Bridging Configuration Status for Compliant Network Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hosted network management systems lack a mechanism to determine and bridge the configuration status of compliant devices that are too far out-of-date, leading to connectivity and service failures when updating with the latest configuration data and instructions, which is impractical and resource-intensive, especially in large networks.
Innovation Solution
A method that determines the configuration status of compliant devices using a single request, generates a new configuration file, and provides either the cached or updated file based on a match threshold, reducing network traffic and resource utilization, and includes a compliant device configuration coordination module to prompt manual intervention before updating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If updated configuration data and instructions are provided to compliant devices, then network management and operability are improved, but devices that are too far out-of-date may fail to function correctly causing connectivity failures
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of device configuration status before delivering updated configuration data. The hosted network management system evaluates whether a device is up-to-date or out-of-date, and only provides updates to devices that have adopted previous updates, preventing connectivity failures in out-of-date devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from device configuration status to control the update delivery process. By monitoring whether devices have successfully adopted earlier updates, the system determines eligibility for receiving subsequent updates, creating a feedback loop that prevents harmful updates from being applied to incompatible devices.
2Measurement precision
If negotiation with each compliant device is performed to determine configuration status, then accurate device status information is obtained, but network resources are substantially drained
Solution Approach 1:
Compliant devices autonomously determine and report their own configuration status to the hosted network management system. Instead of the system negotiating with each device to assess its status, the devices self-report whether they have adopted previous updates, eliminating the need for resource-intensive negotiations while maintaining accurate status information.
3Productivity
If configuration updates are delivered to all compliant devices, then network-wide operability is improved, but out-of-date devices may stop working altogether
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary verification to ensure devices have adopted previous updates before delivering subsequent configuration updates. This preliminary action filters out out-of-date devices from receiving updates, ensuring that only compatible devices are updated and preventing them from stopping working altogether.
Solution Approach 2:
The hosted network management system acts as an intermediary that controls the flow of configuration updates between the update source and compliant devices. It mediates the update delivery process by assessing device readiness and selectively routing updates to appropriate devices, preventing harmful updates from reaching out-of-date devices.
Data Source
AI summary
Various implementations disclosed herein provide a mechanism for determining that a configuration status of a compliant device is too far out-of-date, and subsequently bridging the configuration status of the compliant device to the up-to-date configuration data and instructions in response. In various implementations, determination of the configuration status of the compliant device is possible using a single request from the compliant device, which in turn reduces the amount of network traffic and utilization of network resources needed to update the compliant device with the up-to-date configuration data and instructions.