API Server Configuration Database for Network Error Root Cause Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network management systems face challenges in efficiently configuring and managing network devices, particularly in translating high-level intent-based configurations into low-level device configurations, and in troubleshooting errors caused by configuration changes.
Innovation Solution
A network management system that uses an API server to receive, store, and distribute configuration data to managed network devices, utilizing a configuration database to maintain historical and current configuration data, allowing for analysis and remediation of errors by identifying configuration changes that caused issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If configuration data is stored in a database for historical tracking, then error troubleshooting capability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by storing configuration data in the database before errors occur. This proactive storage of historical configuration states enables later retrieval and analysis when troubleshooting errors, eliminating the need for complex real-time monitoring systems during error conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The database serves as an intermediary component between the configuration management system and error analysis processes. It mediates by storing and retrieving configuration data, allowing administrators to compare historical configurations with current states to identify error causes without requiring direct complex interactions between management systems and error diagnostics.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If configuration changes are tracked for analysis, then root cause identification is improved, but data management overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically storing configuration data in the database before errors occur. This proactive approach captures the state of configuration changes in real-time as they happen, enabling later retrieval and analysis when troubleshooting errors, eliminating the need for complex real-time monitoring systems during error conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates copies of configuration data and stores them in the database. These copies serve as historical records that can be retrieved and analyzed without affecting the operational configuration. This copying mechanism enables comprehensive root cause analysis while maintaining efficient data management, as the original configuration data remains unchanged and readily accessible.
Data Source
AI summary
An example application programming interface (API) server device that distributes configuration data to managed network devices includes one or more processing units implemented in circuitry and configured to receive configuration data to be deployed to at least one of the managed network devices; store the configuration data to a configuration database; and send the configuration data to the at least one of the managed network devices. In this manner, the configuration data can be archived for later retrieval and analysis, e.g., to perform root cause analysis in the event of an error.