Grammar-Based CMDB Search Query Tokenization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In complex managed networks, locating specific configuration items within a configuration management database (CMDB) can be challenging due to the complexity of the network and the interrelationships between items, requiring users to have prior knowledge of specific attributes.
Innovation Solution
A search tool that tokenizes search queries, classifies tokens based on predefined mapping schemes, and determines search strategies to identify configuration items, allowing users to search using plain language queries without needing specific knowledge of item attributes, by grouping terms, classifying tokens, and applying grammar definitions to query the CMDB effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If users search for configuration items in a complex CMDB, then the ability to locate specific items is improved, but the complexity of requiring prior knowledge of attributes increases the difficulty of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer between the user and the CMDB that translates natural language queries into structured search operations. This intermediary component analyzes the search query, identifies relevant configuration items and their relationships, and returns results without requiring users to understand complex CMDB attributes or navigation paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of manual navigation through CMDB hierarchies and filters with an automated natural language processing system. Instead of requiring users to mechanically navigate through multiple levels of configuration items and apply complex filters, the system automatically interprets and executes search queries in plain language.
2Loss of information
If the CMDB includes detailed representations of configuration items and their interrelationships, then the completeness of information is improved, but the complexity of navigating and locating items increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the relevant configuration items and relationships needed to answer a specific search query from the comprehensive CMDB. Rather than requiring users to navigate through the entire complex database structure, the system identifies and extracts only the necessary information based on the natural language query and predefined grammar rules.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the complex CMDB navigation task into distinct components: parsing the natural language query, identifying relevant configuration items, determining relationships between items, and formatting results. This segmentation allows the system to handle complexity internally while presenting a simple interface to users.
3Ease of operation
If the search tool uses tokenization and grammar-based classification, then the ease of use is improved, but the processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-defining grammar rules and relationships between configuration items before search queries are executed. The system prepares classification schemas, token mappings, and relationship definitions in advance, so that during actual search operations, the system only needs to match queries against these pre-established patterns rather than building the entire search framework from scratch.
Data Source
AI summary
A remote network management platform includes persistent storage containing representations of configuration items in a plurality of database tables. The configuration items relate to computing devices and software applications disposed within a managed network associated with the remote network management platform. The remote network management platform includes one or more server devices configured to: (i) receive a search query comprising a plurality of search terms; (ii) tokenize the search query into a plurality of tokens; (iii) apply classifiers to the plurality of tokens in a prioritized order, wherein the classifiers map each of the tokens to: one of the database tables, a column in one of the database tables, a configuration item represented in one of the database tables, or a relationship between configuration items represented in the database tables; and (iv) search the persistent storage for one or more configuration items that match the mappings produced by the classifiers.