Group-Aware NETCONF Configuration Transactions Across Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network management protocols like NETCONF lack a single method to manage distributed configuration transactions across multiple network devices, requiring complex handling of connection establishment, datastore locks, and rollback mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A method and system using a configuration management device that installs a YANG data model with group IDs and XPath references, establishing communication channels via NETCONF, generating a distributed transaction group lookup table, and modifying configuration data subtrees simultaneously across multiple devices using a transaction multiplexer module.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If NETCONF protocol is used for managing configuration transactions across multiple network devices, then configuration management capability is provided, but the protocol lacks a single method to ensure distributed configuration operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a configuration management device as an intermediary between the network application and multiple network devices. This mediator handles the complex distributed transaction coordination, datastore lock management, and rollback operations, shielding the network application from these complexities while maintaining NETCONF protocol compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The configuration management device provides a universal interface that can manage configuration transactions across multiple network devices simultaneously. It implements a single method that handles connection establishment, configuration commits, rollbacks, and lock management across the entire distributed system, making the complexity invisible to the network application.
2Productivity
If complex distributed transaction semantics are handled manually, then configuration transactions can be managed across network devices, but the network application must handle connection establishment, datastore locks, check pointing, and rollback mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The configuration management device performs self-service by automatically handling all complex distributed transaction operations including connection establishment, datastore lock acquisition and release, checkpoint creation, commit coordination, and rollback execution. The network application simply issues high-level commands without needing to understand or implement these low-level mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The configuration management device acts as a mediator that translates simple network application requests into complex distributed transaction operations. It manages the entire transaction lifecycle across multiple network devices, including handling confirmations, commits, and rollbacks, thereby simplifying the network application's interface while maintaining full transactional capability.
3Ease of operation
If a single method is introduced to manage distributed transactions, then configuration and management tasks can be performed on multiple network devices simultaneously as a unit, but the protocol structure must be extended
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into three distinct layers: the network application layer that issues simple commands, the configuration management device layer that handles distributed transaction coordination, and the network device layer that executes configuration operations. This segmentation allows a simplified interface at the application level while containing the protocol complexity in the intermediate management layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The configuration management device embeds multiple NETCONF protocol sessions and transaction management mechanisms within a single unified interface. It nests the management of multiple network device connections, datastore operations, and transaction states within its internal structure, presenting a single method to the network application while maintaining the underlying protocol structure.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to method and system for managing distributed configuration transactions across a plurality of network devices. The method includes for each network device, defining and installing, by a network application, a Yet Another Next Generation (YANG) data model on the network device that is used to create groups of one or more of configuration data subtrees of the YANG data model or XPath references corresponding to the one or more of the configuration data subtrees of the installed YANG data model, and establishing a communication channel with the network device to exchange the distributed transaction group YANG data model via a NETCONF protocol. The method further includes generating distributed transaction group lookup table based on the distributed transaction group YANG data model, and simultaneously modifying configuration data subtrees corresponding to a selected group ID as a unit via transaction multiplexer module using distributed transaction group lookup table.