124 so that only this one device control unit 124 controls the specific communication device 18.

[0102] The resource controller 123 scales in the extra device control unit 124 by changing the settings of the device control unit 124. The resource controller 123 allocates the freed up resources to one device control unit 124. When the predicted order delay is resolved, the resource controller 123 returns the settings of the device control unit 124 to the original state.

[0103] [5. Flowchart of configuration input process] Next, a flowchart of an example of a configuration input process will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. The example of the configuration input process includes the following two processes: (1) a process for inputting a configuration to a communication device, and (2) a process for establishing resource control for the communication device. These two processes are performed, for example, by the centralized management server 100 of Figure 6.

[0104] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing process P100, which is an example of a process for inputting a configuration into a communication device.

[0105] The device control unit 124 of the centralized management server 100 collectively receives multiple requests to the same communication device 18 (step S101).

[0106] The device control unit 124 identifies non-conflicting requests from among the acquired requests (step S102).

[0107] The device control unit 124 collectively inputs the identified multiple configurations to the same communication device 18 based on multiple non-conflicting requests (step S103).

[0108] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating a process P200, which is an example of a process for establishing resource control for a communication device.

[0109] The resource controller 123 of the centralized management server 100 monitors the type of request and the target communication device 18 (step S201).

[0110] The resource controller 123 determines whether the request is expected to be delayed (step S202).

[0111] If the request is not expected to be delayed (step S202: No), the process P200 ends.

[0112] If the request is expected to be delayed (step S202: Yes), the resource controller 123 determines whether the requests are distributed to multiple communication devices 18 (step S203).

[0113] If the requests are distributed to a plurality of communication devices 18 (step S203: Yes), the resource controller 123 adds a device control unit 124 (step S204).

[0114] If the requests are not distributed among a plurality of communication devices 18 (step S203: No), the resource controller 123 determines whether the requests are concentrated in a specific communication device 18 (step S205).

[0115] If the requests are not concentrated in a particular communication device 18 (step S205: No), the process P200 ends.

[0116] If requests are concentrated on a specific communication device 18 (step S205: Yes), the resource controller 123 changes the setting of the device control unit 124 (step S206). Specifically, the resource controller 123 scales up the resources allocated to this specific communication device.

[0117] [6. Effects] The centralized management server 100 can improve the performance of processing configuration input requests by the centralized management server 100 while ensuring the normality of the communication devices 18 that are the control targets through exclusive control. Furthermore, the centralized management server 100 can flexibly control machine resources according to the characteristics of the exclusive control and the configuration input request. This allows the centralized management server 100 to use resources efficiently and process configuration input requests without waste.

[0118] As explained above, the device control unit 124 of the centralized management server 100 distributes the contents of the DB itself, eliminating the need to go and retrieve the DB contents from the master DB (management DB 131). This reduces the overhead of retrieval.

[0119] The device control unit 124 collectively inputs multiple configurations into the communication device 18. The functional units of the centralized management server 100 can be implemented using, for example, Ansible (registered trademark). Even if the overhead of starting Ansible is large and the overhead of edge access is large, inputting such configurations can improve the performance of order processing.

[0120] The device control unit 124 also determines whether multiple configuration entry requests conflict with each other. For example, this conflict determination is made based on information such as (1) whether the configuration entry requests correspond to the same user, and (2) whether the user's configuration entry request includes settings that are common to other users.

[0121] As explained above, the resource controller 123 of the centralized management server 100 scales out the device control units 124 when the following two conditions are met: (1) The device control units 124 are operating at full capacity, where "the number of device control units 124" x "the number of communication devices 18 that can be simultaneously controlled by one device control unit 124" is less than or equal to the total number of device control units 124. (2) A configuration input request is received for a communication device 18 other than the communication device 18 that is being controlled.

[0122] When configuration input requests are concentrated on a specific communication device 18, the resource controller 123 scales up and increases the allocation of resources such as CPU and memory according to the processing time for each type of order. To make up for the shortage of resources, the resource controller 123 scales in extra device control units 124 to secure the shortage of resources. The secured resources can improve the speed of order processing.

[0123] [7. Hardware Configuration] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a computer hardware configuration, ie, a computer 1000. The systems and methods described in this specification are implemented by the computer 1000, for example.

[0124] A computer 1000 is an example of a computer that implements the centralized management server 100 by executing a program. The computer 1000 has a memory 1010 and a CPU 1020. The computer 1000 also has a hard disk drive interface 1030, a disk drive interface 1040, a serial port interface 1050, a video adapter 1060, and a network interface 1070. These components are connected by a bus 1080.

[0125] The memory 1010 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 1011 and a RAM 1012. The ROM 1011 stores, for example, a boot program such as a BIOS (Basic Input Output System). The hard disk drive interface 1030 is connected to a hard disk drive 1090. The disk drive interface 1040 is connected to a disk drive 1100. A removable storage medium (for example, a magnetic disk or an optical disk) can be inserted into the disk drive 1100. The serial port interface 1050 is connected to, for example, a mouse 1110 and a keyboard 1120. The video adapter 1060 is connected to, for example, a display 1130.

[0126] The hard disk drive 1090 stores an OS 1091, an application program 1092, a program module 1093, and program data 1094. The programs executed by the computer 1000 define multiple operations of the centralized management server 100. These programs may be implemented as program modules 1093 written in code executable by the computer 1000. The program modules 1093 are stored in, for example, the hard disk drive 1090. For example, the hard disk drive 1090 stores the program modules 1093 for executing processes similar to the functions of the components of the centralized management server 100. The hard disk drive 1090 may be replaced with an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0127] The hard disk drive 1090 can store a configuration input program for the configuration input process. The hard disk drive 1090 may store a computer program product including the configuration input program (a plurality of instructions). When executed, the configuration input program performs one or more of the methods described above.

[0128] The setting data used in the various processes described above may be implemented as program data 1094. The setting data is stored in, for example, the memory 1010 or the hard disk drive 1090. The CPU 1020 loads the program module 1093 or the program data 1094 stored in the memory 1010 or the hard disk drive 1090 into the RAM 1012 as needed. Then, the CPU 1020 performs the various processes described above.

[0129] The program module 1093 and the program data 1094 may be stored in a removable storage medium instead of the hard disk drive 1090. The CPU 1020 may load the program module 1093 and the program data 1094 via the disk drive 1100 or the like. Alternatively, the program module 1093 and the program data 1094 may be stored in another computer connected to the computer 1000 via a network (such as a LAN or WAN). In this case, the CPU 1020 may load the program module 1093 and the program data 1094 via the network interface 1070.

[0130] 8. Summary of Embodiments As described above, the centralized management server 100 includes a device control unit 124. In at least one embodiment, the device control unit 124 receives multiple configuration input requests corresponding to a specific communications device. The device control unit 124 then determines whether the multiple configuration input requests conflict with other configuration input requests corresponding to the specific communications device. If it is determined that the multiple configuration input requests do not conflict with other configuration input requests, the device control unit 124 collectively inputs the multiple configurations corresponding to the multiple configuration input requests to the specific communications device.

[0131] In some embodiments, the device control unit 124 retrieves multiple configuration input requests corresponding to a specific communication device in bulk from a database that stores multiple configuration input requests corresponding to any of multiple communication devices.

[0132] In some embodiments, the device control unit 124 stores in another database the multiple configuration input requests obtained by the device control unit 124. Thereafter, the device control unit 124 obtains multiple configuration input requests corresponding to a specific communication device from the other database.

[0133] In some embodiments, the device controller 124 adds multiple results of multiple configuration inputs together to the database.

[0134] As described above, the centralized management server 100 includes a resource controller 123. In at least one embodiment, the resource controller 123 determines whether multiple configuration submission requests corresponding to any of the multiple communication devices are distributed across the multiple communication devices. If it is determined that multiple configuration submission requests corresponding to any of the multiple communication devices are distributed across the multiple communication devices, the resource controller 123 scales out multiple resources allocated to the multiple communication devices.

[0135] In some embodiments, the resource controller 123 determines whether multiple configuration input requests corresponding to any of the multiple communication devices are concentrated on one of the multiple communication devices. When it is determined that multiple configuration input requests corresponding to any of the multiple communication devices are concentrated on one communication device, the resource controller 123 scales up the resources allocated to the one communication device.

[0136] [9. Addendum] Finally, the above description is supplemented with other embodiments. Various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings. These embodiments are exemplary, and the above description is not intended to limit the present disclosure to these embodiments. The features described in this specification can be implemented in various ways, including modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0137] (various variations) In this specification, some processes have been described as being performed automatically. Some of these processes may be performed manually. Some other processes have been described as being performed manually. All or part of these other processes may be performed automatically using known methods.

[0138] Various implementations of the centralized management server 100 are described herein or illustrated in the drawings. Some implementations relate to information including various data, data processing procedures, specific names, or parameters. Such implementations may be arbitrarily changed unless otherwise specified. For example, the various data are not limited to the data illustrated in the drawings.

[0139] The components of the device are shown in the drawings. The illustrated components conceptually illustrate the functions of the device. The components are not necessarily physically configured as shown in the drawings. The components may be integrated or distributed, and the specific form of the device is not limited to the illustrated form. All or part of the device may be functionally or physically integrated or distributed depending on various loads and usage situations.

[0140] (Terms that represent components) The term "module," "section," "-er suffix," or "-or suffix" can be read as "unit," "means," "circuit," etc. For example, a communication module, a control module, and a storage module can be read as a communication unit, a control unit, and a storage unit, respectively.

[0141] (Configuration of control unit) The configuration of the control unit 120 shown in Fig. 7 is illustrative, and data processing described with respect to a particular unit may not necessarily be performed by that particular unit. For example, the resource controller 123 may perform the data processing described with respect to the device control unit 124. Furthermore, the control unit 120 may include other units not shown in Fig. 7. The other units may perform the data processing described with respect to the control unit 120.

[0142] (Data Processing Device) The data processing device described for the control unit 120 is not limited to the specific hardware described above, and may be, for example, various types of computers or integrated circuits such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a GPGPU (General Purpose Graphic Processing Unit). [Explanation of symbols]

[0143] 1 Environment 17 Upper System 18. Communications Equipment 100 Central Management Server 110 Communications Department 120 control section 121 Corresponding Department 122 Decision Section 123 Resource Controller 124 Device control section 130 Storage section 131 Management DB 200 Network

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of configuration input requests corresponding to a specific communication device; a conflict determination unit that determines whether the plurality of configuration input requests conflict with other configuration input requests corresponding to the specific communication device; an input unit that, when it is determined that the plurality of configuration input requests do not conflict with the other configuration input requests, collectively inputs the plurality of configurations corresponding to the plurality of configuration input requests to the specific communication device; A configuration input device comprising:

2. The acquisition unit acquires the plurality of configuration input requests corresponding to the specific communication device collectively from a database that stores a plurality of configuration input requests corresponding to any of a plurality of communication devices. The configuration input device according to claim 1 .

3. a storage unit that stores the plurality of configuration input requests acquired by the acquisition unit in another database; Furthermore, The conflict determination unit acquires the plurality of configuration input requests corresponding to the specific communication device from the other database.

3. The configuration input device according to claim 2.

4. an adding unit that collectively adds a plurality of results of inputting the plurality of configurations to the database; The configuration input device according to claim 2 , further comprising:

5. a distribution determination unit that determines whether the plurality of configuration input requests corresponding to any of the plurality of communication devices are distributed among the plurality of communication devices; a scale-out unit that scales out a plurality of resources allocated to the plurality of communication devices when it is determined that the plurality of configuration input requests corresponding to any of the plurality of communication devices are distributed among the plurality of communication devices; The configuration input device according to claim 2 , further comprising:

6. a concentration determination unit that determines whether the plurality of configuration input requests corresponding to any of the plurality of communication devices are concentrated on one of the plurality of communication devices; a scale-up unit that scales up resources allocated to one communication device when it is determined that the plurality of configuration input requests corresponding to any one of the plurality of communication devices are concentrated on the one communication device; The configuration input device according to claim 2 , further comprising:

7. A computer-implemented configuration input method, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring a plurality of configuration input requests corresponding to a specific communication device; a conflict determination step of determining whether the plurality of configuration input requests conflict with other configuration input requests corresponding to the specific communication device; an input step of collectively inputting a plurality of configurations corresponding to the plurality of configuration input requests into the specific communication device when it is determined that the plurality of configuration input requests do not conflict with the other configuration input requests; A configuration injection method including:

8. A configuration input program for causing a computer to function as the configuration input device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

Images