Interactive Drag and Snap Tool for Network Node Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
In heterogeneous network environments, manual trial-and-error methods for connecting nodes are error-prone and tedious, often resulting in delayed discovery of incompatibilities until network operation errors occur, due to constraints in interface ports and lack of feedback on connection feasibility.
Innovation Solution
An interactive drag and snap connection tool provides a graphical interface where users can select nodes and drag a connection cursor with a tunable radius of influence, automatically determining and visualizing compatible connections, allowing for quick and error-free node interconnections by highlighting allowable nodes and forming tentative connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual trial-and-error methods are used to connect nodes, then flexibility in connection attempts is maintained, but connection accuracy and error reduction deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time feedback by visually indicating which nodes are compatible with the selected node through highlighting and display enhancement. This feedback mechanism allows the network manager to immediately know whether a connection is permissible without trial-and-error attempts, thereby improving connection accuracy while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary compatibility checking and visual indication before the actual connection is made. By highlighting compatible nodes in advance and providing visual feedback on connection feasibility, the system prepares the connection state beforehand, ensuring accurate connections are made only after verification, thus improving reliability without increasing operational complexity.
2Reliability
If automated compatibility checking is implemented, then connection error reduction is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automated compatibility checking and visual indication autonomously without requiring complex external validation systems. The network manager simply selects a node and the system automatically determines and displays compatible nodes, reducing connection errors through self-service automation while keeping the interface simple and intuitive.
Solution Approach 2:
The graphical user interface acts as an intermediary that simplifies the interaction between the network manager and the complex compatibility checking logic. The system handles the complexity of compatibility determination in the background while presenting a simple, intuitive interface with visual highlighting, thereby reducing connection errors without increasing perceived system complexity.
3Measurement precision
If visual feedback on connection compatibility is provided, then connection precision is improved, but information processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies visual feedback locally and selectively - only highlighting nodes that are compatible with the selected node and displaying enhancement is applied specifically to relevant nodes. This localized approach improves connection feasibility detection precision while minimizing computational resources by not processing or highlighting all nodes uniformly, but only those that matter for the current selection.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method and system for managing a configurable network, which comprises presenting a graphical display of a plurality of graphical features representing nodes in the configurable network, accepting a user selection of a first graphical feature representing a first node, determining allowability of a connection to a second node if a second graphical feature representing the node is in graphical proximity to a cursor in the display, indicating allowability if connection to the second node is allowable, accepting a user selection of the second graphical feature, presenting a graphical representation of the allowable connection between the first node and the second node, and implementing the connection in the network.