Firewall Policy GUI Adjacent List View

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current firewall policy management graphical user interfaces (GUIs) are inefficient and cumbersome, leading to increased resource consumption and longer times in generating new policies, as they often obscure existing policies, require navigation through multiple screens, and do not allow for simultaneous selection of multiple sources and destinations.

Innovation Solution

A firewall policy management GUI that displays a list of existing policies adjacent to the policy interface in the same view, allowing users to easily view and modify policies with input fields for sources, destinations, and security configurations in a single view, reducing the need for multiple screens and enabling selection of multiple candidates for sources, destinations, and security configurations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If traditional firewall policy management GUI is used, then users can create firewall policies, but the interface obscures existing policies and requires navigation through multiple screens

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovePolicy viewing and modification convenienceVSAvoidGUI structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the existing policy list and new policy creation interface into a single integrated view. The firewall policy interface is displayed adjacent to the list of existing policies in the same view, allowing users to view and modify policies without navigating through multiple screens. This merging of functions directly resolves the contradiction by improving ease of operation while reducing the apparent structural complexity through integration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a new spatial arrangement dimension by displaying the policy creation interface adjacent to the existing policies list rather than obscuring it or requiring separate navigation. This dimensional reorganization allows simultaneous visibility of both existing and new policy interfaces, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Productivity

If traditional firewall policy management GUI is used, then users can create firewall policies, but resource consumption increases and time to generate policies lengthens

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovePolicy generation speedVSAvoidSystem resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent displays candidate sources, candidates destinations, and candidate security configurations in advance within the integrated interface, allowing users to select from pre-organized options rather than navigating through multiple screens. This preliminary organization of data reduces the time required to generate policies and decreases system resource consumption by eliminating redundant screen loading and navigation operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If traditional firewall policy management GUI is used, then users can create firewall policies, but the interface does not allow simultaneous selection of multiple sources and destinations

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveMulti-candidate selection capabilityVSAvoidPolicy creation simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal policy creation interface that can simultaneously handle multiple candidates for sources, destinations, and security configurations within a single view. The interface is designed to accommodate and display multiple candidates for each parameter type, allowing users to select from multiple options simultaneously without switching between different interfaces. This multi-functional design directly resolves the contradiction by providing both adaptability for multi-candidate selection and simplicity for policy creation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11811830B2Displaying a firewall policy interface

Publication Date: 2023.11.07 JUNIPER NETWORKS INC

AI summary

A device may generate a display of a firewall policy management GUI. The device may generate a display in the firewall policy management GUI of a list of existing firewall policies and a firewall policy interface that is adjacent to the list of existing firewall policies in a same view of the firewall policy management GUI. The device may generate a display in the firewall policy management GUI of at least one of a plurality of candidate sources for a new firewall policy, a plurality of candidate destinations for the new firewall policy, or a plurality of candidate security configurations for the new firewall policy. The device may display, in the firewall policy interface, at least one of a first column that includes two or more sources, a second column that includes two or more destinations, or a third column that includes two or more security configurations.